Back to the main page

Mailing List Logs for ShadowRN

Message no. 1
From: cmdjackryan@**********.com (Phillip Gawlowski)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:10:39 +0200
(inspired by "Shadowrun Magazines"[0])


*Summary*

A semi-regular newsletter (in various formats, if possible), which
provides strictly *in game* news. From sports, to obituaries, the
weather and foreign politics to advertisement and stock quotes, the
coverage should be as through as it can be.


*What's needed*

- Webspace (Jérémie Bouillon and Derek Hyde already volunteered for
this. Kudos, chummers!)

- The publishing tools. I volunteer myself to do that.

- Graphic artists for web layout, "print layout", and / or newsletter
content.

- Editors. The more people are willing to contribute, the better.

- A name. If FanPro would be kind to provide this project with some
"meta"-credibility, that'd be great.

- "Groupware". Anything that helps us to orchestrate the effort would be
great. Mailing lists, a wiki (I could create one at wikidot.com, who
provide a really nice and easy to use wiki), whatever..


*What we can do*

This is more a "What Phillip can do", but that sounds silly as a heading :P

It is relatively trivial to write a Ruby[1] script that combs through a
directory, and outputs a list of links. Likewise it is easy to have a
Ruby script create HTML pages[2] out of a wiki-like syntax[3]

Likewise, a script to generate weather and stock quotes would be easy,
too, even giving different factors a different weight, and alternate
from the last stock quote in a realistic-ish manner.


*Contribute*

Everybody can contribute, so shoot me an email (off list, if you prefer).



Thanks for reading all of this, and thinking about it.


Bibliography:
[0]
http://lists.dumpshock.com/pipermail/shadowrn/Week-of-Mon-20070402/073957.html
[1] http://www.ruby-lang.org/
[2] http://rassmalog.rubyforge.org/output/index.html
[3] http://whytheluckystiff.net/ruby/redcloth/

--
Phillip "CynicalRyan" Gawlowski
http://cynicalryan.110mb.com/

Rule of Open-Source Programming #6:

The user is always right unless proven otherwise by the developer.
Message no. 2
From: bulletraven@***********.com (Peter Mellett)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2007 14:39:41 +0100
Phillip Gawlowski wrote:
> (inspired by "Shadowrun Magazines"[0])
>
>
> *Summary*
>
> A semi-regular newsletter (in various formats, if possible), which
> provides strictly *in game* news. From sports, to obituaries, the
> weather and foreign politics to advertisement and stock quotes, the
> coverage should be as through as it can be.
>
>
> *What's needed*
>
> - Webspace (Jérémie Bouillon and Derek Hyde already volunteered for
> this. Kudos, chummers!)
>
> - The publishing tools. I volunteer myself to do that.
>
> - Graphic artists for web layout, "print layout", and / or newsletter
> content.
>
> - Editors. The more people are willing to contribute, the better.
>
> - A name. If FanPro would be kind to provide this project with some
> "meta"-credibility, that'd be great.
>
> - "Groupware". Anything that helps us to orchestrate the effort would
> be great. Mailing lists, a wiki (I could create one at wikidot.com,
> who provide a really nice and easy to use wiki), whatever..
>
>
> *What we can do*
>
> This is more a "What Phillip can do", but that sounds silly as a
> heading :P
>
> It is relatively trivial to write a Ruby[1] script that combs through
> a directory, and outputs a list of links. Likewise it is easy to have
> a Ruby script create HTML pages[2] out of a wiki-like syntax[3]
>
> Likewise, a script to generate weather and stock quotes would be easy,
> too, even giving different factors a different weight, and alternate
> from the last stock quote in a realistic-ish manner.
>
>
> *Contribute*
>
> Everybody can contribute, so shoot me an email (off list, if you prefer).
>
>
>
> Thanks for reading all of this, and thinking about it.
>
>
> Bibliography:
> [0]
> http://lists.dumpshock.com/pipermail/shadowrn/Week-of-Mon-20070402/073957.html
>
> [1] http://www.ruby-lang.org/
> [2] http://rassmalog.rubyforge.org/output/index.html
> [3] http://whytheluckystiff.net/ruby/redcloth/
>
I am unfamiliar with Ruby but am familiar with PHP/MySQL so if there's
an opening on that front, then I'm all for it!
Message no. 3
From: derek@***************.com (Derek Hyde)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2007 09:36:02 -0500
> - "Groupware". Anything that helps us to orchestrate the effort would be
> great. Mailing lists, a wiki (I could create one at wikidot.com, who
> provide a really nice and easy to use wiki), whatever..
>

I can drop a wiki onto space as well, or a wordpress installation into the
aforementioned webspace if you'd like, and can provide a mailing list as
well.
Message no. 4
From: cmdjackryan@**********.com (Phillip Gawlowski)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2007 16:53:14 +0200
Derek Hyde wrote:

>
> I can drop a wiki onto space as well, or a wordpress installation into the
> aforementioned webspace if you'd like, and can provide a mailing list as
> well.

Awesome! Although I'd prefer LifeType[0] or Textpattern[1], with
Textpattern being a favorite (it has more CMSish features, and,
possibly, can be templated later as publishing tool for the "newsletter").

