[theforum] [Content] reminder: revised content for evolt.org pending

[David Kaufman]

Hi Erika,

<ekm at seastorm.com> writed:
>  [...] I have posted revisions to evolt.org content on
> http://test.evolt.org and am awaiting feedback/edits/screams of
> protest before posting them to evolt.org
>
> if none of those things happen, I'll move forward w/ posting the revised
> content sometime in the next few days.
>
> There is a chunk of brief "about us" info for the front page, currently 
> on
> the right-hand sidebar of t.e.o.

"Members support each other via participation on discussion lists, 
publishing articles, buying evolt-gear, and through donations."

I have just a *bit* of a problem with the use of the word members (tho I'm 
sure I've used it myself!)  The thing is, evolt doesn't have membership, 
per se.  I can't tell you if a particular person "is a member", because 
evolt's not a club, doesn't charge dues and doesn't maintain a list of 
members.  Well, there's the list of subscribers to thelist... but reading 
the list doesn't make you a member of the community -- that distinction 
resides in your head.  Likewise unsubscribing from the list doesn't cancel 
your membership.

Evolt is a community, and members join and leave at will, in most cases 
with no one besides themselves being aware exactly when they come and go. 
They become members (again, in their heads) by participating in the 
dialogue whether by reading the list, and/or the articles on the site, and 
benefitting from it, or simply feeling a kinship with others in the 
community.  Certainly many also more visibly participate in the community 
by actually *posting* messages to the list and *writing* articles, but 
that's not a prerequisite for feeling like you're a member of the evolt 
community.  It's far fuzzier than that :-)

So for purposes of writing style, I tend to try and stick with talking 
about the commnnity in aggregate "the community supports one another" 
though I admit this is not always possible and can get awkward after a 
while.  You do say "evolt is a .... community" before you say "members 
support each other" but I still feel like using the word members by itself 
without community in the term "members of the evolt community" or "our 
commnity's members" tends to imply that a more formal membership structure 
exists where one does not, and can almost always be reworded to use the 
word community instead of the word member. </rant>


> ... however, I believe the entire
> right-hand sidebar has been removed from the front of evolt.org (good
> move, IMO), so I'm not sure where I'd place it on the current w.e.o...or
> if I should.  Suggestions welcomed.

un, in the footer, right?


> The other revisions are both linked on the upper left-hand corner of 
> t.e.o:
> "About Us" and "Submit an Article" both of which link to some deeper
> revised content.


About us:

"Admin are a nebulous but tightly-knit group of individuals who contribute 
time, energy, and skills to evolt.org. theforum is our main admin list. 
Admin have different responsibilities in the org based on expertise, time, 
interest, and experience"

Is the word admin plural now?  I musta mista a memo...  Seems like it 
should say either:

"evolt's admins are a nebulous group of individuals who..." or "evolt's 
admin group is a nebulous but tightly-knit group of individuals who..."

Also the office of treasurer is shared too, by myself and Elfur Logadóttir. 
At least it was originally.  It is reported that she recently claimed to 
have become a former (member), but I musta mist that memo too, refuse to 
accept her resignation, and offer instead that she's on an extended 
sabattical (from which she continues to pop her head in now and again). 
Being as she's the only other soul on the planet with all the passwords and 
logins necessary to manage evolt's finances (were I to be hit by that 
proverbial bus that's always running around, taking out key technologists) 
we still share the title.


> Afterward, I would like to remove Christian's 2004 "How
> to Get Published" article from the front page of w.e.o. (and link to it
> from writers' guidelines) Objections?

None here.  It's been "stucky" there quite a long time it seems...

Thanks,

-dave