Message-Id: <3.0.3.32.19980913180703.00dd1728@olsusa.com>
Date: Sun, 13 Sep 1998 18:07:03 -0400
To: lancair.list@olsusa.com
From: Marvin Kaye <marvkaye@olsusa.com>
Subject: Some changes to the LML
Mime-Version: 1.0

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Hi everyone,

Well, here we are, working on our 29th week of the LML and I'm pleased to
report that it is growing steadily (we're up to almost 250 subscribers now,
a more than 150% increase since day one), the information-value level of
posts submitted for approval keeps achieving new heights, and the
participation statistics indicate that better than 40% of the subscribers
actually are posting and taking an active part in its success.  It would be
truly wonderful if the other 60% of us would offer up a post every now and
again, as message traffic and variety are the stuff of a truly successful
newsletter.

I've had the good fortune to meet many of you personally and always enjoyed
my visits, and I look forward to meeting more of you personally in the
future.  For the moment, though, I'm thankful to everyone with whom I've
had the privilege of corresponding without meeting face-to-face, and hope
that one day in the not-too-distant future we'll all get to know each other
better.  

With that said, it's time to get on with the real purpose of this post.  As
you are all well aware, the LML has grown from a small, few-posts-per-day
entity, into one that sees days with an average of eight but as many as
15-20 individual posts showing up in any given 24 hour period.  As such,
the archives are growing at a pace that surprises even me, and the
management tasks required to keep it all flowing smoothly have grown
accordingly.  I've been relatively happy with the service of the existing
web-based archiver, although there are problems with it that I've been
unable to solve even with weekly posts to the archive administrator begging
help to get them solved.  Consequently the web archives are soon going to
be migrated to a new host whose service appears a bit more reliable and
whose formatting is a bit more user friendly.  Along with the migration to
the new web-server, I'll be going through the entire list and cleaning up
all the subjects which were listed as "Lancair List Volume X Issue Y" and
reassigning them with more meaningful subject titles so threading will
happen properly, and data searches will respond with more meaningful results.

In addition to the web archives, I've been cleaning up the textfile
archives to try to eliminate the long-line/short-line problems that show up
when they're viewed with web browsers, a not-inconsiderable task I assure
you.  There are about 1200 posts to review and I've managed to get through
about 150 of them to date.  Phew!

I've also got several megabytes of builders' tips that I intend to get
incorporated into the LML Attachments section, things that I've managed to
glean from my longtime association with Compuserve's AVSIG homebuilders'
section, and which should prove interesting to most of you out there
looking for tips and hints not available elsewhere.  Additionally I keep
receiving tidbits from many of our subscribers and those items are showing
up in the Attachments section as I get to them.  Once again, if any of you
have something you'd like to share, please send it to me at your
convenience and I'll get it posted ASAP.

I've just completed a major update to the LML homepage
(http://www.olsusa.com/Users/Mkaye/maillist.html), with the inclusion of
the mission statement of the LML and a considerable update to the list
posting guildelines.  Please stop by when you have a chance and read it
through, I think you'll find it interesting and informative.  Naturally, if
you feel that I've missed something I'd be happy to hear from any of you
with suggested additions or improvements.  (To those of you out there
without web access, please send me a note and I'll pass along the textfile
version of the LML homepage so you can see its contents.)

What with all of this going on, and with the intent of providing even more
services in addition to those which are presently available (I'm trying to
get the complete library of Lancair Service Bulletins online... I'll let
you know how it works out as I get along with it) I find it necessary to
ask you, the membership, for a small contribution to help take some of the
heat off and provide me with the means to keep this endeavor afloat.  What
I'm asking for is a modest $35.00 annual subscription contribution...
that's less than 10c/day for the right to continue receiving the LML and
get full access to all of the archives and attachments that accompany the
LML.  As an added benefit to those of you out there who are also
subscribers to the Lancair Network News, I'm offering a $5.00/year discount
to LNN subscribers, the discount is being subsidized and sponsored by Jim &
Lynda Frantz as a way of saying thanks from them to you for your continued
support of the LNN and the LML as well.  Thanks, Jim and Lynda, your offer
and support is appreciated by all of us, I'm sure.

I am unfortunately unable to accept credit card contributions but am
pleased to accept personal checks or money orders drawn in US funds.
Please send your contributions to Marvin Kaye, 209 Labelle Avenue, E. Fort
Myers, FL, 33905-2521, USA.  It is imperative that you write your LML
subscription email address either on your remittance or included on a
separate note with it, as all of the LML records are keyed on email address
and not your actual name.  Once I receive your remittance I'll confirm with
an email and pass along your LML username and password which will grant you
access to the LML archives and attachments.  Subscriptions will run
annually through the end of the month during which your contribution is
received.  To those of you who have already been kind enough to send a
little something along, please just make up the difference between your
original contribution and the $35 (or $30 for those of you who subscribe to
the LNN) and your subscription will be extended to the end of the month in
which your difference-contribution is received.

My sincerest thanks goes out to all of you for your continued participation
and support of the Lancair Mail List, I look forward to our taking the
list, together, to even greater heights.  

   <Marv>

PS... if, for any reason, you would like to respond to this post, please do
so directly to me at my email address, that being marvkaye@olsusa.com.
Thanks again. <M>