Posted by PJ on August 30, 1999 at 00:39:41 in 24.30.150.74:
In Reply to: Re: Whats In a Name? posted by Bob Read on August 29, 1999 at 22:50:42:
: 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
I think a great start would be to open a "membership book" on the home page. It could be the same or a very similar format as Sean's guest book. That would at least give us a list of contacts and more info than just seeing their names on the message board.
Perhaps it would be sufficient at first not to have formal officers -- leadership emerges from this group, as in the guide development, the Ken Marschall interview, and the exchanges with Al Trendle that helped lead to the revised kit, not to mention the fantastic web-page offer for the first release of the new kit -- in response to some comments on the board.
If we decide we do need at least some nominal officers, people could nominate themselves, provide their "vision" for the group, and we could take a "legitimate" poll.
TMI is a great name, as far as I am concerned. I would gladly sign my full name on a membership form.
Peter J. Glor