The point of my “limited time offer” was to almost eliminate the effort required to take a look at our possible new platform. A critical difference between Rob’s minor miracle at Vassar and what we have here is that people won’t be moving to something totally different - they can opt to have something virtually identical. In mailing list mode, the emails of postings may look a little different, they may be more complete, to “To” address in your reply will be different, and that’s about it. If people want to use Discourse the way they have been using Google (via email), there is nothing to learn.
I have been contacting people off-list to personally extend my offer to do the steps required (typing in people’s demographic data), but have not as yet had one taker.
I will try to answer the question - “Why do we need to change when what we have is working well?” My question is - Do you like communicating via email, or do you like communicating via email on Google. If you’re just doing email., does the platform matter? If we continue with just Google, the group as a whole will be missing out on doing more. Once again - if you want to keep doing what you’re doing, you are going to be able to do that. Meanwhile, others can take advantage of the other things that we can do on the website.
I just re-posted a mast inspection checklist from Google circa 03/2023. I am hoping that by focusing on this for a bit, we can create a complete perhaps more detailed list that will be of lasting value. That thread can be reworked a little and then be readily available on the website. It would be great if people with a long history with mast issues would be part of the conversation. You can participate using email…
I believe that having both Google and Discourse long term will dilute the conversation because discussion postings will take place either here or there, but not both. Having postings in two places instead of being concentrated in one is pretty much the definition of dilute. A slow migration, over a few years, with a group that does not even want to look at the other option, means that we will basically have no migration but instead two separate discussion groups for as long as they last. IMHO it’s too soon to accept that as our fate, hence my efforts to get a few diehard GG people to take a look at Discourse.
In the meanwhile, as you know, we can set up Discourse “groups” for the two Long Island associations, with their own category for posting, plus messaging and chat groups. There might be nice additions to what they are using now.
Hi Jon,
No worries, I’m articulating options for avoiding unnecessarily alienating volunteers. Nothing more.
My “minor miracle at Vassar” wasn’t mine at all. It was and continues to be achieved by a team of committed volunteers that stick together and work together.
I hope INA will choose wisely.
Good luck,
Rob
s/v SOAVE
NS33 #009
Cedar Point YC
Westport, CT
As I write this, I see 138 views on this thread, which means that it’s important to people.
I’m starting to burn out on computers in general. I retired to spend more time sailing rather than to spend time on being my own system administrator. So, I have a lot of sympathy for those who want to see things left alone.
That said, as I look at the work on the Discourse experiment, I see several things that make me very interested:
It seems to allow a much nicer web-browser experience than Google.
I particularly like being able to edit my posts, having made mistakes that left me blushing on non-repairable Google posts
As near as I can tell, it doesn’t sound like it would hurt email-only users. Jon’s asking for hardcore email users to try it and give their feedback based on actual experience.
Discourse has a lot of promise for making it much easier to take accumulated wisdom out of threads and into informative documents. I put A LOT of effort into working with people to assemble the Advice for Potential Buyers and Quick Guide for New Owners documents. So I feel I have some authority to say that anything that helps with assembling documents is very valuable.
As I think someone else already pointed out, if you’ve got a Nonsuch you must be at least a bit willing to take a look at new and different things. So, in that spirit, take Discourse for a test sail. A test sail doesn’t commit you to a purchase.
My $0.015 (adjusted to reflect those who’ve said they wouldn’t give two cents for my opinion).