[WelMac] WelMac.org.nz a bit non-existent. Where to from here for the forums?

[Jo Booth]

Hi there,

Some of you that daily visit the WelMac website for updates may have  
noticed it's a little non-existent today.

Never fear, http://web.welmac.org.nz works.

Sadly this morning a script-kiddie ran a script against our forums  
and defaced them.  Our website host, iServe, kindly disconnected the  
website - welmac.org.nz - but not the forums.
It looked like this: <http://www.zone-h.org/index2.php? 
option=com_mirrorwrp&Itemid=43&id=4376605> in case you didn't catch it.

I've fixed the forums - not haven't got the website back to  
welmac.org.nz, yet - maybe Monday when iServe is answering emails.

For a while now i've been considering taking the forums offline - as  
we get more and more spam, and they don't get as much use these  
days.  If you are after a forum experience, then I would suggest  
http://nzmac.com  -- I have been discussing this with Phil Roy of  
NZMac.com, and he is happy to have us - and so generally the  
"General" section of the forums will be re-directed to nzmac.com.  I  
may be able to migrate user accounts over.
<http://web.welmac.org.nz/forums/index.php?c=2>

The MovieFest section <http://MovieFest.org.nz/forums> is seeing  
higher levels of activity at the moment, so we'll continue to keep  
them going for now.  MovieFest however will shift entirely off the  
welmac domain in due course.

The User Groups section will be replaced initially by this discussion  
list -- but I anticipate finding a collaboration tool that will help  
for support and topic related discussion, as they haven't had a lot  
of use by members.
<http://web.welmac.org.nz/forums/index.php?c=3>

There are several sections:

* Announcements
Notices, upcoming meetings and other events
Generally our announcements email list (integrated with the  
membership database) is your primary source for announcements.  You  
can specify if you wish to receive announcements when you join/renew  
your welmac membership -- or at anytime via the join form -- http:// 
web.welmac.org.nz/join or by contacting us - <http:// 
web.welmac.org.nz/emailform?To=join>

* General
General mac related discussion.

As mentioned -- http://nzmac.com should be your source for general  
mac discussion - or this email list
<http://www.nzmac.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,192/>


* Chat
Unmoderated chat. Anything not "General" mac stuff.

I'd use this discussions list.  I can turn on features like topic  
filtering so you can choose to receive some posts and not others...   
Generally NZMac.com frowns upon, and actively culls things that ain't  
Mac, in my experience.

* Marketplace
Mac related - buy, sell and exchange

This list - but also the buy and sell forums on nzmac.com:
<http://www.nzmac.com/component/option,com_smf/Itemid,192/board,5.0>


* Troubleshooting
Mac related problem solving, questions and answers

THe Mac HelpDesk is run monthly - and if you need help urgently - you  
can iChat one of the committee, or pull out your contact list, and  
give someone a call.
I think also people on this discussions list are quite happy to help.


* Mac News
Nifty Mac News...

With the advent of RSS feeds and built-in support in Safari - this  
isn't really needed.  We do have a newsfeed aggregator at
<http://web.welmac.org.nz/newsfeeds> if you don't use RSS, or prefer  
us to do the owkr for you.  Saying that - the news feeder needs  
someone to keep if pumped with suitable feeds... I set it up about 3  
years ago.. and haven't really touched it since! ;)


So yeah,

I'd love to get some discussion going about what WelMac should be  
doing to make a Wellington Mac Community - a buzzing one. I for one,  
love my life as a Mac user, and would love to share more of it with  
other like minded mac users.



Cheers,

Hope you read this far..

Your WebMaster/VP/ fellow geek
Jo 'Mangee' Booth
+64 (0)21 526684
http://mangee.net.nz
AIM: OSXx86