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  • From: Stephanie Gerson <sgerson@stanfordalumni.org>
  • To: <pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: [pcplantdb] [synthesis][12][8.19.04]
  • Date: Thu, 19 Aug 2004 19:27:25 -0700

Well hello again yalls,

Thanks for your message, Scott. And for considering yourself out of your
element, you seem to have grasped the situation perty darn lucidly. Your
comments definitely helped clarify the issues, at least for me. And you
made me smile which is what I requested in my last post...

So we might be getting closer to resolving the platform issue:

-ZOPE/Ibiblio –
Although Lawrence disagrees that ZOPE on Ibiblio is the ideal scenario,
afaik (aren’t you proud, I learned a new acronym) it is the only one that
we would all be content with. Or, the one that more of us would be more
content with. Lawrence would be happy because we would be using Ibiblio,
Chad and the Johns would be happy because we’d be using ZOPE, Rich is
perty happy either way, and I’d be happy that this debate was over and we
could dig in. So, I see it as the closest-to-ideal.

Rich wrote, “1) I'd be happy to go with Zope if we could get it on
ibiblio.
2) As current & future state of Zope on ibiblio is uncertain
I think it is pragmatic not to follow it at the moment.”
BUT. We can make the current and future state of ZOPE on Ibiblio NOT
uncertain by doing something about it! By raising money to buy Ibiblio a
server! Lawrence writes:

“Repeat for emphasis: If only 20% or so of our grant can be used for
wages then buy the Zope machine for ibiblio, start work there immediately
and look for additional funding to cover wages (I will chip in my $2200
to this).”
But if we can use 100% of our grant for wages, are you still willing to
chip in $2,200 for Ibiblio’s server ;) Couldn’t hurt to ask, eh? Either

way, I think we can raise funds or take a loan from the Permaculture
Credit Union for the server. I would like to pursue this plan.
Feedback? And when you give feedback, please offer specific suggestions
for fundraising for the server – at least with regards to donations vs. a
loan from the PCU. (Scott, any feedback about a loan?)


-THRESHOLD/FUNDS –
Rich, I will once again respond to your questions, but this is for
everyone:

“How much of a financial free hand will we get
from Threshold?”
What are you referring to here? The grant we received was for $10,000 –
is this what you are asking?

“When you do get in touch with Jim, I think a very important Q to ask
will be how much we will be able to spend on wages.”
As I already said, Jim is not in charge of this. He sits on the
committee which assesses grant proposals for funding – he does not
determine how much of our grant can be used for funding. However, I did
some research, and I have some good news! As it turns out, although most
foundations only allow 10-20% of funds to be allocated towards wages, the
Threshold Foundation does not specify! Meaning, we can spend 100% on
wages if we want to!

Still, it might be prudent to ask for an exception if I submit proposals
to foundations that do have restrictions. So it’s a good thing that we
had this discussion.

Also, thanks for the list of funders, Rich. Before I do research on
them, do you know if they fund only projects which are located in the UK?
Or, do you think that your participation in this project, and its
internationality would render it eligible for funding from these
foundations?

Lawrence wrote, “Mainly all that money should be used to pay the
programmers and nothing else.
Waste of money:
1) a meeting
2) consulting fees
a) we will get this for free when the system goes online
b) when we get more funding we can spend it on consulting, datasets
and photographs”

I’d like to remind you, Lawrence, that this is a collaborative process.
We make decisions together, ok? Also, I don’t appreciate you deciding
that some things are a “waste of money.” Please explain yourself and try

to be less antagonistic in the words you choose, at least for my sake.

On that note, not to pick on you, but I don’t appreciate your listing of
ideas as "good" vs. "bad" – especially when the “bad” ones are ideas
that
you supported 3 posts earlier. Correct me if I’m mistaken, but I also
feel that you are trying to pit yourself and Rich against the rest of us,
and I wish you wouldn’t do that. I have definitely enjoyed working with
you, and enjoyed the conversations we’ve had over the phone - but I also
have to be honest about how I’ve been interpreting your communication
recently. And I encourage all of us to be similarly honest with any
interpersonal concerns we have, esta bien? Solo quiero que seamos
amigos…


-PROJECT PLAN –
I will update it now and then send it. (I fear that if I update it
before I post this letter, by the time I post this, it’s contents will no
longer apply! Actually, that happens to me often when I write posts that
take a while…)

-MISCELLANEOUS -
‡ Lawrence asked, “I guess one question I have regards clarity towards
the current project. Are we designing a simple permaculture database and/
or enhancing it with a guilding application front end? Are they one in
the same? Or does one build upon the other?” I would like to see both.
The grant proposal includes both, but the former is necessary to create
the latter. The latter pertains to la vision, involving systemic
education.

Ok, you’ll hear from me again soon…

hasta la proxima
*Stephanie


+++++++++++++++
Stephanie Gerson
sgerson@stanfordalumni.org
(c) 415.871.5683


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