12 May
2004
12 May
'04
10:54 a.m.
Webring and unity: that's a good idea.
I think one problem with web-based collector's lists is that too many people
want to be one who 'owns' the list. It is a GOOD thing that so many people
care about this hobby and want to see an authoritative directory, but is a BAD
thing that they end of overlapping, ultimately creating a lack of interest.
Perhaps it's Darwinian. For example, even though there are (I think) 500-700
people on this list and on CCtalk combined, there are still many more people
who maybe aren't 'collectors' per se but who are still interested, and those
people probably just Google whenever the need arises, and find their way to
sites such as www.old-computers.com -- these people probably never know
cctalk/cctech exists -- however these casual collectors are the ones we should
be trying to lure deeper into the hobby.
We all have to stop being introspective geeks and start being extrovertive
advocates. Otherwise, isolated web sites and eBay will be our doom.
--- John Allain <allain(a)panix.com> wrote:
The friendliest way to do this seems to be a webring
where everybody
has their own page, and all are linked together, making something like
a neighborhood block party, where a visitor can go from person'd place
to the next. Even though I've worked with databases, they seem too
conforming and impersonal.
I've held back in making a page (shy?) but would get in it quickly if
classiccmp started a community (accent: unity) like this.
BTW I've seen several of the database attempts, but few that appeal.
maybe we should look at those first and see what's good/bad with
them first.
John A.