Re: supply wish list, merit badge books
Cheryl Singhal (csinghal@CAPACCESS.ORG)
Sun, 29 Dec 1996 13:39:26 -0500
On Sun, 29 Dec 1996, Rosamond -Rusty- Taylor wrote:
> i like the idea of an addendum to help keep books current between
Yes, so do I.
> printings. why not go a step further, and make the entire library available
> on the internet? national could then update any badge at anytime, and users
> would always have access to current information. individuals desiring a
> hard copy could either down load one, or purchase the same from the Scout
> Shop.
>
> Would this work? or are there problems I don't know about?
The major problems that come to mind:
1. This would all-but require EACH Pack/Troop/Post to have 'net access.
While the US is apparently the world-leader in percapita access, it is
STILL only about 47% to 55% of Americans who are on-line.
2. It would probably necessitate creating a new department at National
specifically to keep the info-base. From what I can make out now, each
depatment down there does its own thing and other departments either find
out in staff meetings or by accident. Getting current stuff on the web
or even the net would require someone being in a position to SAY what was
and was not current for each department (MB books, camping, advancement,
badges, forms, P&Ps, etc). Now while this is in itself a decent enough
idea <G>, is it likely to happen?
3. With or without a separate department, some ONE person would have to
be responsible for the thing, because you cannot have multiple persons
accessing and changing pages or files; if you allow that you create chaos
as Party A upples what he thinks is the current scoop, which Party B
changes, and then C changes what B posted, and D reposts what A had ...
and everyone who drops by for info gets different info. -- hmmm, why
does that sound so familiar? ;)
MUCH of the problem could be eliminated by simply DATING everything that
goes out of National or Council and by the recipient dating it when he
gets it. I know I've gotten six different pieces of paper on the same
topic, each undated, and each slightly different. I dated each piece and
stapled the postmarked envelope to it, and it turns out the third one
that came is the RIGHT one, the others were supposed to be exact copies.
My opinion, of course, YMMV.
Cheryl
Terry Howerton Sakima Group, Inc. SCOUTER Magazine Kansas City |
