Just in case you wanted to get full measure from your Avatar, the instructions on the Web Site Profile page are misleading. I uploaded a bunch of different Avatars to learn the following:
The web site says that any uploaded pics will be re-sized to 200 pixels wide by 500 pixels high. Nope. It's backwards.
It might be 500 wide by 200 high. Well, for sure, a pic of those dimensions can be loaded and will be accepted. May be it is just me, but on my monitor, the stuff on the Forum is squished together. In a quoted post, the Open Quote punctuation appears over the quoted text. Likewise, an Avatar that is 500x200 leaks over on to the text of the post and obscures it.
For now, I am using 300x200 until the resolution is resolved.
Thursday, October 28, 2010
Day 1
It is Thursday noon. No word of welcome yet. Various Board members have e-mailed congratulations. No greeting from the President to the new Board Members. Maggie has the Board section of the Forum on RSS feed so she will get e-mail notice if anything gets posted.
With apologies, I have to wonder. Where are all those 'touchy-feely' Board Members who used to lecture me on making them feel welcome? Call me crazy, but I thought we were all adults and no one needed their hand held. Boy, was I wrong about that . . .
The good news is that the Newsletter question got answered. There was a note on the Board section that said there would be a video available on WebEx with a tutorial. That turned out to be a video on YouTube which explains that using the Newsletter function is the same as doing Bulk Mail before.
With apologies, I have to wonder. Where are all those 'touchy-feely' Board Members who used to lecture me on making them feel welcome? Call me crazy, but I thought we were all adults and no one needed their hand held. Boy, was I wrong about that . . .
The good news is that the Newsletter question got answered. There was a note on the Board section that said there would be a video available on WebEx with a tutorial. That turned out to be a video on YouTube which explains that using the Newsletter function is the same as doing Bulk Mail before.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Oops
Well now, isn't that interesting.
I saw a post on the AKA Forum this morning and decided I might be able to Reply and make a point without getting Maggie in to too much trouble.
That prompted Maggie to get on the Forum and poke around. Suddenly, with no preamble, she is able to access the Board area of the Forum. So far so good, but a little warning and instruction would have been very welcome.
Observation One: There is no access to previous Board mail. There always used to be.
Observation Two: There is no access to to previous Board Actions. There always used to be.
He who controls the information controls the conversation.
There is a section on the Web Site (under the Resource Tab) that says "Board Only". She can't get in there yet.
But wait - there's more! There will no longer be Bulk E-Mail. Henceforth, communication with Members in the Region will be accomplished via the "Newsletter" function of the Forum/Web Site. What that means, only the Sitemaster knows for sure, and he ain't sharing yet.
So, using the Newsletter function could mean that Members will still receive the communication via e-mail. Or, it could mean that the Members will need to access the Web Site to get the information.
Wouldn't it be nice to know?
I saw a post on the AKA Forum this morning and decided I might be able to Reply and make a point without getting Maggie in to too much trouble.
That prompted Maggie to get on the Forum and poke around. Suddenly, with no preamble, she is able to access the Board area of the Forum. So far so good, but a little warning and instruction would have been very welcome.
Observation One: There is no access to previous Board mail. There always used to be.
Observation Two: There is no access to to previous Board Actions. There always used to be.
He who controls the information controls the conversation.
There is a section on the Web Site (under the Resource Tab) that says "Board Only". She can't get in there yet.
But wait - there's more! There will no longer be Bulk E-Mail. Henceforth, communication with Members in the Region will be accomplished via the "Newsletter" function of the Forum/Web Site. What that means, only the Sitemaster knows for sure, and he ain't sharing yet.
So, using the Newsletter function could mean that Members will still receive the communication via e-mail. Or, it could mean that the Members will need to access the Web Site to get the information.
Wouldn't it be nice to know?
Transition?
It is Wednesday morning, October 27. It is two weeks after 2010 AKA Annual Meeting. Today is alleged to be the day that transition from the old AKA Administration to the new Administration will take place. We are starting a pool for a time when and if the new Regional Director for Region One hears anything from the AKA.
