ITNewb Townhall Meeting #1 (August 20, 2009)

(9:36:07 PM) Andrew: Well shoot, I think this is probably all that's going to make it. Joel is sick, Guillaume, Igor and Frank are on vacation and everyone else is mia.

(9:36:41 PM) Andrew: Alright, let's get started. I prepared some material to help steer the meeting, intended for a larger crowd so bare with me.

(9:37:00 PM) mrintech: neblio: All those people whom I invited must be sleeping right now :(

(9:37:14 PM) mrintech: neblio: Ok Dude Lets Start

(9:37:31 PM) Andrew: mrintech: most likely, the meeting time is really early for those guys.

(9:37:32 PM) dumath: ready here

(9:37:38 PM) ***michael buckles in

(9:37:58 PM) Andrew: First, I'd like to thank each of you for your interest in ITNewb, the various ways you've supported me personally and the ITNewb cause in general, and the support you're showing right now by attending our first townhall meeting here on freenode. If you're new to ITNewb, you can learn more about us by checking out http://www.itnewb.com/about (about us) and http://www.itnewb.com/tour (site tour).

(9:38:42 PM) Andrew: What I'm looking for tonight (or morning, if you're in the East) is your feedback and ideas on the recent site update; ITNewb features and interfaces in general; a discussion on content direction and how we're currently trying to enforce quality as well as thoughts on the critiquing and grading process; and of special importance, brainstorming on how we can use the tools available to us to promote and build the ITNewb community and archive.

(9:39:37 PM) Andrew: As it relates to community, I believe ITNewb can be the kind of community where people can truly build valuable and beneficial friendships, help with projects, be available to provide each other with feedback and so on.

(9:40:10 PM) Andrew: I think we can and should be a close knit community, and I'm thankful to have already developed a few solid friendships through ITNewb. So with this in mind, I'd appreciate it if each of us would share our names, ITNewb nicks, and a little about ourselves before we dive in.

(9:40:37 PM) Andrew: My name is Andrew Johnson (http://www.itnewb.com/user/Andrew), I'm responsible for funding ITNewb, development and management of the site as well as the 3 servers currently powering the site. I enjoy teaching others about technology, learning about technology from others, and I believe ITNewb has the potential to become one of the most helpful tech sites on the Internet.

(9:40:59 PM) ***Andrew pauses and waits for introductions..

(9:41:03 PM) neeko: Phil, neeko, sysadmin from BC, Canada, author of the ssh key article

(9:42:01 PM) michael: michael, michael, CSE second year student from Vic, Australia and author of an upcoming linux article!

(9:42:12 PM) dumath: Matthew, dumath, tech nerd extraordinaire and really sweet idea guy, Pittsburgh

(9:42:22 PM) mrintech: I am Mrinmay Bhattacharjee from India (http://www.itnewb.com/user/mrintech) I am 22 Years Old Guy. I just completed my Graduation in ELectrical & Eletronics Engg. and I am very much fond of Computers and Blogging :) THough Still I am a Learner :)

(9:42:27 PM) ReneGlez: I'm Rene, ...Houston, TX... I'm the one who reads all of those articles and tutorials you have written.

(9:43:05 PM) ***Andrew nudges ranok

(9:43:53 PM) ***ranok is off to bed, sorry

(9:43:58 PM) ranok: sensory overload

(9:44:05 PM) Andrew: No problem Jacob, cheers!

(9:44:14 PM) mrintech: ranok: OK

(9:44:22 PM) Andrew: Alright, thanks for the intros everyone.

(9:44:29 PM) ReneGlez: good night.

(9:44:32 PM) michael: cya

(9:44:36 PM) Andrew: michael: upcoming linux article :-D

(9:44:44 PM) michael: yar

(9:44:50 PM) mrintech: neblio: Dude I have only 45 Minutes to stay here as after that there will be 3 Hours Power Cut :(

(9:44:55 PM) michael: I've written it up but I can't save it as a draft for some reason =(

(9:45:04 PM) Andrew: mrintech: k, I'll speed it up

(9:45:24 PM) Andrew: michael: hrm, I'll get with you on that after the meeting.

(9:45:28 PM) Andrew: Alright, the first order of business is a quick discussion on the recent site update. What do you think of the update? Where did it go right, where did it go wrong, what ideas do you have relating to those particular aspects of the site? See http://www.itnewb.com/blog/v/ITNewb-Leaps-Forward-with-Massive-Update if you need a recap of the update.

