Photo Gallery?

[hilltop170]

How come we don't have an official TIC170A photo gallery where everyone can post a picture or two of their plane, plus the mods everyone wants to see? Am I just missing it somewhere?

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

No your not missing anything Richard. The web master and I, as a board member and forum user have talked about this before. It is one of the things I'd like to see.

Not to be a clearing house for photo storage necessarily, I doubt we could hold all of iowa Dave's photo's , but to secure and hold photos of a technical nature. Not that we would restrict it to that.

One of the problems is, as I understand it, is the version of the software we are using doesn't do that with out modification. This is not a straight forward push a button upgrade. You might not reallize but our webmaster is a VOLUNTEER. He is in the business and he says, at least in our last conversation, it's a big deal.

Perhaps then there is the cost of the space, it's not free but I don't think a show stopper.

Anyway it is one of those things that Dale (webmaster)and I will most likely be having a conversation about at our upcoming mid-year meeting.

BTW iowa Dave I really enjoy your photos so keep them coming. It's one of those things that makes this forum enjoyable.

[GAHorn]

Richard, these discussion forums were created when TIC170A members were found to be visiting amongst themselves at a yahoo club. In Feb/Mar, 2002 I approached the association about bringing the club to the assn webpage as "discussion forums." I suggested at the outset that space be provided for posting pics, and it was determined that the venture was too new to consider the idea due to it's additional expense. (We weren't certain how the general membership would feel about website/internet presence.)
At the next annual convention (Wilmington) I again broached the subject and, while the discussion forums had surprised most of the non-computer-geeks of the assn with it's success,...it was decided to let them continue growing before additonal resources were expended on them. (The minutes of that meeting contain notes expressing some member's dismay that the Flypaper was being emailed to computer-literate members, and that those computer-geeks were enjoying advantages over non-geeks because they got to read the classifieds first. One of our newest, yet most senior board members, a non-pilot, a lady,...when the non-computing member appeared to whine... made the most remarkable comment I've ever heard: "Solve the problem. Get a computer!"
As moderator I've always been in favor of providing TIC170A members a "higher" level of participation at the forums. A teensy-weensy crumb was allowed to fall when we finally got avatars activated for members.
As it has turned out, the discussion forums have been a success story and is one of the most active areas of TIC170A membership. It is now developed into a resource whose value virtually all members recognize. (And Dale should be recognized as the original, true proponent of the website.)
In any case, photo-privileges for TIC170A members has been promoted by the moderator since day one. As webmaster, Dale has never opposed the idea, but he has had double-duty as assn treasurer and probably felt the pressures of a majority-membership that does not participate here. However, we'll hopefully see progress soon especially now that several of our forums most active participants are on the board.
(I enjoy some satisfaction in my belief that it is the forums themselves that have actually brought such progressive members of the association to the board.)
At Kelowna (last convention) the board of dir's authorized a "website committee" to explore the assn's future in this brave new world. Dale, Bruce and I were named to that committee, and at the upcoming mid-year meeting in ABQ we will be making our first report. You can be assured that this subject will again be brought up.

Come to the mid-year meeting in ABQ and speak up! It's YOUR MEETING!

[iowa]

yes, i have a lot of them!!
on the wwii jeep site

G503.com

we use:

http://www.surfacezero.com/g503

to post our jeeps pictures
over 20,000 of them!!
iowa

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

To clarify George is correct that Dale our webmaster has never been opposed to new things. Just that there are limited resources available to the association and everything has a price.

Also it may be academic or a misunderstanding on my part but at my suggestion, the board appointed Dale, George and I to review what mission and responsibilities a web site committee would have and report back at the next meeting.

So as I understand it, a web site committee has not officially been formed. But for practical purposes it unofficially was formed by Dale and George years ago and I joined as a vocal proponent of the web when I attended my first convention four years ago.

[hilltop170]

Thanks for the info guys. I wasn't aware of the prior work done in this area. I am aware the Webmaster is a volunteer and I appreciate there is someone with the knowledge, patience, and intestinal fortitude to put up with doing it. Thanks, Dale, Bruce, and George for your efforts.

I brought it up because there are numbers of great photos scattered thru the Forum that would be a really useable resource if they were in one spot where members could scan thru them without having to search specific topics and hunt thru all the posts to get at the pictures.

Don't get me wrong, I'm NOT complaining about any part of the Forum, I think it is GREAT and has provided a much needed valuable resource to all of us that is not available anywhere else.

The International Cessna 195 Club is another very active club (that we have much in-common with) that has an excellent photo gallery open to everyone at http://www.cessna195.org/. It's Webmaster, Ron Gruner is also a volunteer and a very friendly guy who I'm sure would not mind sharing how they did it if TIC170A decides to start a gallery of its own. Ron screens all submissions and only posts appropriate pictures and comments in the Gallery. I have no idea how it is set up or the mechanics behind it but couldn't we use something like Yahoo GeoCities or equivalent to do the same thing without having to have our own storage space?

The 195 Club is also involved in other areas where we have an opportunity to pool our resources, for instance, aging aircraft. The FAA has set up an advisory board to discuss the future of our planes and has regular meetings to discuss and decide on how to proceed with keeping our older planes flying. The 195 Club has a representative in those discussions.