The sum total of everything the new Regional Director has heard from the AKA is contained in the missive from the President in the post below.
Transition? What transition?
Oh, but this next is really cool. There is a new protocol for Board electronic communication. No more Board E-Mail. From now on the Board will write to each other in a reserved section of the Forum. Wow! What a great idea! I sure wish I thought of that. Oh, wait, I DID! It was a terrible idea then, but it is warmly embraced and put in to practice now. Sigh.
That begs another question. Will the new Board have access to old Board mail? Past Boards have had access to previous Board email. Or will the Newbies be kept in the dark about past decisions and who made them? Keep in mind, when the New Forum arrived, the old one disappeared. Will that happen with Board mail?
Speaking of which, what about Board decisions? There is (or was) a spreadsheet of every decision/action taken in every Board Meeting. Board members had access to this spreadsheet. Is that still there? Is there a reason why only Board Members can see it? Is there a reason why mere AKA Members can't see what actions were taken and when they were taken?
Why the curiosity? There is a rumor that the Board officially made an official decision choosing a venue for the 2011 Convention before the Wildwood venue became available. When Wildwood suddenly became available for much less money, the rug was pulled out from under the venue they had chosen. The rumors I that have heard say it was Rick Kinnaird's Outer Banks proposal that had gotten the nod, but I am betting it was Roanoke.
Wouldn't it be nice to know?
The sum total of everything the new Regional Director has heard from the AKA is contained in the missive from the President in the post below.
Transition? What transition?
Oh, but this next is really cool. There is a new protocol for Board electronic communication. No more Board E-Mail. From now on the Board will write to each other in a reserved section of the Forum. Wow! What a great idea! I sure wish I thought of that. Oh, wait, I DID! It was a terrible idea then, but it is warmly embraced and put in to practice now. Sigh.
That begs another question. Will the new Board have access to old Board mail? Past Boards have had access to previous Board email. Or will the Newbies be kept in the dark about past decisions and who made them? Keep in mind, when the New Forum arrived, the old one disappeared. Will that happen with Board mail?
Speaking of which, what about Board decisions? There is (or was) a spreadsheet of every decision/action taken in every Board Meeting. Board members had access to this spreadsheet. Is that still there? Is there a reason why only Board Members can see it? Is there a reason why mere AKA Members can't see what actions were taken and when they were taken?
Why the curiosity? There is a rumor that the Board officially made an official decision choosing a venue for the 2011 Convention before the Wildwood venue became available. When Wildwood suddenly became available for much less money, the rug was pulled out from under the venue they had chosen. The rumors I that have heard say it was Rick Kinnaird's Outer Banks proposal that had gotten the nod, but I am betting it was Roanoke.
Wouldn't it be nice to know?
Monday, October 25, 2010
Kudos
Thank you to the new AKA Sitemaster for the code for the AKA animated gif. In the process of moving and upgrading the AKA Web Site, the code for the gif was changed from --http://www.aka.kite.org/images/aka_sanm.gif-- to --http://aka.kite.org/images/stories/logo/aka_sanm.gif--
Sunday, October 24, 2010
And then there was one . . .
As noted on Kitelife, at this AKA Convention's Saturday night Awards Banquet, there was only one person left standing when they did the "How many Conventions have you attended?" recognition. Only Ted Manekin is left.
Noticeably absent was Rick Kinnaird. One has to wonder why . . .
Oh, wait. Perhaps it is because Rick submitted a proposal for the 2011 AKA Convention to be held on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. To be sure, his proposal was novel. There was no 'host' hotel, there was considerable distance between housing and fields and workshop space. I never was persuaded there was enough space for fields.
The point should also be made, and is often lost in the shuffle, that it is a PROPOSAL, not a bid. Certainly, the final arbiters, the AKA Board, often treat the proposals as bids. They frequently make their choice based on finances and how much money can be made, well ahead of how suited a given venue might be for a Convention.
One would have thought that Rick's proposal was the leader of the pack if that was the standard.