(9:45:29 PM) michael: no worries

(9:46:25 PM) Andrew: You don't have to provide anything comprehensive, just whatever comes to mind.

(9:46:33 PM) mrintech: neblio: The Articles mentioned right here: http://www.itnewb.com/user/mrintech must be given priority first.

(9:46:42 PM) mrintech: sorry

(9:46:44 PM) mrintech: sorry

(9:46:45 PM) dumath: lol

(9:46:57 PM) mrintech: here: http://www.itnewb.com/topics

(9:47:11 PM) Andrew: mrintech: you're absolutely right :)

(9:47:12 PM) michael: hah

(9:47:39 PM) Andrew: We'll cover that in content direction.

(9:48:07 PM) mrintech: neblio: Why you deleted the Wishlist? Or you are planning to launch it again after the community grows with more members?

(9:49:15 PM) ReneGlez: Good question, mrintech.

(9:49:51 PM) Andrew: Good question. With so few authors, the wishlist was pretty dead submission and grant wise. So it was removed for the time being in favor of the new topics index. In the future, whether the original wishlist is reinstated or we add a dedicated forum category for it, we will bring something like that back.

(9:52:22 PM) mrintech: neblio: OK Dude. I was off to bed when you sent me a shout. Regarding launching of Adwords Campaign. Will you launch the Campaign and Direct Visitors to *Site Tour* Page?

(9:52:49 PM) Andrew: Yes, I will be using Adwords within the next 7 days.

(9:53:20 PM) michael: oh, this should be interesting

(9:53:20 PM) Andrew: I also thought I would point to the tour, and see how that goes.

(9:53:52 PM) Andrew: Any thoughts on which page I target? Do you guys agree to tour seems like the best candidate?

(9:54:04 PM) Andrew: agree to/agree the

(9:54:10 PM) ReneGlez: neblio: the home page, (before you sign in) has a big banner but I think that it would be a good idea to show some of the most important articles so new people have a better idea about the site

(9:54:22 PM) michael: damnit, you stole what I was going to say

(9:54:58 PM) mrintech: neblio: If you make the Site Tour More Interactive by Adding Flash, it will be very cool :)

(9:55:13 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez, michael: so you guys propose a dedicated page specifically for the campaign that includes a bit of everything?

(9:55:58 PM) dumath: if you target the tour page what exactly are you trying to convey to the "guest"?

(9:56:12 PM) ReneGlez: ok...guys I'm having trouble typing... my fingers are working faster than my brain.. please forgive me for all the mistakes

(9:56:24 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: np man

(9:56:31 PM) mrintech: ReneGlez: NP

(9:56:39 PM) michael: I would be more inclined to the home page, with something attractive looking that links to the tour page

(9:57:23 PM) Andrew: dumath: The purpose of the site, features and anything that would entice them to join.

(9:57:29 PM) ReneGlez: I think that some people don't like to register so it would be nice if they can see some of the articles on the first page...even before they take the tour

(9:57:58 PM) Andrew: michael: alright

(9:58:10 PM) Andrew: Any idea of how I would incorporate that into the existing visitor home page?

(9:58:19 PM) mrintech: neblio: What about adding Flash Content either in the Site Homepage or in the Site Tour Page? ReneGlez I agree with that

(9:58:26 PM) Andrew: Remove the bottom right ad and put an article sidebar?

(9:58:51 PM) dumath: clutter

(9:59:14 PM) Andrew: mrintech: I think I'm going to avoid flash in this context.

(9:59:14 PM) ReneGlez: Remove the big banner on home page...nice..but too big

(9:59:25 PM) mrintech: neblio: OK

(9:59:41 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: do you propose something in its place?

(10:00:01 PM) dumath: big banner?

(10:00:19 PM) Andrew: The purpose of that is to a) attract their eye; and b) steer them to the tour; which c) hopefully convinces them to join.

(10:00:32 PM) ReneGlez: yes, either a new article or the most popular one

(10:00:35 PM) Andrew: dumath: I believe he's referring to the "A social network that revolves around..".

(10:01:06 PM) Andrew: neeko: any thoughts?

(10:01:46 PM) neeko: I'm happy to see people here, and I think that if we all grab an article on sight, we can get this done.

(10:02:05 PM) ReneGlez: neblio: yes, that one.

