Re: A2Central News

["Stavros Karatsoridis" <skaratso@gmail.com>]

Allow me to step into the fray here and add my voice, as someone who
has been absent from csa2 for a long time. Between 1999 and now, I've
been a lurker, watching from the sidelines, and looking into csa2 from
time to time. I joined Syndicomm in 2002, but never really got involved
with the A2Central chats until late 2005, and that was mostly because I
planned on attending KFest and I wanted to get to know some of the
people who I knew went there regularly before I went.

I was, thankfully, absent for the last Quantum Cat/Dr. Tom "war" or
whatever you want to call it. Quantum Cat, IIRC, appeared around
1998/1999 and he (as well as medical school) drove me away from csa2.
If QC was someone a Syndicomm member, I never knew it (and he certainly
was never discussed at KFest... at least not this year), and I doubt
he/she would ever tell anyway, and I have no interest in asking. If QC
is gone, then let's hope he doesn't come back.

There were four new people at KFest 2006, including myself. Out of
those four, I believe I was the only Syndicomm member. I don't think
you can really include me among the "Syndicommunists," (as you so
nicely put it) because I've only really been active in their chats for
about 8 months. The other three apparently came from here or other
parts of the Apple II world separate from either A2Central or csa2.

At KFest 2006 we talked at length about how we could unify this
"divide," part of which was created by the fact that you had to
register with Syndicomm and pay money to gain access (sort of like an
exclusive club). The handing over of A2Central to Sean Fahey (who,
AFAICT has no relationship to Syndicomm other than as a subscriber) is
the first part of those efforts.

Soon, we (and I don't mean just former Syndicomm) will have free chats
that nobody will have to pay to gain access to. I imagine it will be an
IRC channel, which is something I know has been discussed here on csa2
many times.

The people who used to be members of Syndicomm's online service are
extending an olive branch to the people of csa2. They are doing it with
no hidden agenda. I suggest that people please reserve judgement until
they get a chance to see the final product.

Now, I have a few ideas:

Carbide suggested that csa2 and related newsgroups serve a good purpose
as a "message board system." Sean has said that he wants to set up a
news feed containing those groups, accessible from A2Central. Why
should he have to set up separate message boards at all. Why can't csa2
be the "message board" system for A2Central? A2Central is completely
divorcing from Syndicomm, which will just become another Apple II
vendor. If we really want to have a unified forum, let's both make some
compromises and be mutually willing to set aside any bad feelings we
have toward one another and move forward together.

So, I propose that A2Central not have much in the way of "separate"
message boards, and use csa2 for some of that, and then the chats are
open to anyone who wants to come (no more pay to play). I'm looking
forward to getting to know more of you. I'd also like to see more new
people come to KFest. Hopefully Syndicomm will be seen as "just another
sponsor" and not as "and elite club" and KFest will become what it once
was (and always has been, IMO): an annual gathering open to ALL Apple
II users.

Stavros
(sorry for the long post)