Re: Help with archives
(no name) ((no email))
Fri, 26 Jul 1996 23:23:12 -0500
Bill Kinder wrote:
>I'm having a problem with understanding the methods of
>accessing information on Scouts-L. I am not one to enjoy
>re-inventing the wheel but while composing a recent post
>on wanting Scout Night assistance it came to me that this
>was probably not a new question and in fact the answers
>were archived somewhere.
You're correct, Bill...the answers ARE archived on the Scouts-L's listserver
(listserv@tcubvm.is.tcu.edu), but it's a little hard to dig into and get.
Since I've been on Scouts-L,
I've compressed and summarized many of the topics that we've
talked about and have catalogued them in Geoworks Geowrite
format (which allows me 32 characters for file names and a really
sassy-looking "Scouts-L" icon for distinguishing them
from the rest of the stuff!) and was in the process of placing the filenames
into a new GeoFile database (which, btw, is
dbase-compatible; hopefully, I'll have it done sometime later this fall and
I'll export it to a dbase format so that others can
use it as well....it's a "back burner" project, so don't expect me
to get it out anytime soon; between packing, storing and
archiving, and visiting relatives and family this week, this time
will be power-packed to say the least!).
The "Scout Night" question has come up in the past, four times since the
list was created. In the past, everything from
how District Executives seem to be "running the shows" to some great ideas
from a Scouter in Richmond, Kentucky that has had terrific success with
School Nights has been posted here. One year, the string which started with
"School Night"
ended up being turned around into "just what do we get for our money as far
as our professional is concerned?"
>For instance, the recent thread on belt loops was very
>interesting but not particularly useful just now. Next
>month it will be. The very useful and timely advice on
>this list is important to new leaders.
You know, Bill, we've been talking Cub Scout Belt loops since 1992 and it's
been a grand total of nine times that the topic has come up, each time with
a different slant until 1995, where we had a similar discussion to the one
we're having now.
>Maybe to begin a system of cataloging all messages by
>using standard keywords in subject lines would be a good
>start. Cub Uniform or Discipline or Advancement may be
>good starters. Anything that didn't fit a predefined
>category would end up in the Misc. category.
It may work or may not work. There's not many folks that are
retaining the information here except for the information they seek, which
is why Jon asks that perhaps before you ask to take a look at the archives
and see what's been asked in the immediate past. Only thing, the archives
are a bit large and a lot of folks look at it like they look at a copy of
_Computer_Shopper_ magazine ("THAT'S A MAGAZINE??
It looks like a BOOK to me!! Heavy too...I don't know if I REALLY want to
read all of that...I'm only looking for a modem!")!!
I do know that Jon is *slowly* working on converting many of our older
archives to HTML and making them available. It's a very slow process,
mainly because the administration of this list and his other "hobby"
interests truly take a back seat to his real life, work-for-pay work he does
in keeping the systems at Texas Christian up and working!! If there's a
file or topic that you can't find from your own review of the archives,
he'll be happy to help you (but be patient, please)....or write to me and
I'll do my best to help find it for you as well (but don't do it this or
next week unless you REALLY want to wait a while!!
*smile*)
> Is there
>someone or better yet, some way, that this type of search
>can be performed without actually storing the archived
>files on my hard drive.
Not really. I've been doing this either on the server's space
or on my own, depending on system. I miss my VMS account, where I had a few
MB of storage space in which I could store the current month's postings and
be able to go back and forth with it.
What I've been doing is the following, just in case others would like to do
the same thing but don't have any idea as to how to start it out:
1. Take all of the posts which asks questions or provide information. File
them using your email software into "folders"
which correspond to the topic. The ones that provide information I would
place in a folder called "reference". The
ones which provide general discussion, introductions and other
administrative information I place in a "hody" folder.
2. Keep track of the discussion on a weekly basis. This requires you to
read each and every posting, because many of us *still* haven't caught on
that when you change topics, you
need to alter the topic "header" so that those of us "cataloging" can "keep
up". As new topics are created, you need to create new "folders" (just to
give you some idea, I currently have 64 folders going right now, not all of
them active of course!)
3. When a topic is "over" (either the original poster comes on and says
"thanks for the chat" or "thanks for the information"
or whatever, or whenever roughy ten days have elapsed (give or take a
day....) "close out" the "folder" by exporting the contents of it to a text
file. Strip out the header information,
and save it with the name of the folder. Now, you're ready to
REALLY do the good stuff!
4. When you (or someone else) needs the information, merely
import it into your favorite text editor or word processor and use the
"search" or "find" feature to find the word(s) or string(s) you or someone
is looking for. Then, you can cut and paste the information, re-read the
information or print the information for the person you are "researching it
for".
That's what I do here in summary. The text files are spread over 88
"zipped" diskettes, with about 30 MB still on Jessi's
hard drive until sometime later this week, when I'll pull them all
off for storage or shipment overseas (yeah...I'll still be around
as far as I know)!! There's some of the information which have been
converted to HTML and have been placed on webservers, and America Online
(tm) has I think 20 or so of my "summaries", complete with email addresses
of those posting
and commenting.
Final thought: If you *do* decide to share your information with Scouters
whom are not "internet saavy right now", please, please, please tell them
where you got it all from and that they are certainly welcome to join us
here at Scouts-L!!
There's nothing like "sharing the wealth" and every chance I get, I do so
along with sharing where I obtained such great and uplifting information,
songs, skits, program tips and information to help me do my job of promoting
my program better!!!
I thank ALL of you in advance for your contributions, past, present and
future, and even thank you folks over there in the
shadows of the "great virtural fire"....because eventually, you
too will take a seat, get warm, and share as we *see* your face
and hear *your voice* around our great international Roundtable!
Settummanque!
(MAJ) Mike L. Walton (Settummanque, the blackeagle) (
co-Owner, Blackeagle Services of Kentucky (502.826.7046) __)_
174 Chapelwood Drive, Henderson, Kentucky 42420-5036 | ** |]
(H) 502.827.9201 (F) 502.826.7046 (W) 888.284.4848 (yea!) coffee?
anytime!
(Email) blkeagle@midwest.net/kyblkeagle@AOL.COM
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"Geoworks & Leaders' Online--because EVERY PC can open doors!!!"
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