(10:02:06 PM) dumath: cut it's height by half

(10:02:30 PM) michael: yeah, that banner is quite large

(10:03:12 PM) Andrew: neeko: what do you mean by grab an article on sight?

(10:03:25 PM) dumath: cut the banners height then in the newly opened space have a autoscroll that shows interesting things that are new on the site

(10:03:39 PM) mrintech: I am not sure but can we create a separate landing page specifically meant for the vistors of Google AdWords?

(10:03:53 PM) neeko: Err, I mean if we all grab an article from the topics, we can flesh out the information needed quickly.

(10:03:58 PM) ReneGlez: I like dumath's idea.

(10:04:09 PM) Andrew: neeko: excellent point, you're definitely right :)

(10:04:18 PM) Andrew: Alright, the home page can be changed.

(10:04:59 PM) Andrew: So shrink the height of the banner to half, then below that put current site highlights?

(10:05:18 PM) dumath: the "non-registered user" home page only tho

(10:05:31 PM) Andrew: Or, I could keep the banner as is, and below have a larger area with rotating highlights and remove the "newb initiative" information all together?

(10:05:35 PM) ReneGlez: neblio: yes, that's the idea.

(10:05:45 PM) Andrew: dumath: correct

(10:06:18 PM) Andrew: What highlights do you guys want? Newest members, articles, author spotlight back etc?

(10:06:39 PM) ReneGlez: articles

(10:07:09 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: any particular articles, tabs, order?

(10:07:20 PM) Andrew: ie- popular, newly archived, published etc.

(10:07:29 PM) dumath: I like all the info that is provided and available but most ppl have add so a brief synopsis of each description perhaps?

(10:08:01 PM) Andrew: dumath: is that regarding the "newb initiative" info on the home page?

(10:08:25 PM) ReneGlez: I think most popular would be better because new people are going to see them

(10:08:28 PM) Andrew: Or article descriptions, for the home page articles?

(10:08:45 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: Alright, good point.

(10:08:55 PM) dumath: I like newest members author spot (idea I mentioned yesterday.) high rank articles in a ticker type fashion?

(10:09:08 PM) Andrew: ticker?

(10:09:48 PM) dumath: think wallstreet

(10:10:19 PM) Andrew: Alright, well so we don't stay on this topic too long here is what I'll do. I'll take the info you've provided and create a few mock-ups, then I'll notify you guys for feedback and we can hammer the exact setup out.

(10:10:39 PM) Andrew: Good ideas guys, that will definitely improve the home page and very likely be suitable for the adwords target.

(10:10:53 PM) Mrinmay: neblio: You will launch your AdWords Campaign meant for USA Only?

(10:10:56 PM) ReneGlez: :)

(10:11:30 PM) Andrew: Mrinmay: I actually haven't thought about that. I'm not sure yet.

(10:11:58 PM) ReneGlez: I did a search on Wikipedia and you're not there...

(10:12:21 PM) ReneGlez: That is free advertising

(10:12:22 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: I guess we better do something about that ;-)

(10:12:30 PM) Andrew: You're absolutely right!

(10:12:35 PM) Andrew: Great idea!

(10:13:10 PM) Andrew: Next up, let's take a few minutes to discuss ITNewb features in general. What would you like to see added to ITNewb, what would you like to see changed? As some of you know, any major development tasks have been suspended for a while to give me time to write articles and promote the site, but I realize there is tremendous potential for new features, APIs and all that good stuff. So please share your ideas with me so I have an idea of where you want to take ITNewb, and be thinking about those ideas while I'm on leave from development.

(10:15:52 PM) Mrinmay: As per my Best Opinion Everything is quite cool. What about putting all the Archived Articles in Separate Categories?

(10:16:43 PM) dumath: you remember the idea from last night right? I can't type it all it'd take tooooo long

(10:17:26 PM) Andrew: Mrinmay: That could definitely help out, and make it easier for people to find what they're looking for, or simply to browse a broader category than tags allows them to. Good idea Mrinmay!

(10:17:39 PM) Andrew: dumath: yes, I have that jotted down :)

(10:18:22 PM) dumath: wanna see what these guys think bout it?

(10:18:29 PM) Andrew: Matt's idea was an "Author Corner", where 3 time archived authors get their own personal blog. Posts are aggregated in the author corner, but each author also has their own area.

