Thanks to the amazing work of Bill St. Clair and He Who Fakes It Well, along with the extraordinary tech support at HawkHost, the new member site should be ready for beta testing by Friday.
I’ve just invited 10 people to participate (including feralfae and A.G., who volunteered in an earlier comment section). My aim was to choose readers of a variety of backgrounds, interests, and experiences, of both sexes, and ages from youngish to … not-so-youngish. Techies and absolute non-techies alike. But now I’d like to have at least five more volunteers “from the audience.”
The only criteria are that you have to have donated at least $20 to the current fundraiser (ending Wednesday, BTW) and you’re willing to get in and spend at least an hour or two (preferably more) kicking the tires and taking the new site for a test drive. Then use the temporary boards on the forum to report what you like, what’s not working, and what you want to see on the site as it grows.
Because the main feature of the site is a forum, where you’ll be able to talk with 20 or so others, including fellow beta testers, tech guys, and me, it should be fun more than work.
I’ll put you on The List (the good list, not the naughty list) and on Thursday or Friday will send codes to give you access.
Speak up if you want to be an Official Beta Tester.
UPDATE: Not to be sexist, but we need some women here, folks. So guys, I appreciate you volunteering and you who have are all on the list. But now I’d like to hear from two or three persons of the female persuasion (in addition to the three I invited), and then we’ll call the beta-testing crew complete.
I would be happy to help.
As an “absolute non-techie,” I volunteer.
Thanks, Fred, I’ll put you on the list.
Pat, check your email. You’re already invited.
Nothing is in my email, neither Thunderbird nor StartMail.
No matter, Pat. You’re on the list.
What the – ahem – heck. I’d be more than happy to try if you think it would be helpful.
Okay, Shel — You’re on. Thanks for volunteering.
I’m in.
I’ll [shudder] volunteer. Don’t tell any of my Army buddies.
I Edit. Expect nit-picking of your text.
Oops, just checked email. Okay.
Thanks, jed. You’re on The List.
LarryA — I won’t tell a soul. And nit-picking in this case is good.
Claire, I’d be glad to help. I’m no techie, but I do have a lot of experience as an administrator of forums.
Ok, I went to make the donation and realized that even a credit card goes through PayPal. I despise them and won’t have anything to do with them, so will send it in snail mail. Won’t get there by tomorrow, but it will get there. 🙂
ML — Emailing you.
I’m happy to volunteer as well, Claire… 😉
If you need more…add me to the list.
Thank you very much, Mark and Bibamufu. But we are pretty much filled up on beta testers now — except for needing a couple more women to give their $.02. Want to hear from the ladies now. Or they don’t even have to be ladies; just females. 🙂