In any case, no one ever got back to Rick. Rick was left in the dark. Rick was offended that he was never contacted by anyone for them to get clarification of any of his proposals for Convention. He was so offended that when it came time to attend his 33rd Annual AKA Convention, he passed.
One would think that after three decades of putting together Conventions, we would finally figure out which end wags and which end bites.
Oh well. When the AKA dwindles down to the few dozen people who deem themselves worthy of each others company, may they be very happy together.
Noticeably absent was Rick Kinnaird. One has to wonder why . . .
Oh, wait. Perhaps it is because Rick submitted a proposal for the 2011 AKA Convention to be held on the Outer Banks in North Carolina. To be sure, his proposal was novel. There was no 'host' hotel, there was considerable distance between housing and fields and workshop space. I never was persuaded there was enough space for fields.
The point should also be made, and is often lost in the shuffle, that it is a PROPOSAL, not a bid. Certainly, the final arbiters, the AKA Board, often treat the proposals as bids. They frequently make their choice based on finances and how much money can be made, well ahead of how suited a given venue might be for a Convention.
One would have thought that Rick's proposal was the leader of the pack if that was the standard.
In any case, no one ever got back to Rick. Rick was left in the dark. Rick was offended that he was never contacted by anyone for them to get clarification of any of his proposals for Convention. He was so offended that when it came time to attend his 33rd Annual AKA Convention, he passed.
One would think that after three decades of putting together Conventions, we would finally figure out which end wags and which end bites.
Oh well. When the AKA dwindles down to the few dozen people who deem themselves worthy of each others company, may they be very happy together.
Thought for the day
It is informative and interesting to observe how many people are unwilling or unable to meet the standards they so readily set for those around them.
Woes of Write-in
How Maggie became a write-in for Regional Director was covered in another post. This is about what happens afterward.
If someone is a write-in, and they are elected, and they are not at Convention, how do they know they are elected? Think about it. If friends call them and tell them, is that 'official'?
As far as official notice goes, there weren't any. While we are on the subject, come to think of it, no one even called to confirm if she indeed wanted to serve!
Last year, the Election Results were on the AKA Web Site the following morning. This year that did not happen. Think about it. Several friends called to say she was elected. There was no way to determine if she was officially elected. Could she even say Thank You to the people who supported her without getting in to trouble?
To answer that question, yes, she did. She sent a Post to the Region One Club E-Groups:
Thank you to everyone who wrote me in for AKA Region One Director. I
look forward to serving the Region One to the best of my ability.
It is not yet official. The election results are not on the AKA Web Site
and I have not heard from the AKA President or from anyone on the AKA
Elections Committee.
The first order of business is the Regional Report for Kiting magazine.
Please e-mail me any information or pictures you would like to see
included. The report is due on the 22 of October.
Thanks for your help.
Maggie copied the AKA President on her Post. That earned her this response:
Um, huh?
First, Maggie was never a candidate.
Second, even if she was a candidate, she was no longer a candidate once the election was over. Third, she has no issues with the election process.
Fourth, she is not an RD until 10/27, but must have her RD Report submitted by 10/22?
It is very interesting that someone (such as our esteemed AKA President) who has no problem telling anyone what to do, can't suggest to her Elections Committee Chair that they notify someone who has been elected to an important position by write-in ballot. It would be nice if one of the "By The Book" people let her know she was the new RD, before they threw The Book at her for either presuming to be or not acting quickly enough to be. Can you say damned either way?
But perhaps the President has good reason to be so terse. The Regional Director, who was turned out of office by someone who was not even on the ballot, was her choice for AKA Regional Director of the Year.
If someone is a write-in, and they are elected, and they are not at Convention, how do they know they are elected? Think about it. If friends call them and tell them, is that 'official'?
As far as official notice goes, there weren't any. While we are on the subject, come to think of it, no one even called to confirm if she indeed wanted to serve!
Last year, the Election Results were on the AKA Web Site the following morning. This year that did not happen. Think about it. Several friends called to say she was elected. There was no way to determine if she was officially elected. Could she even say Thank You to the people who supported her without getting in to trouble?