(10:18:31 PM) ReneGlez: Do we have a common area where anybody can ask a question and any member can answer it?

(10:18:33 PM) Andrew: Definitely

(10:18:44 PM) michael: forums would be hot.

(10:18:54 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: Not yet, but we definitely need that. Would a traditional forum do the trick?

(10:19:09 PM) michael: sure

(10:19:13 PM) michael: if you can't be arsed making one

(10:19:13 PM) ReneGlez: neblio: yes!

(10:19:19 PM) michael: VB or something

(10:19:26 PM) michael: tie it in with the existing user database

(10:19:45 PM) Andrew: I've built forums from scratch before, so I'll probably just build one. It wouldn't take me very long.

(10:19:47 PM) michael: would put a kill on the mod_rewrite though, unless VB/IPB have modules for it

(10:19:53 PM) Andrew: Definitely, single sign on is a must!

(10:20:04 PM) michael: hands down

(10:20:36 PM) Andrew: Alright, so some kind of category setup, the authors corner and a forum have a go once I get back to development. Any other thoughts or ideas?

(10:20:49 PM) Andrew: One thought I just had is that it would be nice to have video support and so on for user status'..

(10:21:16 PM) Andrew: So we can post youtube videos etc. I could also add @nick support kind of like twitter has.

(10:21:24 PM) michael: oh that's a good idea

(10:21:26 PM) michael: video tuts

(10:21:27 PM) Mrinmay: Though the Editor you Integrated is great but what about this type of editor: http://i30.tinypic.com/212ydts.png

(10:21:39 PM) Andrew: Mrinmay: good question.

(10:22:01 PM) Andrew: michael: video tuts would be a great addition.

(10:22:25 PM) Andrew: Regarding the editor, I do agree that something along those lines should be investigated.

(10:22:31 PM) Mrinmay: Almost all People are accustomed with the editor I mentioned.

(10:22:46 PM) Andrew: There are ups and downs, but if I really work hard on it most likely I could get it done properly.

(10:23:16 PM) Andrew: Mrinmay: Alright, I'll give that a go as well :)

(10:23:27 PM) Andrew: I imagine everyone agrees on the editor?

(10:23:54 PM) ***michael nods

(10:24:03 PM) Andrew: k

(10:24:13 PM) Andrew: Any other ideas?

(10:24:19 PM) Mrinmay: neblio: Power Cut here can be anytime. So excuse me all if I suddenly goes Offline :(

(10:24:37 PM) Andrew: Alright :)

(10:24:52 PM) neeko: I like the existing editor

(10:24:59 PM) dumath: give out pizzas!!!! lol

(10:25:16 PM) neeko: I'm not sure that all of the features presented in the 2nd are useful to include for the content writing, that's more office-related.

(10:25:28 PM) neeko: Perhaps if it's not too much trouble, provide options?

(10:25:29 PM) Andrew: neeko: I can offer both. Personally I don't like most of those editors, as they tend to be laggy and buggy.

(10:25:37 PM) Andrew: Absolutely.

(10:25:50 PM) neeko: I think the forum idea is stellar actually

(10:26:07 PM) neeko: I think that'll create an informal enough setting on the site for the interested people to talk.

(10:26:27 PM) Mrinmay: Yes! We need a Forum :D

(10:26:44 PM) neeko: I agree that it should be a forum unless you're going to spend a long time on it (and you shouldn't)

(10:26:46 PM) Andrew: Right, the editor will be specific to ITNewb and its formatting. But there will be a non bbcode version available.

(10:26:58 PM) neeko: a license of VB gives a lot of features and will save you a lot of time.

(10:27:08 PM) Andrew: neeko: good point.

(10:27:15 PM) dumath: I don't like the forum idea

(10:27:26 PM) Andrew: dumath: really?

(10:27:30 PM) neeko: I think it's required so people can discuss what should be done next

(10:27:31 PM) michael: custom forum = win

(10:27:32 PM) ReneGlez: why?

(10:27:43 PM) Mrinmay: Forum will drive more traffic

(10:27:54 PM) Andrew: I agree, we definitely need an open and easy place to communicate.

(10:27:54 PM) neeko: neblio: hah, you could even buy forum software from my company

(10:28:05 PM) neeko: *laughs as he realizes that*

(10:28:12 PM) Andrew: What do you mean exactly?

(10:28:12 PM) neeko: but it's perl

(10:28:53 PM) Andrew: You mean from gossamer, or?

