synth-diy.org - more news

[The Proteus]

	Alright, it seems many people have LOTS of feedback for this 
project I'm undertaking. There are a lot of political issues to be
addressed, and I'd like to definately address every issue and concern that
everyone has. 
	First, with Rick Jansen's e-mail to the list voicing the "bigger"
and "better" issue: I have no interest in making anything "bigger and
better" - I just want to provide a place that DIY enthusiasts can come to
for information, help, and sharing ideas - much like the synth-diy list. I
wouldn't want many people to be on it, because too many people lead to
things that have already been discussed - namely flaming, S/N ratio goes
way up, and the collective exchange of ideas comes to a screeching halt. 
	Next, the "Synth-DIY" identity crisis, as I'll call it. Rick
wished the site be named something other than synth-diy.* because it could
be erroneously linked to this mailing list. I agree wholeheartedly with
this concern. Even if I didn't agree, I would still abide because of Mr.
Jansen's long standing contribution to the community. I'm currently
working with Rick to find an amicable solution. A side note on this issue,
is the fact that I'll register both .com and .org domains. Here comes the
finger pointing... :-) To clarify this issue to everyone, I have no
interest in making a profit on this site. The only reason I am going to
register both .com and .org domains is to protect the work that will be
undertaken down the road. I've seen too many issues where someone
registers a .org domain, and someone comes along, hijacks the content and
the .com domain, and pushes the issue into a very messy legal battle.
	To re-iterate my intent here, and what the "catch" is, I'll be
wholly open here. I'm interested in putting together a site which synth
enthusiasts can share ideas. This site plan was borne out of the
frustration I've seen with a lot of Synth-DIY web site maintainers in
australia, and who host their pages on GeoCities. I'll provide this
service to people, as well as maintain the content of the site free of
charge to everyone. I'm getting a dedicated web server and DSL connection
to host my own domain, ugwarehouse.org, and feel that the overhead of
maintaining a second site would be negligable cost wise on the
hardware/bandwidth end. The ONLY step I would take into the commercial
arena is possibly selling banner ads to cover the cost of bandwidth and
equipment if the site grew to require such expansion. This would only be
done with the approval of at least 10 other members of the synth-diy
community, and I don't mean trollers or newbies. I would most likely ask
Rick Jansen, the mailing list maintainer, and other distinguished members
of the community.
	Now here's the catch: what i want from you. Simply put, ideas. I'd
love to host any synth DIY site on the net, and provide both FTP and web
mirrors for people who already have bandwidth. I want people's comments,
concerns, and wacky design ideas. And, I want these ideas to stay with the
people who developed and invented them. I'm only a gatekeeper... the rest
is up to you guys. 
	I've designed many sites before, but I'm new at the political
"keeping everyone happy" game. I expect to gain a lot out of this group,
namely through learning how to help people, and how to provide this
service to everyone without causing too many bumps.
	Many people have helped me before on this list... namely Paul
Schreiber. He's given me valuable advice and I haven't been able to give
anything in return. Now, I'm hoping I can finally contribute to a group
that's helped make many of my dreams come true building synths. :-)

Questions/Comments/Anything - Mail me! :-)

The Proteus
proteus at xmission.com

The Proteus - Morphing the convergence of technology and passion.
-- Musician - Producer - Engineer  -  UNIX Admin Extrordinaire --
"...the best workaround for a bug in a UNIX utility is to install 
 the GNU version" - Kragen Sitaker