Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Error Condition Re: Cohousing List

[ann zabaldo (annz]

cohousing-l [at] freedom.mtn.org wrote:

> annz [at] libertyvillage.com: You are not subscribed to cohousing-l.
> Your message is returned to you unprocessed

    Quel dork!  I posted this message to the L w/out advising you of my
address change.  I really want this message to go to the list.  But I
don't know how to do it once it's been sent once.  I'm not very
conversant w/ this email thing. How do I send it again?  I don't have a
"send" option.  So I'm replying to you hoping you will post it for me.

Let me know you got my plea!

Ann  Z.

> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Hi all.
>
> This is a long message but it does have a point.
>
> Several  months ago Stuart put out a request on the L for someone to
> collect
> and organize a list of cohousing communities.
>
> I volunteered for the project.
>
> More than any other single event,  trying to get this list together
> convinced me of the need for a national/international organization w/
> a
> paid person to maintain a database.
>
> I thought this would be a simple project.  The method I proposed was
> to
> ask the regional editors -- who are already collecting this
> information
> and who have their fingers on the pulse of their communities -- to
> collate their lists.  Five of the editors already had the communities
> in
> their regions in list format. The only thing needed was to make the
> number of columns across and headings uniform.   To make matters even
> easier
> only three categories would be considered for the aggregate list:
> built
> communities, communities under construction and communities w/ site
> control. In their regional inserts editors could of course list any
> other communities in varying stages of evolution.  Three of the
> editors
> would have to convert from text only descriptions to list format.  Two
>
> of these had  fewer than 6 communities to report on.
>
> I started this process in mid-July w/ a deadline of the Seattle
> conference in Sept.  This was about a two month window to get the work
>
> done.  I called everyone and got their agreement on the format to be
> used.  And the deadline.  Zev volunteered to receive the data in plain
>
> text & compile a single list.
>
> I called & emailed people regularly throughout the two months to gauge
>
> the pace of the work.
>
> Two editors sent their information in immediately.  Another sent the
> list w/in the month.  One sent a list  incorrectly  formated.  One
> got it in the week of the conference.  Three are still outstanding.
>
> So we still don't have a complete list from this effort.
>
> Now what does this mean?  (I did and do have a lot of interpretations
> about what happened during this process.)
>
> But what I think it really says is that people have very busy lives
> and
> cohousing isn't always and shouldn't be #1(gasp!) on their To Do List.
>
> And while I thought compiling this list would be great fun, frankly
> getting a list together is not exactly a sexy project for those
> collecting and/or reorganizing the data.
>
> I mean put yourself in the place of the editor doing the work:  it's
> Thursday night.  I'm home.  I had a hard day at work.  The cat ate the
>
> canary.  The car had a flat on the way home.  The toilet won't flush.
> Now, I can make phone calls and work on the cohousing list or watch
> ER.
>
> I gotta think ER is gonna win this one.
>
> Also w/ people stretched so thin in their volunteer time, asking the
> editors to take on a "simple" task was really
> inappropriate.  They are already doing a lot and insofar as this was a
>
> "simple" task really it just added to their already full plate.
>
> So this is a very long shaggy dog story that convinced me that a paid
> person to maintain this database is a must.  My experience w/ this
> project is that it's perhaps unfair to ask volunteers to do more work
> than they're already doing.  And it's just too difficult to gather
> information scattered all over the continent in different databases
> and
> formats and transform it into a unified list.  On reflection I think
> it
> would have been easier for me to just create a new database and enter
> in
> everyone's data again.
>
> I'm not sure where to go w/ this project now.  Zev has the lists in
> plain text supplied by 4 regional editors.  Plus one in an incorrect
> format.  A 5th regional editor is putting the finishing touches on her
>
> list.  No word from the remaining two.  From the current
> discussion/plans on the L  is it worth continuing to call these last
> people to complete the project?   I think continuing to call the
> editors would be more harmful than helpful at this point.
>
> I look forward to your response and advice.  And now at 3:30 a.m. I'm
> going to bed.
> --
> _______________________
> Best -- Ann Zabaldo
> Liberty Village Cohousing (:~
> annz [at] libertyvillage.com



--
_______________________
Best -- Ann Zabaldo
Liberty Village Cohousing (:~
annz [at] libertyvillage.com