(10:29:06 PM) neeko: yeah, gforum is actually pretty nice.

(10:29:13 PM) neeko: Not sure on the cost though, VB is cheaper.

(10:29:18 PM) neeko: and php.

(10:29:53 PM) Andrew: Alright. I'll investigate the options. I just need to ensure it's scalable and I can integrate it into memcached.

(10:30:16 PM) dumath: think about it. itnewb is article based. a forum is just that. OPEN. yes it'd be good for questions but as far as information dispersal no. when an author submits an article it implies a level of research experience and investigation there is also the attribution of sources.. which I know Andrew is big on legally... in a forum setting it'll be just like every other "tech" site out there

(10:30:18 PM) Mrinmay_: LOL! My connection Suckz :(

(10:30:34 PM) michael: hrm

(10:30:38 PM) michael: you have a good point

(10:30:53 PM) Andrew: dumath: that's true

(10:31:15 PM) Andrew: At the same time though, don't we need some form of open communication, whether it be chat or whatever. Any alternatives on how we would provide that?

(10:31:19 PM) dumath: I

(10:31:20 PM) neeko: the forum isn't for the releasing of content, it's just for member communication

(10:31:31 PM) neeko: and we're not getting enough members as is

(10:31:32 PM) michael: ^

(10:31:37 PM) Andrew: Very true

(10:31:55 PM) neeko: a forum would entice people to meet the authors, learn and read, and perhaps write articles of their own.

(10:32:23 PM) michael: and would provide an option for community driven support

(10:32:28 PM) michael: instead of the users using official means

(10:32:29 PM) neeko: if you have a nice forum setting where you have a problem, and get helpfully linked to a solution or a good article on learning about the problem

(10:32:31 PM) neeko: that's a good thing

(10:32:33 PM) Andrew: I'm going to have to agree. What I can do is ensure the forum is steered and governed in the appropriate manner.

(10:32:36 PM) michael: official even

(10:32:41 PM) mrintech: neblio: I have seen many forums having a specific forum category "Guide & Tutorials", Members can contribute their articles right here in this category and this in turn may Drive Traffic from Search Engine

(10:33:16 PM) Andrew: mrintech: I think we should keep the forum casual. All guides and tutorials go through the normal, official channels.

(10:33:17 PM) dumath: I mean yea forums are nice for comm but we want this site to remain reputable and a "go to" source for ppl unfamiliar with tech, a forum would mean that they'd have to search and search and go thru the headache of trying to gleen even 1% of the info a well written article could provide

(10:34:08 PM) Andrew: dumath: you're right, but we also won't market the forum as a content source, simply a communication source.

(10:35:02 PM) dumath: in that case I could see it

(10:36:29 PM) Andrew: Alright, great ideas everyone.

(10:36:43 PM) dumath: I have a ?

(10:36:54 PM) Andrew: Alright

(10:36:55 PM) mrintech: neblio: LOL!! Meeting Over ?

(10:37:09 PM) Andrew: mrintech: no, not yet, we still have a bit left.

(10:37:31 PM) dumath: has anyone written an article on itnewb article submission?

(10:37:46 PM) Andrew: dumath: ah... a wonderful idea Matt :)

(10:38:27 PM) dumath: lol I mean how is a newb gonna know how to submit so

(10:38:27 PM) Andrew: How does everyone feel about making an exception and writing an article about writing?

(10:38:35 PM) dumath: mething?

(10:38:36 PM) mrintech: I can write some, but my Grammer Thing is somewhat crappy :(

(10:38:57 PM) michael: grammar*

(10:38:57 PM) michael: =p

(10:39:08 PM) mrintech: LOL!!! Yeah!

(10:39:18 PM) Andrew: Currently through Help Central and the Publishing Policy, but an article would really help a lot on that front.

(10:39:24 PM) michael: I won't hold it against you though, mrintech

(10:39:37 PM) dumath: grrrr my sense of humor cannot show thru in txt !!!!

(10:39:44 PM) Andrew: lol

(10:39:51 PM) mrintech: lol

(10:40:10 PM) Andrew: Alright, we can definitely get something out on writing itself.

(10:40:34 PM) Andrew: Now let's discuss content direction, quality and the review and critiquing process. There are at least a few million people out there looking for semi-advanced to advanced content on daily basis, whether it be about programming, web development, graphic design, linux and so on. Thus far my articles have targeted people that already possess a notable skill-set, but for the time being I'm going to switch to a different demographic.

