mtairhead
Registered User.
- Local time
- , 22:38
- Joined
- Oct 17, 2003
- Messages
- 138
I had a bit of an...
This may have been suggested earlier, I dunno:
I had a bit of an idea earlier today, while working in MS Access on an older laptop of mine. This laptop has no connection to the internet, though I badly wished it did, as I really wanted to search the archives of this forum.
That's about the time that I had this "idea" - Tell me if it's worth anything:
This site (As has been previously mentioned, about 100^8 times above) is a massive archive of advice. It has so much information, in fact, that I usually find the information I need without needing to ask, or at least find a workaround/alternative solution.
What are the prospects of burning the archives of this forum onto CDs and selling them to support the forums? You would have to change the format (PHP obviously doesn't work without a server) but that would be relatively easy, depending on the type of database you use to store the threads, posts, attachments, etc (I assume you use SQL?)
Perhaps you could even put together a front-end, Access Database to help users search for info.
I realize you might be running into copyright issues (If not with the actual posts, then with attachments), and a review of the privacy policy would need to be in order before doing so...
I think this might be beneficial because:
(1) Losers like me don't have Wi-Fi for their laptops or computers with internet access at vacation homes, or relatives’ homes – It makes a great “pocket encyclopedia” for those “disconnected” times.
(2) There are those in many companies/orgs who frown upon the use of forums - Even when for professional use. This change might alleviate supervisors’ opposition – Mainly b/c it wouldn’t look like a forum, more like the “help” interface we run into when hitting good ol’ F1.
(3) Your CDs, if made user-friendly enough, are likely to be illegally copied and distributed to co-workers. These co-workers might have never heard of your site - Perhaps they'll log on when they can't find an answer?
(4) It makes a good backup for you, in case the HD goes down for good.
This is a one-time investment of time (hopefully). The requests for CDs after that are just mailroom and accounting busywork., much of which (accting/paperwork wise) would be automated.
Is this too utopian?
Andrew
PS: Future thought - If you were to include RSS tech. in the forum, you could program the user interface to UPDATE...
This may have been suggested earlier, I dunno:
I had a bit of an idea earlier today, while working in MS Access on an older laptop of mine. This laptop has no connection to the internet, though I badly wished it did, as I really wanted to search the archives of this forum.
That's about the time that I had this "idea" - Tell me if it's worth anything:
This site (As has been previously mentioned, about 100^8 times above) is a massive archive of advice. It has so much information, in fact, that I usually find the information I need without needing to ask, or at least find a workaround/alternative solution.
What are the prospects of burning the archives of this forum onto CDs and selling them to support the forums? You would have to change the format (PHP obviously doesn't work without a server) but that would be relatively easy, depending on the type of database you use to store the threads, posts, attachments, etc (I assume you use SQL?)
Perhaps you could even put together a front-end, Access Database to help users search for info.
I realize you might be running into copyright issues (If not with the actual posts, then with attachments), and a review of the privacy policy would need to be in order before doing so...
I think this might be beneficial because:
(1) Losers like me don't have Wi-Fi for their laptops or computers with internet access at vacation homes, or relatives’ homes – It makes a great “pocket encyclopedia” for those “disconnected” times.
(2) There are those in many companies/orgs who frown upon the use of forums - Even when for professional use. This change might alleviate supervisors’ opposition – Mainly b/c it wouldn’t look like a forum, more like the “help” interface we run into when hitting good ol’ F1.
(3) Your CDs, if made user-friendly enough, are likely to be illegally copied and distributed to co-workers. These co-workers might have never heard of your site - Perhaps they'll log on when they can't find an answer?
(4) It makes a good backup for you, in case the HD goes down for good.
This is a one-time investment of time (hopefully). The requests for CDs after that are just mailroom and accounting busywork., much of which (accting/paperwork wise) would be automated.
Is this too utopian?
Andrew
PS: Future thought - If you were to include RSS tech. in the forum, you could program the user interface to UPDATE...
