This letter was emailed to all online members on
12/18/01
Dear Friends-
Zazzoom is experiencing some technical difficulties at this time but should
be fully restored within 24 hours. It seems that I let my domain name
registration expire and the notices telling me about it were sent to my old
ix.netcom.com address which no longer exists. My arguments with Bluehill
Communications (that their computer should have recognized that the emails had
been returned as undeliverable and there should have been a Plan B built into
their automated system to notify me before shutting me down) fell on
sympathetic, albeit deaf, ears. The name registration has now been
renewed and the restoration process is underway.
This seems an opportune time to unveil a new
program for those of you who appreciate our online network. If you don't
have the time to read the lengthy explanation that follows you may cut to the
chase and see the plan outlined at the end. If you have the time,
please read on.
When starting this project about a year
and a half ago I never in my wildest dreams expected to get as far as it has.
As time went on, the association took shape and started growing to where we
currently have 170 members. More than 100 of these have personal web
pages, almost two thirds of which contain recent photos along with their
demographic data. The web site has grown to about 500 pages with about 300
currently active. There are also more than 4000 pictures and over 21,000
links, all of which occupy about 100 megs of disk space on the server.
Now I realize that this is all Greek to most of you, but I
spouted off those numbers to give you some inkling as to the enormity of this
monster known as zazzoom.com. The good news is that we now have 170
members; the other side of that coin is that there are still over five hundred
more to be found.
It's difficult for me to be objective in calculating the
value of our web in the overall reunion scheme. Personally, I do not
think our plans would have gotten very far off the ground without it. I
base this partly on the many emails I receive from graduates of other Lane
classes expressing the wish for such an arrangement for their classes, and even
asking what it would take for me to build them a web like ours. I, of
course, convey my regrets that I couldn't possibly find time to help them and
suggest that they look among their own classmates for a volunteer to take it on.
They probably won’t find anyone, given the degree of commitment called for.
A conservative estimate of the time spent on building and
maintaining our web averages out to about two hours per page. Not counting
the experimental and obsolete pages, there are currently upwards of 300 active
pages directly related to our association. At $30 an hour (my discounted
rate offered only to my closest friends for web services) The web would cost in
the neighborhood of $18,000. If this cost were shared equally by the 180
members our association will probably have by the end of the year, it would come
to $100 per person. Notice, that doesn't include all the other personal
attention, emailing, phone calling, recruiting, etc., which I consider my fair
share in this overall joint labor of love.
At the risk of coming across like an extortionist I have to
tell you that, after much soul searching, I’ve decided I can’t keep this
thing up without some monetary assistance. By way of comparison,
Classmates.com, an excellent web that doesn’t come close to offering what we
have here, found that it could not function without dues paying members.
You are free to browse their web now, but if you want to contact anyone you must
be registered with them for the annual fee of $29.95.
I know when I invited you to join our group I said it was a
freebie. Well it still is. There won’t be a fee charged for
anything here. But just as the Public Broadcasting System relies on
donations from subscribers, this web will now be extending to you all an
opportunity to show your appreciation in a monetary way. I in turn will
show my appreciation for your support with appropriate additional favors.
I am a firm believer that friends are people who do things for each other.
I’ve given this a great deal of thought and have decided to
break it down into three categories as follows:
$25 Pledge– Bronze Booster
Your free gift: Link your bio page to a
picture story of your life (or that of one other family member) to share with
friends and relatives anywhere in the world. Send up to ten snap shots
(with S.A.S.E if you want them returned).
$50 Pledge–Silver Booster
Your free gift: Your bio
page will be linked to your own family album section (up to ten pictures each of
3 family members, or any combination of 30 pictures spread over three pages.)
$100 Pledge–Gold Booster
Your free gift: You Golden Goody Givers will
receive all the special V.I.P treatment I can conjure up, including a link from
your bio page to your own web. Just tell me what you want and how you want
it. Your bio page will become a frames page, with up to ten other pages
opening in the main frame. (email for details)
Whether we call you sponsors, boosters, or subscribers what
we need are supporters.
So there you have it. I sincerely hope that no one will
be offended by this request. I just see no way of continuing without some
sort of tangible support. Understand that this is a strictly voluntary
arrangement. Those of you who cannot afford to contribute are still free
to use and enjoy our web as always.
Please make your check payable to me and
mail it to my address as it
appears in the directory. A portion of all donations received will be
shared with the snail mail committee to help with the tremendous job of
keeping our electronically handicapped members connected and in tune with
all that is happening here. This message will be shared with them so they,
too, will have an opportunity to show their appreciation in a meaningful
way.
Thank you for your time, your love, and your support.
Warren Dickman, Webmaster
zazzoom.com