To answer that question, yes, she did. She sent a Post to the Region One Club E-Groups:
Thank you to everyone who wrote me in for AKA Region One Director. I
look forward to serving the Region One to the best of my ability.
It is not yet official. The election results are not on the AKA Web Site
and I have not heard from the AKA President or from anyone on the AKA
Elections Committee.
The first order of business is the Regional Report for Kiting magazine.
Please e-mail me any information or pictures you would like to see
included. The report is due on the 22 of October.
Thanks for your help.
Maggie copied the AKA President on her Post. That earned her this response:
The election results are handled by the election committee. Jerry McGuire is the chair. The president has nothing to do with the election process, and in fact, is not allowed to be part of the committee or to contact candidates in their official capacity.
If you have issues with how the election has been handled, talk to Jerry.
The transition to the new board takes place 2 weeks from Wednesday, 10/13.
The webmaster will contact you before that,
BarbaraUm, huh?
First, Maggie was never a candidate.
Second, even if she was a candidate, she was no longer a candidate once the election was over. Third, she has no issues with the election process.
Fourth, she is not an RD until 10/27, but must have her RD Report submitted by 10/22?
It is very interesting that someone (such as our esteemed AKA President) who has no problem telling anyone what to do, can't suggest to her Elections Committee Chair that they notify someone who has been elected to an important position by write-in ballot. It would be nice if one of the "By The Book" people let her know she was the new RD, before they threw The Book at her for either presuming to be or not acting quickly enough to be. Can you say damned either way?
But perhaps the President has good reason to be so terse. The Regional Director, who was turned out of office by someone who was not even on the ballot, was her choice for AKA Regional Director of the Year.
Why is Maggie Engvall Regional Director?
Archiving information is one of the primary purposes of this Blog. Here is the time line and the things that pushed Maggie in to being Regional Director.
They say that great minds talk about ideas, mediocre minds talk about events, and small minds talk about people. I tend to leave out people's names to protect both the innocent and the guilty. I would rather talk about what than who. So call me a mediocre mind and here we go.
In the interest of full disclosure, Maggie had thought long and hard about running for Regional Director in Region One this time around. Contracting MRSA at the Rochester Convention really set back her progress with her foot. When it was time for Candidate Statements and such there were a lot of things on her plate and she decided to give it a pass.
But a post was made on a local Kite Club E-Group remarking how every position was unopposed, why vote?
POST: Subject: Ding Dong is the AKA Dead? (yet)
What a subject title! Now you all know why I don't quit my day job and become a poet...
I've been playing 'catch up' and I just took a look at what will be my final AKA candidate election statements (as I'm not planning to renew my AKA membership). It looks like all the candidates: President, and the Regional Directors for regions 1, 2, 3, 4 & 6 are "running" unopposed.
It appears that I can save the price of a stamp. Why bother voting? The AKA could save a few hundred stamps (assuming there are a few hundred members left) and not bother to send out ballots.
It looks like I'm not the only one making my voice heard by leaving the AKA. In fact, under the circumstances, it appears leaving the AKA is the ONLY way to make your voice heard!
Hopefully the "candidates" remember to vote for themselves...I guess this will make for something of an anticlimax when the election results are announced at this year's convention.
Keep looking up,
That incited a response from the Region One Regional Director. The RD seemed to think that taking off their RD hat gave them carte blanche to be derisive. In defense of the RD, they thought they were protecting the honor and the innocence of the E-Group. Somehow, it did not quite come across that way.
I am writing today as a long-time member of NYKE. For years the pleasure of being a member of NYKE has always been ”because it is about kiting;".... until now.
The reason I joined NYKE was because I found its members great people to be with. I have sent and continue to send new kite fliers to join NYKE for just this reason... because it has been a pleasure to be with the group that doesn't spew the hostility and negativity as displayed in the attached email.
How disappointing to read from one member so much venom, and sarcasm expressed towards another organization. This behavior is often seen, but I have not seen this type of maliciousness expressed on the NYKE network and I really hope this is the first, last and only time a message such as this one is received . We all have opinions of kite clubs and organizations, the people in them and the people that run them. However to have one individual use NYKE's kite club's network to trash another organization is beneath NYKE.