(10:40:42 PM) dumath: michael shouldn't that have been spelling instead of grammar? :P ;)

(10:40:52 PM) Andrew: Why? Well, there are tens of millions+ out there that just want to learn about the components in a computer, how to navigate their file system and manage files, send email etc.

(10:40:56 PM) michael: touche.

(10:41:13 PM) Andrew: I want to open the doors of technology to these people by providing them with coherent introductory material much like you'd find in a college or university. They don't have to pay, just visit the website and begin acquiring some real computing skills. Not only does this crowd have a great need for the material, but they're also the crowd that can not only make ITNewb popular, but potentially even huge.

(10:41:39 PM) Andrew: If we can provide this content, word will spread, person to person, office to office and we could attract inordinate amounts of traffic, helping countless people. This is why I started the Newb Initiative (http://www.itnewb.com/topics) and Topics index.

(10:41:51 PM) mrintech: neblio: Especially Indians

(10:42:03 PM) mrintech: neblio: Indians are Noobs

(10:42:04 PM) mrintech: :P

(10:42:26 PM) Andrew: The people I'm talking about will likely be more responsive to us, our endeavour, and very possibly have a greater appreciation for the hard work we put into our articles. So on the topic of content direction, I earnestly request that those of you in a position to do so would check out the topics index and consider writing those kinds of articles. Take 15 minutes a day, 30 minutes or whatever and before long you'll have a publish ready work. Of course, you're by no means confined to intros, so when push comes to shove write about what most interests you.

(10:42:39 PM) Andrew: mrintech: believe it or not, the US as well :)

(10:42:51 PM) Andrew: Does this set well with you guys, any questions, feedback or ideas regarding content direction?

(10:42:57 PM) mrintech: neblio: :O

(10:44:07 PM) neeko: yes

(10:44:27 PM) ReneGlez: I think that's a great idea.

(10:44:46 PM) Andrew: Excellent!

(10:45:18 PM) Andrew: Alright, now on to the all important "quality" of content. Thus far quality has pretty much been hit or miss. The misses are overwhelmingly my fault, because it's my responsibility to provide direction and in the beginning I flat out didn't provide much.

(10:45:51 PM) Andrew: Recently I have invested a notable amount of time to provide authors with detailed information on the kinds of articles we're looking for, and what's expected quality wise. The material I'm talking about is in Help Central (http://www.itnewb.com/help/articles) and the Publishing Policy (http://www.itnewb.com/publication). If one of us also writes an article on writing that would really help toward letting everyone know where we stand on quality.

(10:46:27 PM) Andrew: In every article I think we need to look for excellent grammar, spelling, structure, graphic quality and so on. We don't want to publish articles that "get the job done", we want to publish articles that "hit home runs". You know, let's impress people and have them walk away from our work going "wow, that was a phenomenal article that really increased my knowledge and skill-set".

(10:46:55 PM) Andrew: To do this, we pretty much have to comb over every word, sentence, paragraph, header, list, link and graphic trying to make everything as perfect as possible. This is the kind of thing that will separate us from other sites. When people think of ITNewb, we want them to remember the exceptional work each of us do; we don't want them to remember poor structure, formatting, pixelated graphics and typos.

(10:47:27 PM) dumath: I feel like I'm in a college English class :P hehe but yes I agree very much

(10:47:33 PM) Andrew: Are we in agreement on the quality front, any questions, feedback or ideas?

(10:47:38 PM) mrintech: neblio: I completely agree with you

(10:47:40 PM) Andrew: dumath: heh :)

(10:47:47 PM) mrintech: dumath: LMAO

(10:49:23 PM) Andrew: Anything else on the quality front before I proceed?

(10:49:46 PM) mrintech: Proceed Dude

(10:50:27 PM) Andrew: Let's take a quick look at the review and critiquing process. While we do want articles to be as awesome as possible when they're first published, things have been setup to encourage and allow for post-publication improvements. So when a new article comes out, or even one that has already been archived, please look for ways of improving the article and let the author know. We can't be timid, we have to step up and in an honest but friendly way help each other improve and perfect articles.

