***  Haus der Kulturen der Welt: Forum1 Archive  ***
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
   [Date]: Fri, 01 Oct 1999 11:51:17 +0200
   [From]: Gerhard Haupt <haupt@uinic.de>
     [To]: "forum1@hkw.kbx.de" <forum1@hkw.kbx.de>
[Subject]: Proposal - link list


Hello everybody,

In relation to the comments and indications that came in yesterday, I
would like to add some information and make a concrete proposal:

Ami Isseroff and others pointed out the importance of effective
web-marketing, not only for commercial sites but for independent
cultural websites as well. How essential this is in fact, is proofed for
instance in the study by Steve Lawrence and C. Lee Giles (NEC Research
Institute) "Accessibility and Distribution of Information on the Web",
published on July 8th 1999 in the magazine "Nature". The analysis
estimates the publicly indexable Web at 800 million pages. But the
estimated coverage combining the results of the 11 largest search
engines is just 42%. The new search engine FAST Search
[http://www.alltheweb.com/] was not taken into account, though.
According to the people who run it, it is supposed to have already
indexed 200 million pages and should cover the whole web in about a year
(!!???).

In any case the web is growing to reach such gigantic dimensions, that
an efficient search, even with the best engines (e.g. a new generation
of Meta-search engines) will become extremely difficult. The conclusion
is, that manually compiled and edited web-catalogs on particular fields
will gain more and more importance. Of course these can only be
produced, maintained and promoted with immense efforts.

I agree with the proposals made yesterday by Raul Ferrera-Balanquet and
Heidi J. Figueroa Sarriera and similar ideas before, that we should use
the frame of this forum to take steps towards reaching concrete results.
After all, there is a huge amount of knowledge, information behind our
more than 350 members, that could be brought together in some way. What
do you think if we take up Raul and Heidi's idea and try to build a
special page of recommended links, beside further postings to the debate
of course?

Perhaps some of you have not realized yet, that there is a link list
already on our Forum's Website
http://www.hkw.de/forum/forum1/links/e-link1.html
In preparation to the forum I have compiled links to basic information,
websites and texts in relation to its thematic context.

In the case of this new idea, it could be a collection of links, in
which every one of us contributes with suggestions, we complement on a
continuous exchange and organize based on an as logical structure as
possible. I think it would be fair, if the result of this collective
work is made then equally available for everyone who took actively part
in it. With this, I mean that the list could be taken over and built
into the own website. This would also contribute to disseminate the
information it contains.

Here some first thoughts regarding a feasible procedure, please tell me
what you think:

"Members' Favorite Links" (any idea of a better name???)
-------------------------

* Suggestions will be sent directly to the moderator's email-address:
haupt@uinic.de

* Each suggestion should have:
- title of the website and URL
- short description of the content of the site, max. 50 words (in
English)
- name and email-address of the member who recommends the link
- proposal of a category for the link

* First, the links will be collected until the end of October and
published on a continuous basis on the Forum's website ordered by date.
There will be an explicit comment on the idea of having this list. In
the first days of November, Gerhard Haupt will build the structured web
pages of the different categories and publish them immediately. He will
update the "Members' Favorite Links" until December.

* The access to this link list will be via the "Links" and
"Documentation" sections of the Forum's website.

* Each member of the forum will have the right to copy the list and
publish it on her/his own website as a "partner site".

I would like to emphasize again, that these link suggestions of course
do not replace the project presentations and discussions within the
forum itself, as well as the exchange of practical experiences.

Some words about the limited schedule of this forum. I am very pleased
to read, that the contributions are followed with attention also by the
until now "silent majority" - but of course if nobody writes anything
there will be nothing to read. Just in the last weeks it was pretty
calm. I think, if this Forum is really actively used for exchange and
reciprocal information during the next 2 months, a way could be found
indeed, to continue it in this or in another form.

Best regards,
Gerhard Haupt