ANST - FWIW....server thoughts

[Paul Gilbert]

Greetings......  Some words and thoughts on a popular subject...the
Server.... (kinda long, beware!)

We are loosing sight of what is trying to be accomplished by the purchase of
a Kingdom owned server. The issue is two fold.

1. To own the equipment and have control of it's use in total, that has any
Kingdom related web pages, emails, etc on it and have equipment that is a
name brand, with a known warranty and product quality to cut down
possibility of failure and if it does fail, to be sure we don't end up
wrangling with "Bob's Computer Shop and Storm Door Manufacturing" over
getting it fixed (been there, done that).

2. How much will this purchase benefit members of the Kingdom.

Yes, you can get computers really cheap now days. Some are even good
products. Yes, some have a good warranty or service agreement. But, with the
funds coming from Kingdom and or donations, that quality needs to be as sure
of a thing as one can be.

Soooooooooo......

What Pug is trying to do is to get one (Dell) that has a national firm
providing a proven program of production reliability and repair.

I have had Dell's. Most of the state agencies (Texas) are Dell. They have
proven to have one of the best support systems in the business. Now, before
someone flames me with a horror story, there are exceptions, so do not
bother. I know not all goes well all the time. But, you prepare for it as
best as you can and hang on.

I am not a Dell salesman, but I would feel the same way about a Compaq or
any computer that would have a support structure like Dell and Compaq to
fall back on if need be.

Pug is approaching this from the angle of a business system. Not a home
computer. In fact this server will get more traffic than many business
systems. This is a very professional approach to the purchase of the server.

It is very honorable to offer help in the form of donations of equipment.
That is great. If one has a computer that might be donated, sell it and
donate the money from it's sell. I donated money at the Red-Tape meeting and
will again if need be.

Now, on the subject of will this benefit all......YES, it will benefit each
and every member of our Kingdom and reaching onto the Known World. Those
that say it won't, step back, open your eyes a bit wider and think in 4
dimensions.

Those cyber SCA'ers, like the ones reading this right now, the benifits are
obvious. It is the ones that are not one line or are so in-frequently, that
the benifits are a bit harder to see.

A question to ask one self.....what do you think of as a quick, easy source
of information on the SCA when asked about it by a non-SCA or new SCA
person? Now, not all will say the web pages, but I bet 80-90% will.

By having this system and capability, we have total control of our single
biggest means of communication that allows Kingdom, local or whatever level
of business (and we are a type of business, whether you know it or not), to
be conducted in a manner that can reach the most number of people in the
least amount of time and with the least amount of expense and a maximum
amount of input...just like we are doing right now.

Now, before I get flamed for not supporting the Black Star, I WHOLLY support
the Black Star. It is a fine, wonderful and informational publication. It
does it's job VERY well. But, it is printed once per month. This (cyber)
information that would be housed on the server is almost real time.

EACH have their VERY distinct place in our world and business. Do not loose
sight of that fact.

Anything that can expedite the flow of business and traffic, allowing things
to be done cheaper, more efficiently and faster benifits even the newest
member in the most distant group in a very good way and constitutes money
well spent. It all trickles down to the bottom, just like chocolate on ice
cream.

As time moves on, more and more will be done by cyber means. Just look at
what we are doing right now. I handle business of 3 other organizations I am
an officer of, in this means and have for several years. We (the SCA) are
just now getting on this boat.

At RTE, we had to stop and catch up folks that did not have email on some
subjects and will continue to have to do so. That in itself is an example of
how much we are using this medium.

Unless the $2000 is raised by donations before ATYC, I am sure there will
discussion on this subject at the next RTE in August.

I would like to see the funding come from donations. Lets get those $20 out
and send them in.

Soap Box off...........

Ld Niklas



Paul Gilbert, KE5ZW                                Ld. Niklas Vasilievich
Huntsville, Texas 77340                            Southern Region Treasurer
281-536-5239                                           Barony of Ravensfort
PrimeCo PCS, Inc, Houston MTA              Kingdom of Ansteorra
              "No, the Pink Guy has still not found his phone"

P.R. does not stand for Public Relations, it means Perceived Reality

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