(10:50:34 PM) dumath: we need a dedicated editor

(10:51:03 PM) Andrew: As both authors and feedback providers we cannot be easily offended. We have to rise above that stuff and focus on the bigger picture, which is providing solid material to the general Internet going public. Articles shouldn't be a one-man or one-woman operation, they're a community effort, carved and molded by many people, the fruits of which we can all appreciate having had a part in the final result.

(10:51:17 PM) Andrew: dumath: hrm, that's an interesting thought.

(10:51:31 PM) Andrew: As authors, we need to understand and accept what's expected and listen to the feedback people give us and act on it. As feedback providers, we need to really give authors respect as the driving force behind ITNewb as we point out issues with their work. Simply put, we need to be straight forward, friendly and patient during the review and critiquing process.

(10:51:32 PM) ReneGlez: YES dumath!

(10:52:04 PM) Andrew: Well technically the site is now setup to provide that option via moderators.

(10:52:24 PM) dumath: I'm a spelling and structure Nazi....

(10:52:39 PM) Andrew: I haven't started deputizing moderators, but any that have the appropriate priv can modify articles.

(10:53:04 PM) Andrew: neeko: I'd be especially interested to hear your thoughts on the idea?

(10:54:00 PM) Andrew: I'd have to really give that some thought, I can see where it could be a good thing and a bad thing.

(10:55:41 PM) Andrew: Hrm, he may have stepped out for a second.

(10:56:03 PM) Andrew: Any thoughts on the review and critiquing things I said above?

(10:56:34 PM) mrintech: No they are good

(10:57:10 PM) Andrew: Alright, the "editors" idea is noted, we can investigate that later on.

(10:57:28 PM) mrintech: neblio: Category Idea Also

(10:58:00 PM) Andrew: mrintech: That was added to the "go" list. I will add some kind of category setup.

(10:58:06 PM) Andrew: Thanks again for the idea :)

(10:58:17 PM) mrintech: okie dokie

(10:58:26 PM) Andrew: Our last order of business is the promotion and growth of ITNewb. Thus far, growth has been extremely slow and hard going. For those of you who have written articles, tweeted, facebooked, stumbled, invited friends and so on I give you my up-most thanks and appreciation.

(10:58:28 PM) ReneGlez: No problema!

(10:58:38 PM) neeko: I think that mods are a good idea, and we're going to need them for the coming wave of articles.

(10:59:00 PM) Andrew: neeko: there you are, and absolutely, good point.

(10:59:21 PM) Andrew: As a site owner, I'm really at your mercy to help me promote the site. Without the help of each of you, growing will prove very difficult. With your help though, I truly believe we can get the wheel turning and draw in thousands of new members in a relatively short period of time.

(11:00:00 PM) Andrew: So what has really prevented the site from growing thus far? I believe 1) it's the infrequency of new articles; 2) a lack of effort to recruit authors; 3) a largely uncoordinated use of sites like dzone, twitter, facebook, stumbleupon and so on; 4) a lack of using the invite friends feature (a few of you are the exception); and 5) often times when something new comes out there has been little response to it (lack of grading, comments etc).

(11:00:17 PM) Andrew: I'm speaking site-wide, as I know there are some of you who have really stepped up in an effort to help. I also understand there is only so much I can ask or expect, but I am hoping you guys really believe in the ITNewb cause and are willing to jump aboard and help with promotion.

(11:01:03 PM) Andrew: First and foremost, new articles pull in the most traffic. Sites like http://www.phpdeveloper.org/ have been helping us out by posting nearly all of our PHP articles, there are a few things happening on twitter such as your tweeting, linuxalive (http://twitter.com/linuxalive) and so on. So right now when we do publish, the initial traffic that comes in is greater than it has been in the past.

(11:01:30 PM) Andrew: So here are a few ideas that I have promotion wise.

(11:01:46 PM) dumath: I tell every person I meet that seems remotely interested in tech to join and participate

(11:02:00 PM) Andrew: dumath: excellent, thank you :)

(11:02:11 PM) Andrew: 1) I propose a Newb Initiative campaign on twitter and facebook. On a daily basis we tweet the following message, and at least once or twice on facebook (total, not daily):

(11:02:16 PM) Andrew: Calling all techs, geeks and writers! Help others learn about technology by participating in the Newb Initiative http://www.itnewb.com/tour

(11:02:37 PM) Andrew: 2) I propose on a daily basis we tweet / facebook at least 1 ITNewb article, until we've each shared every article.

