Poster: A snowHead
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More to the point, what happens if our inspired founder is flattened by a Pistenbully, or expertly carves a turn into a crevasse?
We're all busy building this community, and newbies are joining by the day (welcome all!) but its destiny is a bit of an unknown. One reason I've advocated shared ownership of the site by subscription - or, say, a substantial group of people owning equal shares - is that we become the 'BBC' of skiing. Independent, protected from commercialism, a font of truth. And we collectively determine our destiny.
I've been a little reluctant to help fund the site to date, because it doesn't buy me a share of it, but many thanks to those who are making contributions.
There are issues here about ownership, security and the future. What if U-brain is struck by lightning in a desert, or eats too much cheese fondue? That said, I wouldn't wish for anything less than a 100-year life for our fast-moving founder!
Last edited by Poster: A snowHead on Fri 5-03-04 12:04; edited 1 time in total
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Very good points, David, and thanks for the welcome to me and all other newbies. One important comment though - is there such a thing as too much cheese fondue??
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Mmmmmmm, cheese.
Or he might just get cheesed off. We probably should help him lighten the load, if we can and if he wishes it. Over to U?
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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David, I think if anything happens to U, we'll all have to go to the reading of his will to find out who gets snowHeads. My money's on Gregory....who doesn't post much, but is a whizz with smilies
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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I wasn't going to raise the question of U-brain's will, but now you mention it....
Last edited by Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do. on Fri 5-03-04 12:13; edited 1 time in total
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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Good point David, I'd be interested in your thoughts U. You have created something with a positve future, where does it go from here?
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I'm not with you DG on this one. The workers' co-op, equal-shares-for-all, approach just seems a little clunky and old-fashioned. More to the point, there's not much evidence that successful online communities require this approach. To the contrary, most have evolved quite happily in fairly informal settings, while I can think of plenty of abortive attempts to launch formal sites.
I think U should do two things:
1. Present some very simple parameters, probably in the form of a short forum charter, telling us how he plans to run the site. That'll clarify the bounds of the space he's provided for us to play in.
2. Continue to rely on registered users who are prepared to take on additional responsibilities for the community (rather than demanding slightly spurious rights within it) by, for example, giving money, volunteering to maintain a FAQ or links list, or (my top suggestion) run a skiing blog for the front page!
Formal structures often lead to much energy wasted on rows about procedure. Informality is much much simpler!
And if he pops his clogs (or tires of the admin burden), I'm sure there'll be lots of people prepared to take the site on.
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David. You don't like the BBC? The SCGB, for all its faults (and maybe we can remedy some), is 100 years old under equal shared ownership.
Not convinced by yuur last sentence. If U-brain pops his clogs (God forbid), his inheritors would determine the future of the site. Which might be sold to Rupert Murdoch.
I'm only raising an extreme hypothesis (!) but, sorry, life has taught me not to leave things to chance.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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The BBC isn't collectively owned nor is there any choice about whether to fund it or not (unless you don't have a TV) - so the analogy is not really relevant (and could generate an enormous off-topic thread!).
The SCGB has demonstrated very clearly how difficult a traditionally-constituted organisation finds it to cope the needs of an online community. I understand your appeal to experience - but you should also understand mine. Many of the most successful online communities thrive under semi-formal arrangements - and efforts to develop communities with formal structures have often been unsuccessful!
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If something happened to U wouldn't we just migrate to another board?
It would be similar to the MO day effect I'd've thought.
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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I think that's very true Marc (and a great graphic)! It also captures the informality of the whole thing nicely...
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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David. I fully respect your point of view. I just don't agree with it!
We can be nomadic souls who have to move house every now and then (and lose many friends in the process), or we can build something permanent.
What's the problem with 100 people, say, owning this site? With built-in safeguards for its future?
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David Goldsmith wrote: |
I fully respect your point of view. I just don't agree with it! |
I'm sure you respect everyone's point of view David and never doubted this! But I'm not sure you've fully taken into account my assertion (!) that informality suits online communities rather well.
David Goldsmith wrote: |
What's the problem with 100 people, say, owning this site? With built-in safeguards for its future? |
Four objections for starters:
1. Diversion of energy from producing content into arguing about procedure.
2. Creation of an oligarchy.
3. Imposition of a greater administration overhead.
4. Reduction in flexibility.
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You know it makes sense.
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The more people you have running a site, the longer decisions take to make, and the need for a committee (or council). What happens if 200 people jointly own the site, they elect 10 to deal with the day to day running of it....and then those 10 make decisions that the other 190 don't like?
Sound familiar at all?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Horribly familiar The simple answer to David's original question is that U would end up looking like a piece of Damien Hirst's art, the slightly more complicated one is this:
Firstly we would not instantly have no discussion board unless U's running this off a server in his home which I seriously doubt, we would therefore have time to make alternative arrangements, there would be no instantaneous cut off, it would take days, weeks or even months depending on how far in advance U has paid for the service, the other moderators would be able to carry on moderating in the short term and long term arrangements could then easily be made, should U come to some unfortunate accident he might want to make arrangements with the other UK moderators as to who would take over but that's entirely up to him
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Poster: A snowHead
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Or should that have been Hurst's ... I'm not a huge fan so I don't know
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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u brain wrote: |
(Crevasses don't exist in real life)
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They do.....we just call them potholes
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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See I told you we'd be fine
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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u brain, that is scary. If aliens were to abduct anyone, why would they choose such weirdos?!?!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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We would have to have a week of virtual mourning!
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Let's face it, what's the likelihood of finding a bus running in London?
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The new snowheads hats will only work if they are lined with kitchen foil.
Trust me they told me last year.
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You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
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Does the kitchen foil need to be greased?
(and are we supposed to wear the hats or eat them?)
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WTFH - That's the problem you wait for ages and get run over by four at a time!!!!!!
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snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
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No, no, nothing like that. Its just got to cover your ears.
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And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
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so, it's not a hat, it's just earmuffs?
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Thank for such a great laugh on a Friday! I take it Snowheads hats will come with a guarantee of effectiveness against alien abduction..... should I ask PG about alien activity around Les Arcs??
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You know it makes sense.
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So, if I wear a hat, doe it guarantee me that boarders won't hit me?
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Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
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Only if it's a bicorne covered in green banana stains. You should know that by now.
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Poster: A snowHead
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No the hats got to cover all the head and the ears. Snowboarders won't need the hat, because the Aliens locate us by our brainwaves.
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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You have brains???
If so, why do you voluntarily attach a plastic-soldier base to your feet?
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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No but U have brain
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You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
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What? They can track Ubrain waves.
Admin, best stay out of the bath.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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Will do! I just hope we can get a waterproof version of the Hat b4 the smell gets too bad or Mme.Brain may end up wishing for my abduction
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