Hi, Folks -
I've been following the postings on MSCHAT re the GenConnect changes, and
finally this morning had an opportunity to check into my own boards. I had no
problem getting the accounts, though it appears that the ability to administer
the Boards has been temporarily disabled. I'm sure that will change shortly.
It's not clear, at this early stage, how the changes will affect GenConnect as
we knew it. I've asked Polly Moon to check into it, and to look around for
alternatives so we can each make an informed decision. She is out of town this
weekend, but will return tonight. In the meantime, it's probably a good idea
to just sit tight, and see how the changes will affect each of us as
administrators and CCs before making any decisions.
Re boards in general: The USGW By-Laws state that each county will provide a
query page. How you set up that page, is up to you. Many have gone to
GenConnect, others have chosen various scripting formats, Query Express, etc.
Some have continued to maintain the queries manually.
There are also a number of freebie Forum Board sites, like Boardhost
http://www.boardhost.com/ and Word Crossing
http://www.worldcrossing.com/ I
know nothing about those forums, so can't comment one way or the other.
Hopefully Polly, with her technical expertise, will be able to provide more
information. I know we'll all appreciate her help! :-)
Bottom line, I think it's important to find a system that will allow you, the
CC, to retain control over what gets posted, and what doesn't. It's also
important to find a system that will allow you to maintain at least a copy of
the queries on your page or on your computer, as a backup. Remember that using
something like GenConnect does not allow the researcher to post to your county
site - it only allows the researcher to post to a site
owned/operated/maintained by someone else. You are mearly linking to it.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, but something to consider.
It's also important to consider that if you don't have complete control over a
Board, you are subject to running into this sort of thing again. Those servers
that host Boards may make changes, or even disappear, without any notice.
Just food for thought when we wait to see what Polly can come up with for us.
Thanks, Polly!
If you would like to join in the GenConnect discussion on MSCHAT, but you're
not subbed there, please send a note to either Nate or Melissa, so we can keep
down the chatter on this list.
Thanks,
Ellen