pcplantdb

[Richard Morris <webmaster@pfaf.org>]

Subject: RE: [PermacultureUK] - colaborative contact list
Date: Wed, 22 Oct 2003 11:05:22 +0100
From: Permaculture Association (Britain) <office@permaculture.org.uk>

Hi Graham,

very quick update on website in response to your email (can you distribute
to people you think will be interested):

international database now has 415 international contacts, with about 130 to
add when we have time.

around 115 UK projects, with another 30-40 to add again when we have time

{TIP - put in 'permaculture' as a search term}

We aim to put the 50 or so lesson plans from teachers Guide online and
avaialble as pdfs and create protocol for adding new lesson plans, again as
soon as time, finances and personpower allows.

It is currently a very simple but clever designed access database (cos
that's what we had), but we have plans and intentions for going open source
as soon as poss.

We have £3000 to spend on next phase of project, which will include
consultation on 19 november at the Leeds office (contact me if you want to
come along), putting our existing thoughts together into a prioritised list
and taking account of views from consultation, making the changes to
database (adding designers register online, putting international contacts
on a search by continent basis, improved usability for blind people, etc,
improving functionality so that more people can log on and add information
themselves - already have around 20 people doing this - without comprimising
security of site etc. and then we will spend £500 on training as many people
as possible to use and add their own info about courses, events, projects
etc etc etc..... so hopefully we can move to having 90 or more people adding
stuff on a fairly regular basis.

Will add online sales so people can join and donate online, and work towards
a permaculture 'marketplace' that can be used for small permaculture
producers to sell their stuff without having to set up their own online
sales website (with a very small commission on each sale) so that we can
make the website administration self-financing, and use other money to keep
it developing.

Also wanting to move towards a system in which we can share the database
with other permaculture websites so that, for example, a kenyan can add a
course listing, or a request for a teacher, to our database and it will be
available from 30-40 sites, or a small croatian permaculture group can have
a website with their own information, and also offer worldwide contacts and
courses info - in much the same way as www.takingITglobal.org do (they are
an international youth org that now shares a web database with 5 or 6 other
global youth organisations, thus extending information and communication
between organisations, and cutting down on the number of people that have to
sit in front of a computer screen getting zapped by the rays rather than
being outside having fun with their kids...

hopefully this thinking reflects the principles of 'minimum effort for
maximum effect', 'each important function is supported by many elements',
'cooperation rather that competition', and so forth.

As long as i am coordinator of the PA(B) I will make every effort to make
the website as good as it can be, and we have commitment from the trustees
that the website is our key communication and information 'tool' - we have
up to 1800 people visit each week, so it is by far our most used service.

Anyway, I said I'd just do a quick one so will end here. If anyone is
interested to know more, wants to coordinate plans or help in any way,
contact me at details below.

Best wishes

Andy Goldring

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Permaculture Association (Britain) Charity 290897
Postal address: BCM Permaculture Association, London, WC1N 3XX
Tel / Fax: +44 (0)845 4581805
Email: office@permaculture.org.uk
Web: www.permaculture.org.uk for joining forms, course and group listings,
international contacts, and more...
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

--
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