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Re: NFC: NFC server (techie computer geek stuff)

Just to get the ball started on this as I think it is a good idea...IF we
can get commitments for an ISP location and Tim and company have no
objections...I will put up 200$ in matching funds to get the thing
going...that meaning I'll match all donations up to a 200$ total so you
give 10$ I give 10$


So any of our geeks want to taKE ON THIS PROJECT. sHOW mE IT CAN BE DONE
IN A REASONABLE FASHION AND WE HAVE THE MANPOWER TO PULL IT OFF AND YOU
WILL HAVE MY FULL SUPPORT (AT LEAST mATCHING SUPPORT ) oops cap locks
again sorry....



On Fri, 14 May 1999 12:52:29 -0400 Chris Hedemark
<hedemark at raleigh_ibm.com> writes:
>The topic recently came up about the NFC having its own server.
>
>This *may* not be too difficult.
>
>I seem to recall that when I was working for Duke U., the University 
>was
>open to the idea of gratis web site hosting for educational
>not-for-profit web sites.
>
>I am sure that we've got some subscribers here who work in a 
>University
>environment.  If even one of you can get a commitment from your IT
>department to allow the NFC to place a server on a University IP
>address, that eliminates the largest expense of the NFC having its 
>own
>server.
>
>The second largest expense is the box itself.  Thankfully, these are
>getting really cheap and $500 should now buy something that would 
>suit
>the needs of the NFC very nicely.  This is a one time expense, though 
>in
>the distant future component upgrades may be necessary to keep up 
>with
>the growth of the internet into unforseeable directions.  All of the
>software needed is FREE.
>
>At that point, the only recurring expense is about $75 every two 
>years
>to maintain hold of the domain name.  We would perhaps also want to
>contract with an ISP to provide DNS services as well as backup for 
>the
>email services should the NFC server go down for planned or unplanned
>downtime.
>
>I took the liberty of checking, and unfortunately the nfc.org domain 
>is
>GONE.  But nativefish.org is available.  Until the NFC can sort out 
>what
>to do long-term about the server, I'd suggest at least jumping on the
>name (or any name agreed upon) so that it is there when we are ready 
>for
>it.
>
>What does this buy us?  Well I have been thinking of that.  It buys us 
>a
>lot, actually.
>
>1) Mailing lists moved to NFC domain.  The NFC will be in complete
>control of the mailing list server and will not have to deal with a
>third party ISP for server administration.  Add on mailing lists for 
>the
>regions and chapters to help maintain coordination at the local level. 
>
>I think it would also be nice to have a national mailing list for 
>local
>officers to coordinate with one another to share experiences and 
>ideas
>on how to increase local awareness and participation, run fund 
>raisers,
>etc.
>
>2) NFC email addresses.  At the minimum, all officers would have
>official NFC email addresses.  Conceivably, all NFC members could 
>have
>NFC email addresses (either actual email boxes on the server, or
>preferably a forwarding service that would immediately forward all 
>email
>to their true email address at the member's ISP).  The forwarding
>service is great because it uses very little in the way of server
>resources, but it gives a service back to the NFC members in that
>everyone will have a permanant email address that never changes, even 
>if
>the member jumps from one ISP to another.
>
>3) Enhanced web services.  Imagine what is possible when we have GIGS 
>of
>free space available to build a web server.  Yeah, it is hard to 
>imagine
>filling that much space.  But we will be unrestricted by the ISP with
>regards to updating software on the server, adding new modules to the
>web server to allow online commerce or dynamic web page content.
>
>4) Mailing list archives for all mailing lists.  See my previous 
>message
>to Josh about how we can improve the archives.
>
>5) IRC.  Forget this Java chat business.  It doesn't even work 
>through
>firewalls.  An IRC server will allow folks to run whatever software 
>they
>want in order to join the chat.  A java chat window can still be
>provided for those who do not have/want IRC software on their systems. 
>
>We would also be able to host different channels simultaneously so 
>that
>regional coordinators can set up chat sessions with chapters on-line,
>etc.
>
>6) Newsgroups.  We can gate the mailing lists to newsgroups which 
>some
>people prefer.  The newsgroups will only be on the NFC server and we 
>can
>enable security to prevent spamming from happening.  This is a great
>low-bandwidth alternative to the web-based archives for people who 
>want
>to look back through the history (though generally newsgroups are set 
>to
>expire messages after so long).  We could also potentially host all
>aquarium and relevant conservation newsgroups that are on the public
>Usenet backbone, giving a one-stop place for all NFC and related 
>forums.
>
>7) File serving.  This gets to another idea.  Currently it would be 
>very
>hard to coordinate, but with a server set up properly it would be
>possible to coordinate an "NFC-Authored" book.  Another nice
>fund-raising idea plus it would be a nice addition to any fishkeepers
>library.  Between all of us, there is enough knowledge and experience 
>on
>sunfishes to write a detailed book on the family.  Same goes for
>darters.  And so on.  
>
>8) Automated functions.   If we convert the existing article library 
>to
>something more industry-standard, like DocBook (subset of SGML), the
>server could on-demand serve up automatic conversions to plain text,
>HTML, PostScript, etc.  With or without pictures.
>
>9) DATABASE - Here's the real treat for us.  With a relational 
>database
>running, and a bit of ramp-up time to get it working right, it would 
>be
>quite easy to start tracking data about fish collections, breeding
>programs, wish list, etc. and automate the distribution of the fish 
>wish
>list, or notify relevant parties if a person just started working with 
>a
>species that someone else is already looking for, etc.
>
>The list goes on and on.  Limited by imagination more than $$$.  With
>some proactive fund raising I think the server is easily within 
>reason. 
>Operating costs are almost nothing if we find a home with a 
>University. 
>We've already got some great volunteers working with the current 
>system
>who's skills would be directly transferrable to our own server.
>
>Chris Hedemark
>Hillsborough, NC
>


Robert Rice
Help Preserve our Aquatic Heritage join the Native Fish Conservancy
online
 at our website  http://nativefish.interspeed.net/
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