Ask Piping Design Central

From: <Paul>
Date: Thu Jul 29 2004 - 17:38:00 EDT

Just a reminder to use http://ask.pipingdesign.com when you get the chance. Although it's still beta and currently looks like crap (I have to teach myself php in order to get it operating the way I want it to - and I ain't no programmer) any messages sent there will be maintained after the site is revamped to its final presentation and feature set.

[subliminal message: send money]

Eventually I'd like to replace this list with the http://ask.pipingdesign.com site.

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Altruistic reasons:

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• at the moment, it is unclear to me who "owns" the 8000 post archive of this list. Me, the original posters or Yahoogroups?
• searching the existing archive at Yahoogroups is a pain in the ass (pardon my French) and you have to subscribe to Yahoogroups to do it
• people on the existing Yahoogroups PipingDesign list have their email addresses exposed just by posting to the list, leaving them open to spammer harvesting
• often, odd things happen to the list
• moving to a web-based forum enables anyone to read content, but restricts posting to people who register

[subliminal message: send money]

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Selfish reasons:

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• I can place ads on every viewed page, thus helping to keep the site alive
• Search engines cannot crawl the current 8000 post archive of the list

[subliminal message: send money]

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Why switching should not be a big deal for current users:

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• the software I've chosen will eventually enable subscribers to the current PipingDesign list to post simultaneously to both this list and the website
• for casual readers, posters will be able to request an email notification when someone replies to one of their messages

[subliminal message: send money]

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Future features:

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I've got a bunch of interesting ideas for the future of the site, but they depend on the current userbase buying into web-based communication rather than email. As spam becomes more and more of a problem in everyone's inboxes, I figure this is the way to go.

[subliminal message: send money]

Regards all,

Paul

PS Send Money Received on Thu Jul 29 17:38:00 2004