** MJ Ray mjr@phonecoop.coop [2005-10-06 15:33]:
David Reynolds david@reynoldsfamily.org.uk
<snip>
You seem to be cutting peoples suggestions of new developments by forcing them into using the already existing system.
Maybe. I think it's unrealistic to change everything overnight, but if someone has time and commits to supporting it for the foreseeable, do it, get consensus and we'll migrate. It's the caretaking part that causes problems. It's all well and good saying it's open and anyone could run it, but I'm not going to fight with someone else's tools if I find them awkward, so someone does have to say "yes, I'll take care of this".
<snip> ** end quote [MJ Ray]
As a suggestion for a way forward to those with the time and inclination to do something I'll reference HantsLUG again (if nobody minds!). The Wiki there started as a suggestion being hosted on a members own server (at the end of an ADSL line iirc). It was tried out for a good while and when it had proved itself both useful and used it was migrated across to the main site and became the official site.
So (and ignoring the word Wiki in there because there's nothing to say this can only be done with one) if somebody is so inclined to try something out and post a URL for people to take a look at then there is nothing lost bar their own time. If the LUG likes it and it starts getting populated then it can be linked from the main site as a prototype new look. If it continues to be active then it can be migrated across and become the official site. If at any point it becomes abandoned or little used the the worst that has been lost is the effort of putting a link on the main site and a few volunteers time playing with putting together a website and content (which they probably enjoyed anyway and learnt from). The likelihood is that even if it doesn't prove successful there will still be a few bits of new content for the main site.
Of course if too many people do this then you'll have to choose one as the 'official' experimental site, but what are the odds of that? :)