North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

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--- In nafex@egroups.com, PermacultureNo1@a... wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 12/06/00 8:41:21 AM, tolenio@s... writes:
> 
> << Email is a great tool but Pomona via email would be a very large read, 
> and 
> I
> don't think that many would avail themselves of it after seeing how large a 
> read
> it is on-line. [snip]>>
> 
> Well, neither of these guesses is right.  HortIdeas, which is a significant 
> publication, is 96K in its last download.  Of course it comes as an email 
> attachment--perhaps i wasn't clear about that.  They are using Envoy at the 
> moment, which is much more flexible ....
>
...
>
Again, this is only useful if 
> the magazine is delivered to my email address.  I couldn't give a fart and 
> a 
> half for anything on a web page.  I'm willing to pay for the convenience of 
> delivery.  If I were ever to want a newspaper, I wouldn't go the printing 
> plant to get it--I'd have it delivered.  The point of using these 
> technologies is convenience.  If we put the material on the web, the most 
> over
> blown overestimated technoology since the hand held chicken plucker (sell 
> you 
> one cheap!), then forget it.   I'll continue to get the print version 
> because 
> some months I have time to at least glance at it...
> 
> Dan Hemenway
> Barking Frogs Permaculture Center  
> http://barkingfrogspc.tripod.com/frames.html
> or
> http://www.permaculture.net/~EPTA/Hemenway.htm
>  
> The protocol for our Annual Permaculture Design Course Online is at 
> http://barkingfrogspc.tripod.com/protocol.html
> 

I would like to say a few things in defense of the Web. First of all... are 
not the above permaculture sites on the web? Why if it is overblown and 
useless?

NAFEX needs income to survive but it is not profit motivated. I say this 
because the information on the web is free and available to all. e-mail is 
not. It is possible to control and therefore charge for something delivered 
by e-mail. It is exceedingly difficult to control and charge for something 
published on the Web.

If th motive is educational and the free distribution of valuable 
information... Then in my opinion the web should not be neglected. (Not that 
e-mail delivery for those willing to pay for it should be neglected either.) 
for "convenience" aside from the actual or perceived environmental benefits.

The fact is you cannot get e-mail at most Library computers... they do not 
allow it. You cannot get e-mail attachments that require programs to read on 
many internet access devices such as web-tv. You could not easily access 
POMONA by e-mail from a school of university computer or library if it was 
delvered by e-mail only.

Personally I do not see the great inconvenience of having POMONA "delivered" 
via the Web... or "delivered" via e-mail... You still read it on the same 
computer screen... sitting in the same chair... Perhaps an extra key stroke 
or two...

Anyway... I don't think anyone really wants to go back and reproduce 
electronic versions of all the back issues of POMONA just to send to the few 
on this e-list who want it delivered by e-mail. I could be wrong. That is a 
monumental amount of work to satisfy half a dozen (or fewer) people. Future 
issues are a different story... this could probobly be set up with little 
difficulty but it would be of value to a relatively few people.

The last time I checked the NAFEX website had recorded over 48,000 visitors. 
That is no doubt a little overblown the way web counters work... but that is 
still alot of hits for a website that is still under construction.

e-mail delivery would benefit a few people on this e-list who subscribe to 
the electronic version... That will grow over time... and presumably you can 
charge something for it. (Though technically I think, there is no direct 
charge or "subscription" price for POMONA... It is included "free" wih 
membership) Publication on the web will make it available in schools and 
libraries and millions of homes of people who can afford a $60.00 web-tv but 
not a $600 computer... millions of people arround the world... could read 
it... automatically translated into dozens of languages through various 
search engines that provide translation services like Alta-Vist.

Putting POMONA... or the NAFEX Handbook on the web...(as discussed by the 
board of directors (Pomona Fall 2000 pg. 76) would not be, I don't think, 
primarily for the "convenience" of members... who already have copies of 
their own... But as a free educational service to the public at large. My 
personal feeling is this would be VERY worthwile and in the "SPIRIT" of NAFEX.


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