Theos-Talk Archives (July 1996 Message tl00707)

Responding to Alan

>>[Alan quoting Murray]
>>I imagine we'll do what we can with what we've got, but maybe a sort of
>>roster would help us to work together, ie a list of aspects of the Web site
>>with a name opposite each one, and change the assignments around one place
>>every couple of months. It depends on what people want and what they feel
>>they can do, but I think a bit of organisation will help to lubricate the
>>cooperation. It may even be fun.
>
>[Alan]
> ....  One useful addition which could be made right now will be links
>to TI members' home pages on the existing TI Web page below. ....
>
>Maybe you could expand on what your idea of "a bit of organisation"
>might mean in terms of the "how" thereof?

Yes, well organisation can get a bit tricky, can't it? We don't want more
than a minimal amount, I guess, so as to keep the workload down and to avoid
all those things that we don't like in established organisations. On the
other hand, if people don't keep in touch with each other and don't work in
together, it would surely waste a lot of time and effort.

With no intention of being pessimistic, I don't think it hurts to be aware
of possible problem areas in the future, for instance (IMO) undue editorial
control and little circles of power within bigger circles. We don't want
that stuff in TI, do we? Or do we??

As I read it, we just want to get on with the job, and have limited
resources enough as it is, without wasting energy on struggles with each other.

So, my feeling is to keep any organising of who does what, as flexible as
possible, in order to stay responsive to the needs of the moment.

And if people offering material for the Web site or trying to decide what to
do about any aspect of it do it through a common arena like theos-buds, then
we have a reasonable chance of developing consensus. The site coordinator
would then generally see that any consensus decision is put into action,
including identifying others in TI or theos-XXX or beyond who can help when
necessary.

The structure I have in mind is a loose circle of site helpers including the
site coordinator; with leadership able to pass around it rapidly and
flexibly according to whoever happens to have the idea, skill or material
which meets the need of the moment. The coordinator is then one of the
circle, but with sufficient assent from the circle to be able to do the
coordinating job. After some time, say a few months or whatever suits, the
role could go to somebody else, to share the workload around.

The circle of site helpers would really be as big as TI itself, with people
doing what they are able to, if they are interested.

Depending on where the Web server computer is, it might be necessary to
separate the roles of site information coordination and technical upkeep and
loading of the information. I haven't seen any messages describing the
setup, so I'm a bit in the dark on what you and JRC have in mind.

In my post of 22 July 96 titled "Re: TI Members", I suggested a few more
"departments" like a page for news (para 4), a page for the spoken word,
like interviews, anecdotes and testimony (paras 7 and 8), and one for
highlights from theos-XXX (para 3).

If we add those to JRC's diagram of the links, it would look something like
this:

   __________________________________________________________________
  |                    |                         |                   |
  |         The        |          Join           |     Contact a     |
  |    Three Objects   | Theosophy International |     TI Member     |
  |____________________|_________________________|___________________|      
  |                    |                         |                   |
  |     The History    |      Links to other     |     Theosophy     |
  |         of         |       Theosophical      |   International   |
  |      Theosophy     |  People & Organizations | Projects & Essays |
  |____________________|_________________________|___________________|
  |                    |                         |                   |
  |   What's Cooking   |     News and Events     |    People Talk    |
  |    on Theos-XXX    |                         |                   |
  |____________________|_________________________|___________________|


Other visual layouts are possible, of course.

What's Cooking on Theos-XXX might be better off as a portion of the Links to
other Theosophical ... page, even down to just a mention of its existence.
Depends on how high a profile we want to risk giving it! :-)

Site helpers would spread themselves around these "departments", depending
on how many were available to help. I mentioned a roster before; that could
appeal if people want to see a structure for change, or it could just be by
communicating and consensus, like a good little nucleus of humanity!

Who do we have in mind for graphics design?

Well, that's been a lot of talking for something that will probably just
happen naturally, and differently from this picture, but if we get enough
interested people participating, it could set up quite a vortex of activity
and we could achieve a lot. Also, we don't have to start with everything at
once. It can grow.

How about asking people who have already run a theosophical web site, like
Paul Gillingwater? Their experience could be very valuable. Are you reading
this, Paul?

Murray
Member TI and the TS in NZ