(11:02:54 PM) mrintech: neblio: You might like to integrate a feature where an Author enters his/her AdSense Pub Id. This may encourage more users to write articles as they gets Money too. You can employ a 60-40 Ratio for Ad Display

(11:03:12 PM) Andrew: 3) I propose we submit all ITNewb articles to reddit, where each of us submits 1 article per day until they've all been added. When we add one, we should update our ITNewb status with a link so that everyone can vote up the article. We should use the linux, web design etc "reddits". Here is what I submitted the other day. Shortly thereafter linuxalive (http://twitter.com/linuxalive) tweeted one of the articles, and that's the kind of thing we need. http://www.reddit.com/domain/itnewb.com

(11:04:13 PM) Andrew: mrintech: I did investigate that, but while I can't recal the exact reasons I do believe there were a few issues that prevented me from being able to go that route.

(11:04:48 PM) Andrew: I will look into it again though, and get back to you on it. What do the rest of you think about Mrinmays idea?

(11:05:00 PM) Andrew: 4) I propose we each invite every tech friend we can think of via the Invite friends feature: http://www.itnewb.com/invite

(11:05:16 PM) Andrew: 5) Publish, publish, publish! If you can spare an hour, or a couple hours, please consider writing something. If you need topic ideas, I have hundreds ;)

(11:05:38 PM) Andrew: 6) When a new article is published, we ensure it a) gets submitted to sites like stumbleupon, digg, mixx, delicious, facebook, reddit and when applicable to dzone.com; b) we all comment and show some interest, because doing so helps on many fronts including promoting the site and enticing people to join us.

(11:05:54 PM) ReneGlez: I think we can use Twitter and Facebook but don't abuse it...

(11:05:55 PM) Andrew: I'm also going to give Adwords a try as mentioned earlier (traditional ad campaign), connect with techs on twitter and tell them about the site and try to recruit some new authors through various means.

(11:06:29 PM) mrintech: neblio: Have you registered your site under Dmoz?

(11:06:32 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: very good point. The last thing we want to do is smear our reputations or appear "spammy".

(11:06:54 PM) Andrew: Dmoz? I'm not even familiar with what that is.

(11:07:22 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: what do you think is a good level of twitter / facebook use? Is once a day too much?

(11:08:03 PM) neeko: gotta run, dinner

(11:08:07 PM) Andrew: k

(11:08:08 PM) neeko: cheers andy!

(11:08:12 PM) Andrew: Cheers!

(11:08:53 PM) Andrew: Ah, open directory project lol...

(11:09:19 PM) Andrew: mrintech: I'll look into that, it could very likely help us :)

(11:09:33 PM) mrintech: Open Directory Project, Just Like Google Directory/Yahoo Directory: http://www.dmoz.org I am talking with respect to SEO. Yahoo! Directory inclusion will cost $250 per year. Google is great in terms of this as there;s no money needed. You might like the idea of including your website under Dmoz :)

(11:09:49 PM) Andrew: k

(11:09:57 PM) ReneGlez: Well, depends... once a day when you have 450 followers is ok.... but not if you have only 20

(11:10:52 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: good point. The number was a bad idea on my part, it should be at the discretion of each of you as to what is appropriate and what you feel comfortable doing.

(11:11:54 PM) Andrew: How about the reddit submission, are you guys up for that?

(11:12:11 PM) ReneGlez: yep.

(11:12:18 PM) Andrew: Awesome, thanks Rene :)

(11:12:24 PM) mrintech: ok

(11:12:37 PM) Andrew: Excellent!

(11:12:49 PM) Andrew: Any other ideas?

(11:12:57 PM) Andrew: Contact a tech magazine, anything like that?

(11:13:40 PM) Andrew: And you know, I may be going about this all the wrong way. So any ideas you have, even if a bit wild, please share!

(11:13:51 PM) mrintech: AdWords will do the advertising part I think

(11:14:00 PM) ReneGlez: I will send an email to everyone of my classmates tomorrow...about 40 people.

(11:14:32 PM) Andrew: ReneGlez: I can't express how much I would appreciate that Rene!

(11:14:48 PM) mrintech: ReneGlez: Great Effort

(11:14:52 PM) Andrew: mrintech: It should do well, but even a $1,000 on adwords only goes so far.

(11:15:01 PM) Andrew: Definitely, which reminds me of something.

(11:21:50 PM) Andrew: Alright, well it's pretty much a free for all now.