[GAHorn]

The problem, as I see it, with yahoo and such is they offer too much opportunity for "harvesters" to gain access to member info. When at yahoo we all got very tired of all the spam we suffered thru.
I'm inclined for the assn to simply own the space necessary to support the resource...that way we can manage it better. IMHO.

[GAHorn]

Also it may be academic or a misunderstanding on my part but at my suggestion, the board appointed Dale, George and I to review what mission and responsibilities a web site committee would have and report back at the next meeting.

So as I understand it, a web site committee has not officially been formed. But for practical purposes it unofficially was formed by Dale and George years ago and I joined as a vocal proponent of the web when I attended my first convention four years ago.

Actually a committe was officially formed. It's purpose is to evaluate and recommend technology, and evaluate the website as a membership recruitment tool. It already has acting members (Dale, Bruce, myself) who were appointed by the president Duane Shockey and it was accepted by the board. It has an assigned first task to make recommendations on the focus and goals of the committee, and Dale recently initiated a series of email discussions between us three intended to finalize a mission statement for presentation to the board in ABQ, (and yes, I intend to make that business meeting also.)

According to the meeting minutes: "Following discussion, it was suggested that a Website Advisory Committee be formed to evaluate and recommend technology, and evaluate the website as a membership recruitment tool. The president appointed Fenstermacher, Medendorp and George Horn to the committee. Their first task will be to make recommendations on the focus and goals of the committee.
Wood moved to accept the committee, seconded by Bickford;
motion adopted."

[Jr.CubBuilder]

Just a couple of thoughts, and I am not trying to step on anyones toes, I'm just throwing out some ideas.

The association should keep keep control of the storage repository for a picture file. I'm on a aggressive learning curve when it comes to maintaining an antique airplane, and consequently I've learned to appreciate the information that an association like this can offer. I think it will be important to have photographic information in a media that is backed up, and maintains its own filing structure. A pile of pictures is nice, but relatively worthless if it can't be tied directly to the written threads that are relevant. As an example pictures of a gear box modification will be virtually unusable if one can't corelate it to a discussion on the modification or repair performed. Along those lines you might consider something like the suggestion of a wiki. It might be a good way to tie informational threads to relevant visual information.

For just eye candy and such a repository where members can upload pictures that fall under certain size parameters might be the way to go. I'm thinking pictures of flyins, gatherings, etc. these are the type of pictures that are fun to share, but have a value mostly to the people that took them. These could drop off after a certain lifespan. If someone wants to see them again repost them, but the association would not assume the responsibility of maintaining them, backing them up, etc. I think this catagory of pictures should be seperate, maybe even just leave it up to members to put them on the web elsewhere and link back to them in a thread.

Anyway I appreciate the efforts of you volunteer folks more and more as time goes by and maintenance of my old 170 goes on. Keep up the good work, and thanks.

[AR Dave]

50 gb is still $4.99 / 6 months. Would take a long time to fill.

http://fp1.centurytel.net/170/Petit%20Jean%20Planes.htm

[GAHorn]

Good ideas, Chris. Wiki has been one of the topics of discussion, and was actually part of the discussion during the last board meeting in Kelowna.

[Bruce Fenstermacher]

Actually a committee was officially formed. It's purpose is to evaluate and recommend technology, and evaluate the website as a membership recruitment tool. ..."

Once again George has at his fingertips, the reference I have somewhere (but didn't take the time to look).

At least I knew I was on some kind do committee.

ARDave it's probably not so much the cost of the actual storage as you point out it's pretty cheap, but the expense of the software in both the code, setup and volunteer time.

This has been a hot point of mine as I realized several years ago that any pictures linked to a discussion are not under our control and will be lost when the link is broken. For this reason I personally am hosting several pictures that are linked to the site.

Another thing that George touched on is that while the forum seems to be the most active part of the association and may be the most important part to us, the participants, less about %10 off the association by my count, uses the site. There is a lot of other business that the board needs to consider.

While I consider and it's pr oven to be a big part of the future of the association, that mind set is not held by the majority of the board or members, IMO. But that is changing rapidly.

[doug8082a]

Disk space is cheap, so that should not be an issue. I think there should be two areas for photos - a general gallery and (I'll "third" the suggestion) a Wiki which would be a great way to go for maintenance related stuff.

When discussing the topic of volunteers, don't forget to actively recruit. As I have mentioned in the past, I'm a software developer and would be willing to assist in making this happen. I may not have the specific skills, but any technical person worth their salt is capable of learning new skills - it's how we survive in this business.

[Jr.CubBuilder]

I may not have the specific skills, but any technical person worth their salt is capable of learning new skills - it's how we survive in this business.

Dang it! I done thought that learning stuff was over when I got this job

[webmaster]

Technology and disk space are not the limiting issues. I've put photo albums on other websites in a few hours, and would like to do the same thing here. (Actually, I have done some here - there are some photo albums of past conventions in the Members Only area). But, there are issues that need to be addresses (by the new internet committee - if it becomes official at the next Board meeting) such as is it for members only, and who will moderate it, and do we limit the number of pictures each person submits, etc.

We're getting close...

Dale