Posted by Bob Read on August 29, 1999 at 22:50:42 in 208.142.225.69:
In Reply to: Re: Whats In a Name? posted by Sean Winterberg on August 29, 1999 at 21:36:38:
Sean:
You ask some good questions. Here are a few thoughts:
1. How many people would be interested?
I don't think it really matters. What I think
a name would do is give our group an identity
it does not formally have now. When we make
our individual contacts as we do now it would
be helpful to to have some point of reference
in a name that describes our purpose. It might
open more doors to information than if we were
just individuals working on our own.
2. Would we have to charge for membership?
Not necessarily. There could be some nominal
charge if you wanted to generate membership
cards but beyond that I think it would be
better to start small than to try to do
everything at once comparable to some of the
other Titanic related organizations.
3. Would we need to advertise?
Again, not necessarily. Our purpose would not
be to increase membership but rather to have
some organizational framework from which to
relate to the people we would like to get
information from or influence.
4. Would we need officers?
Perhaps. The main function of officers as I
see it would be as a point of contact for
outside sources who might want technical advice
from us or who might want to work with us to
provide new products. At this point I really
don't see anything as grandiose as conventions
and other formal functions. I just think we
might use a name to further our interests.
3. Non-internet members?
I don't think we would want to exclude them
but I think our major forum in this era will
continue to be a website on the internet. I
think things have progressed far enough that
the modelers would need to be willing to come
to us rather than get involved in publishing
magazines and journals. The one good part of
this medium is its immediacy. We don't have
to wait for our monthly magazine. If we would
get to the point where we were trying to decide
on a name, we might include the term "internet"
in our name.
There will surely be a lot of ideas floated here
but I think history will show that starting small
and growing slowly will ensure longevity. Its really easy for everyone to think up a million things that some organization could do. I think by and large what our organization should do is what we already are doing. Our organization is all about what we do here. We are already an organization of sorts, but we just don't have a name. That was the main point I was getting at.
I was calling for a name first and foremost.
Regards,
Bob Read
: Bob,
: I have often thought about this, but never could think of a way to put it together. Although I am all for the idea, I wouldn't know of a way to do it. Theres a few questions we would need answers to..
: 1) How many people would really be interested in joining?
: 2) Would you have to charge to enter?
: 3) How would we advertise for it?
: 4) Who would be in charge (president)?
: 5) Does the interest in Titanic modeling go past this website(people who do not have internet access)
: 6) Or am I reading too much into this?
: If everyone really is interested in doing this, give your thoughts, but hold off on the naming. If this goes far enough I will post a survey for the name, wich will be e-mailed to me. We can then narrow it down from there.
: Thanks,
: Sean W.
:
: : Jerry Davidson and James Pepper sparked an idea that I have never seen discussed here before. Often the members here need information from outside sources or we seek to influence model companies, H&W, museums, aftermarket manufacturers, etc. How do we now do that?
: : Well, somebody knows a guy who knows a guy and we try to do things by proxy. Why is that? I think one of the primary reasons is that we are nobody. I don't mean that as a put down. What I mean is that I find myself referring to the association of members who frequent this site as "a group of modelers who discuss things related to the Titanic on an internet website".
: : Not very compact or impressive is it? What if I said
: : I was a member of TMI (Titanic Modelers International)?
: : The name says it all and it sounds more official. When you are trying to talk to bureaucratic types at the institutions mentioned above it couldn't hurt to have a name and perhaps officers. The last thing I'm advocating is some kind of stodgy bureaucracy of our own. I'm just wondering if something like an official organization with a name (I just made the other one up) might advance some of our causes and make getting answers to some questions easier. My hope is that this
: : post will perhaps spark some discussion, debate and other ideas.
: : Regards,
: : Bob Read