[HCoop-Discuss] How do You Think We're Doing?

[Clinton Ebadi]

Lauren McNees <lauren at hcoop.net> writes:

> Clinton and other hcoopers,
>
> Thanks for this e-mail, I think its a good idea for members to discuss this. I
> don't mean to be critical with any of my comments below, just constructive.
> Overall I'm very happy with hcoop's services and its definitely a bargain for
> the amount I pay for the service I receive.
>
> I joined hcoop in 2007 and had a lot of trouble with the email service and
> subsequently moved my email hosting to google in 2008 and now only use hcoop
> for website hosting. I can comment on the problems I had with hcoop's email
> service if you want, but its so long ago now that perhaps the issues have been
> resolved and my comments would no longer be relevant. However, based upon the
> experience I had, I have not recommended hcoop to anyone as an email host.

2008 is around the time when deleuze was overutilized to the point of
becoming unreliable--now that we have the openafs file server on another
machine mail delivery and IMAP are performing much better.

If anyone still has issues with reliable mail delivery or access I'd
like to hear about it--there /might/ be issues with the way exim writes
messages into afs that have never affected me.

> I am happy with the wordpress hosting for my website(s) and would recommend
> this service to other users who have enough technical knowledge to do something
> like install a wordpress site. I have had a few minor issues like domtool
> taking hours to run but the admins were great about helping me very quickly.
>
> If we wanted to make hcoop's services a little more accessible to very
> non-technical people, I wonder if we could offer wordpress- or other CMS/
> blog-installation as a one-time service for a one-time additional fee. Perhaps
> something like this would allow us to outreach to potential members who would
> otherwise be deterred by the idea of installing a CMS/blog themselves.

I think something like this could be mostly automated and provided as a
program on hcoop similar to `moinmoin-install'.

I can see a few improvements to `moinmoin-install' that would make it
much easier to use--the default wikiconfig.py should *not* require
manual intervention for a simple dedicated vhost option, and it should
at least display the recommended domtool configuration after finishing.

A `wordpress-install' script could work similarly.

I'm not really comfortable with the idea of charging new members a fee
for doing such things for them--if we at least write installation
scripts for common web applications I think any member who can't figure
it out on their own should be able to email hcoop-help and have an admin
assist without overburdening anyone (in theory with the hypothetical
`wordpress-install' it shouldn't take more than a few minutes
anyway!). Either that, or we could add a new portal support request
category.

> I think the wiki needs more content and some updating to the existing content.

I've created a CategoryNeedsWork on the wiki--if anyone sees a page they
think is in need of editing please place it into CategoryNeedsWork so
that we can have a central list of pages that should be looked over. Of
course, don't let this stop anyone from going ahead and improving the
page directly ;).

> As far as recruiting new members, I think we need a more visually appealing
> website to make us look a little more up-to-date and active to potential new
> members. I am willing/interested in helping on this if others think its a good
> idea.

If you'd like to work on a better design for the hcoop.org please
do. It's one of those things that would be really nice to
have--hcoop.org is pretty ugly as it is, but that I at least am utterly
incapable of.

If you want to do something about the design just let me know what you
need! A good starting place is
/afs/hcoop.net/user/h/hc/hcoop/public_html/.

-- 
Mike: I WAS NOT MICROWAVED.
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