Proposed Action Plan: Request For Contributions

[Cindy C.]

Hey,

I've been thinking about how we might get list members to nominate
Fantastic Posts to us.  Here's what I'd recommend . . . 

I think our goal should be to make nominating a post very easy and to
encourage members to believe that we will appreciate and acknowledge
their contribution.

First, I would ask MEG to add a sentence to the Main List Home Page
asking that members nominate FPs, perhaps after the links to the VFAQ
and OoP VFAQs.  We would ask that members click on the link and send
us the message number.  As I said earlier, I think our current process
is too labor-intensive and difficult for list members to execute, and
putting a prominent link on the Main List Home Page would help quite a
lot with this.

Second, I guess we could also make a brief pitch in the footer for all
main list posts, again including a link.  The pitch could be "Is this
a Fantastic Post?  Let us know where to find it at: [link]."  FWIW, I
can't see what the current main list footer says (why is that?), but
perhaps MEG could be coaxed to feature our request prominently?

Third, I'd delete the database (which currently has no entries) and
rely on the other FAQ list instead.  I'd send out the following ADMIN
(the original ADMIN is copied below for reference), and I'd try to
keep it as short and snappy as possible:

**********************

Greetings from the "Fantastic Posts And Where To Find Them" Team!

You remember the "Fantastic Posts," don't you?  Sure you do!

http://www.hpfgu.org.uk/faq/

For months, we've been sharpening our quills and shuffling our
parchment, preparing to crank out *lots* of sparkling, brand-new
essays.  You know, all your favorites -- Harry.  Aurors.  Thestrals. 
And best of all, *Snape's BVDs!*

And then we kind of noticed something.

We, erm, need Fantastic Posts.  Lots of them.

That's where you come in.  If you see a post or a thread you think is
pretty darn good, please take a moment to let us know.  Just send the
message number to [link].  That link is now on the home page of this
list and in the footer of every single post -- that's how much we want
to hear from you!

What's that you say?

<leans over and listens carefully>

"What's in it for *YOU?*" you ask?

*Plenty!*  If you nominate a post, it will not fall through a veil
into the Great Beyond.  Oh, no.  No, you will receive a prompt
acknowledgement and expression of appreciation from a Fantastic Post
team member.  Submit two message numbers and we will stroke you. 
Submit three or more and we will slobber all over you.  You get the
idea.  

So keep an eye out for those Fantastic Posts and tell us Where To Find
Them, OK?

Cindy,
For The Fantastic Posts "Owls"
http://www.hpfgu.org.uk/faq/fpowls.html


***************

Thoughts?  Comments?  Suggestions?  Edits?  MEG?

Cindy

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

[Original ADMIN]

Dear HPfGU Members,

Hello from the FAQ team! We're in charge of writing the Fantastic
Posts essays, which can be found at

http://www.hpfgu.org.uk/faq/

These essays collect posts on a variety of different subjects,
ranging from The Weasley Family to Justice in the Wizarding World.
They also provide summaries of important and popular theories
such as LOLLIPOPS or George. The Fantastic Posts are a great
asset to group members old and new, providing a coherent
perspective on the ideas that came before us. They also allow us
to save from Yahoo! oblivion those posts which are truly
remarkable and worth remembering.

We on the FAQ team are eager to get to work on updating the old
FPs and writing new ones in the wake of OOP, but we'd like you
all to help us. Have you read a post recently that really made you
think? A well-written post, that offered a new perspective or
submitted a new thoery? In short, have you read a Fantastic Post
recently? If you have, we'd like to hear about it.

Before you get going, a few words on what makes a post Fantastic.
You might want to check out some of the posts referenced in the old
FPs to get an idea of the kind of quality we're looking for. Also,
bear in mind that a a Fantastic Post should:

1. Be well written and coherent
2. Present new ideas or offer a good overview of old ones
3. Have good formatting - good grammar and spelling, capitalization
and punctuation where appropriate, more then one paragraph, etc.

There are three simple ways to let us know about a Fantastic Post:

1. We've opened the FAQ archive group to posting by the general
public. You can e-mail us at

Fantastic_Posts at yahoogroups.com

Please use the following template when sending us a
recommendation e-mail

Fantastic Post number:
Author of Fantastic Post:
Topic of Fantastic Post:
Date of Fantastic Post:

Not all fields have to be filled, but we *must* have the message
number - finding a message in any other way is all but impossible.

2. You can also reach the archive group homepage the same way
you might go to the HPfGU homepage and post a message from
there. The URL is

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Fantastic_Posts/

Simply use the 'Post' link on the sidebar. Again, use the
template above, and be sure to include the message number.

Please note that you do not have to join the group in order
to post. In fact, in order to keep the archives list manageable and
nominations confidential, we are limiting membership to the
Fantastic Posts team.

3. A database has been created on the HPfGU homepage. To get
there, simply go to the homepage and click on the 'Database' link
in the sidebar on the left-hand side of the screen. Scroll down the
list until you find a database entitled 'Fantastic Posts'. Click on the
title and you will be transferred to the database page. From there
you can simply click on the 'add record' link at the top of the table
to make your suggestion. You don't need to fill out all the fields,
but you must include a message number.

Important note: please do *not* forward a message to the archive
group. A forwarded message will not contain a message number,
and that will make it impossible for us to locate it.

Finally, any post you send is only a suggestion. If you look at the
old Fantastic Posts you might notice how few messages they actually
reference. This isn't because these are the only good messages in
over 70,000 posts, but because if we were to include all the fantastic
posts ever made to the group we would drown, and the very purpose
of the FPs is to provide brief and concise overviews of ideas on the list.
We can't promise to use every post you send us, but we do promise
to read and consider every one with all due gravity, no matter who the
author is.

Wishing you happy hunting,

Abigail
For the FAQ team