technical update/new web-based services coming

[Ari Davidow <ari...>]

Hi,

Things have advanced to the point where I will shortly be wanting beta
testers and user feedback on a web-based version of this mailing list.

First, be assured that this mailing list, itself, isn't going away or
changing forms. I want there to be more ways to participate, not to force
people to try something else so different people will have problems than
before :-).

The web-based version of the mailing list, as currently designed, will
allow anyone to view postings, but only registered users to add postings.
Registration will be free, although it =will= require e-mail confirmation.

All posts to the jewish-music areas of the web discussion forums will go
to the mailing list and vice versa.

By going to a web-based interface, users will come to the list, rather 
than have the list e-mailed to them. For users who have trouble checking
e-mail regularly, or who tend to accidentally e-mail to the list, rather
than to individuals, this may be a preferred method. This will also make
it easier to read and respond to only those posts/topics/threads of interest.
It will also make it easier for less popular threads to remain visible, to
be picked up and continued based on previous posts, rather than remaining
tentative and often unresponded-to.

The web-based version will be accessible from any website that chooses to
link to it. Thus, it is possible to imagine links from Jewish music sites
around the world, and indeed, the klezmershack will start off with such
a link.

The web-based version will be open to other mailing lists. Initially, this
means "other mailing lists that cover topics related to Jewish Music",
but may expand to cover other aspectgs of Jewish culture, as well. By 
having one login to view and to participate in many discussion areas, 
it is hoped that synergies will increase across many foci, ranging from
transmission and discussion of traditional Jewish cultures to transmission
and discussion of edge Jewish cultures. It will also make it easier for 
sub-groups to break off of the jewish-music list, and still be accessible
to the general jewish-music discussion community. We'll take it a tool 
and a discussion at a time.

Once the web-based forums seem stable and comfortable, we will be offering
them to other interested shamash-based mailing lists. 

There is no automatic way to make the jewish-music archives available in
these forums without processing the archives into SGML. If anyone has time
=and= expertise in this area, and would like to help, I especially would 
love to speak with you.

The forum software, used in conjunction with some most recent browsers, 
will allow posting in Hebrew and Yiddish. We hope to set up areas where
this can be confirmed, and then encouraged.

If you are interested in testing these forums once they become available
(two weeks?), or if you are interested in helping test and =also= have 
ideas to contribute, do please respond to me privately.

I have been working on web-based computer forums since about 1993, so to
be this close to a comfortable tie-in with jewish-music and other online
communities, is exciting.

ari


Ari Davidow
ari (at) ivritype(dot)com
list owner, jewish-music (at) shamash(dot)org
the klezmer shack: http://www.klezmershack.com/

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