Yes, we all have opinions and yes, we might be unhappy with things at the AKA, but other than 'one individual personally bashing another organization' what was the purpose of this tirade? It reminds me of a child stamping their feet because they don't like it.... Was it helpful in any way other than to give one member a soap box to pontificate his negative and sarcastic views? Did it make recommendations, suggestions or points of interest to make things better (I know, it's been done in the past... maybe it needs to be done again) or, how about jumping in to volunteer to help? Or, if you don't have something to contribute, go stamp your feet somewhere else. I'm still confused about what the point of this rant was other than one member's need to sound off so he can hear his own voice.
NYKE was the kite club that set itself apart with a standard of not letting itself get dragged down by email 'bashing'. I hope this is not a preview of things to come from NYKE.
As there is no way to have a positive response to any type of email bashing, let this be the end of it.
NYKE...Thank you for being NYKE!
Just for the record, it is not very effective to correct negativity by being negative.
This post really got Maggie's attention. It really peaked her pique. She sent out Posts to Region One Groups inviting people to write her in on their AKA Ballots. She was not a candidate, there were no Candidate Statements sent to every AKA Member in the Region. It was just word of mouth and public sentiment. She got 60% of the vote.
I could be wrong, I have no way of knowing, but I strongly suspect that a successful write-in for RD is unprecedented in the AKA.
They say that great minds talk about ideas, mediocre minds talk about events, and small minds talk about people. I tend to leave out people's names to protect both the innocent and the guilty. I would rather talk about what than who. So call me a mediocre mind and here we go.
In the interest of full disclosure, Maggie had thought long and hard about running for Regional Director in Region One this time around. Contracting MRSA at the Rochester Convention really set back her progress with her foot. When it was time for Candidate Statements and such there were a lot of things on her plate and she decided to give it a pass.
But a post was made on a local Kite Club E-Group remarking how every position was unopposed, why vote?
POST: Subject: Ding Dong is the AKA Dead? (yet)
What a subject title! Now you all know why I don't quit my day job and become a poet...
I've been playing 'catch up' and I just took a look at what will be my final AKA candidate election statements (as I'm not planning to renew my AKA membership). It looks like all the candidates: President, and the Regional Directors for regions 1, 2, 3, 4 & 6 are "running" unopposed.
It appears that I can save the price of a stamp. Why bother voting? The AKA could save a few hundred stamps (assuming there are a few hundred members left) and not bother to send out ballots.
It looks like I'm not the only one making my voice heard by leaving the AKA. In fact, under the circumstances, it appears leaving the AKA is the ONLY way to make your voice heard!
Hopefully the "candidates" remember to vote for themselves...I guess this will make for something of an anticlimax when the election results are announced at this year's convention.
Keep looking up,
That incited a response from the Region One Regional Director. The RD seemed to think that taking off their RD hat gave them carte blanche to be derisive. In defense of the RD, they thought they were protecting the honor and the innocence of the E-Group. Somehow, it did not quite come across that way.
I am writing today as a long-time member of NYKE. For years the pleasure of being a member of NYKE has always been ”because it is about kiting;".... until now.
The reason I joined NYKE was because I found its members great people to be with. I have sent and continue to send new kite fliers to join NYKE for just this reason... because it has been a pleasure to be with the group that doesn't spew the hostility and negativity as displayed in the attached email.
How disappointing to read from one member so much venom, and sarcasm expressed towards another organization. This behavior is often seen, but I have not seen this type of maliciousness expressed on the NYKE network and I really hope this is the first, last and only time a message such as this one is received . We all have opinions of kite clubs and organizations, the people in them and the people that run them. However to have one individual use NYKE's kite club's network to trash another organization is beneath NYKE.
Yes, we all have opinions and yes, we might be unhappy with things at the AKA, but other than 'one individual personally bashing another organization' what was the purpose of this tirade? It reminds me of a child stamping their feet because they don't like it.... Was it helpful in any way other than to give one member a soap box to pontificate his negative and sarcastic views? Did it make recommendations, suggestions or points of interest to make things better (I know, it's been done in the past... maybe it needs to be done again) or, how about jumping in to volunteer to help? Or, if you don't have something to contribute, go stamp your feet somewhere else. I'm still confused about what the point of this rant was other than one member's need to sound off so he can hear his own voice.
NYKE was the kite club that set itself apart with a standard of not letting itself get dragged down by email 'bashing'. I hope this is not a preview of things to come from NYKE.
As there is no way to have a positive response to any type of email bashing, let this be the end of it.
NYKE...Thank you for being NYKE!
Just for the record, it is not very effective to correct negativity by being negative.
This post really got Maggie's attention. It really peaked her pique. She sent out Posts to Region One Groups inviting people to write her in on their AKA Ballots. She was not a candidate, there were no Candidate Statements sent to every AKA Member in the Region. It was just word of mouth and public sentiment. She got 60% of the vote.
I could be wrong, I have no way of knowing, but I strongly suspect that a successful write-in for RD is unprecedented in the AKA.
New AKA Forum
The AKA has a new Talk Forum. It is a great Forum with many new bells and whistles that make things much easier than the old Forum.
Speaking of the old Forum, it is gone. No warning, just gone. If you wanted to store the Budget information before it disappeared, too bad. If there were Threads that anyone really wanted to preserve for future reference, too bad. It's all gone.
He who controls the information controls the conversation.
Speaking of the old Forum, it is gone. No warning, just gone. If you wanted to store the Budget information before it disappeared, too bad. If there were Threads that anyone really wanted to preserve for future reference, too bad. It's all gone.
He who controls the information controls the conversation.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
New AKA Web Site
The American Kitefliers Association has new web site. It is really pretty.
But there are a few things missing. Those of us who have had links on our web pages pointing to the AKA for people to find and join the AKA suddenly have blank spaces on our web pages. The AKA lost or deleted the animated GIF when they took down the old web pages. It might have been nice to let us know they were going to do that.
Here is an example. The blank 'AKA' square below was once a rotating AKA logo.
The American Kitefliers Association
The AKA Site Master was sent a request for help or information. There has been no response so far. I have been searching my web pages for places where I have used their code and Remarked Out any references to the AKA until they can get their act together.
If you find any I missed, let me know.
But there are a few things missing. Those of us who have had links on our web pages pointing to the AKA for people to find and join the AKA suddenly have blank spaces on our web pages. The AKA lost or deleted the animated GIF when they took down the old web pages. It might have been nice to let us know they were going to do that.
Here is an example. The blank 'AKA' square below was once a rotating AKA logo.
The American Kitefliers Association
The AKA Site Master was sent a request for help or information. There has been no response so far. I have been searching my web pages for places where I have used their code and Remarked Out any references to the AKA until they can get their act together.
If you find any I missed, let me know.
What is this?
I have long felt a need to vent about the things that happen in and around the American Kitefliers Association. I have toyed with the idea of a Blog for a long time. On the one hand, I had plenty of things to say about the AKA. On the other hand, they were done with me and I was pretty much done with them.
Then a funny thing happened. The Regional Director for our AKA Region, who was running for re-election, sent a Post to the E-mail Group of a local Kite Club. The Post really rubbed my wife's fur the wrong way.
She immediately let it be known that if people wanted to write her in for Regional Director, that would be fine. They did. She got 60% of the votes cast.
In many ways, the PTB (Powers That Be) mishandled this situation, as they have so many others. I survived the process with a whole new set of frustrations.
So here we are.
Then a funny thing happened. The Regional Director for our AKA Region, who was running for re-election, sent a Post to the E-mail Group of a local Kite Club. The Post really rubbed my wife's fur the wrong way.
She immediately let it be known that if people wanted to write her in for Regional Director, that would be fine. They did. She got 60% of the votes cast.
In many ways, the PTB (Powers That Be) mishandled this situation, as they have so many others. I survived the process with a whole new set of frustrations.
So here we are.
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