As a wiki engine, I'd prefer TikiWiki[2], but it is hungry concerning
server resources, but is relatively easy to administrate and configure,
can double as groupware, and could be used as "final" publishing tool,
too.

Yet Another Option would be Joomla! with loads of plugins.
Unfortunately, it isn't that good in the groupware department (lacking
extensions).

(And the PHP based solutions had the bonus of being expandable by Petter
Mellet ;)

Bibliography:
[0] http://www.lifetype.net/
[1] http://textpattern.com/
[2] http://www.tikiwiki.org/

--
Phillip "CynicalRyan" Gawlowski
http://cynicalryan.110mb.com/

Rule of Open-Source Programming #7:

Release early, release often. Clean compilation is optional.
Message no. 5
From: derek@***************.com (Derek Hyde)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 00:33:00 -0500
> Awesome! Although I'd prefer LifeType[0] or Textpattern[1], with
> Textpattern being a favorite (it has more CMSish features, and,
> possibly, can be templated later as publishing tool for the "newsletter").
>
> As a wiki engine, I'd prefer TikiWiki[2], but it is hungry concerning
> server resources, but is relatively easy to administrate and configure,
> can double as groupware, and could be used as "final" publishing tool,
> too.
>
> Yet Another Option would be Joomla! with loads of plugins.
> Unfortunately, it isn't that good in the groupware department (lacking
> extensions).
>
> (And the PHP based solutions had the bonus of being expandable by Petter
> Mellet ;)

I'm willing to install whatever is requested, just let me know which domain
you'd like it to sit behind (gamers-nest.net or shadowrungamers.com) though
neither one shows up to any search engines.....GN is going to be enabled
but, until I get to the point where I wipe out the original
shaodwrungamers.com site and get some assistance (and interest) in putting
together a new version, it'll stay setup to refuse webspiders as well as
being on the "no search engine listings" list if I can help it.
Message no. 6
From: mattness@**.pl (MATT)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:02:00 +0200
Phillip Gawlowski <cmdjackryan@**********.com> wrote:
>Yet Another Option would be Joomla! with loads of plugins.

Our site is using joomla - and I don't like it. According to my friendly computer geek -
drupal is much better CMS than mambo/joomla.

MATT mattness@**.pl http://shadowrun.rpg.pl
Message no. 7
From: cmdjackryan@**********.com (Phillip Gawlowski)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 15:27:07 +0200
MATT wrote:
> Phillip Gawlowski <cmdjackryan@**********.com> wrote:
>> Yet Another Option would be Joomla! with loads of plugins.
>
> Our site is using joomla - and I don't like it. According to my friendly computer
geek - drupal is much better CMS than mambo/joomla.

Depends. Joomla! is a lot easier to administrate, as it isn't as
technical as Drupal (I have a test install of Drupal on my system), and
a lot easier to grasp and modify. Just take a look at
extensions.joomla.org, for example.

In any case, the choice in this category of CMSes is more a choice of
taste, than anything else.

I'm using Joomla! a lot, and it doesn't produce any headaches concerning
security, except when your PHP setup is *insecure*.

YMMV, and it is always a good idea to test drive such a thing, before
you use it in a production sense.

(a must-have component for Joomla! is myContent. Makes content creation
*much* easier)
--
Phillip "CynicalRyan" Gawlowski
http://cynicalryan.110mb.com/

Rule of Open-Source Programming #5:

A project is never finished.
Message no. 8
From: derek@***************.com (Derek Hyde)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 08:57:55 -0500
> Our site is using joomla - and I don't like it. According to my friendly
> computer geek - drupal is much better CMS than mambo/joomla.
>
As CMS's go I don't care which one, but forum systems....SMF unless
someone's buying a license for one of the pay to use forum sets, I don't
like any of the other forum systems at all....
Message no. 9
From: cmdjackryan@**********.com (Phillip Gawlowski)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 16:19:58 +0200
Derek Hyde wrote:
>> Our site is using joomla - and I don't like it. According to my friendly
>> computer geek - drupal is much better CMS than mambo/joomla.
>>
> As CMS's go I don't care which one, but forum systems....SMF unless
> someone's buying a license for one of the pay to use forum sets, I don't
> like any of the other forum systems at all....

SMF is a personal favorite of mine, but I don't think that a Forum will
be necessary, if we can work with either a mailing list or a wiki (I'll
dig into Drupal, concerning access rights. It *can* be used as a wiki,
too, which is a bonus).

--
Phillip "CynicalRyan" Gawlowski
http://cynicalryan.110mb.com/

Rule of Open-Source Programming #6:

The user is always right unless proven otherwise by the developer.
Message no. 10
From: n.kobschaetzki@**********.com (Niels_KobschÀtzki)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:17:25 +0200
On Apr 10, 2007, at 4:19 PM, Phillip Gawlowski wrote:

> Derek Hyde wrote:
>>> Our site is using joomla - and I don't like it. According to my
>>> friendly
>>> computer geek - drupal is much better CMS than mambo/joomla.
>>>
>> As CMS's go I don't care which one, but forum systems....SMF unless
>> someone's buying a license for one of the pay to use forum sets, I
>> don't
>> like any of the other forum systems at all....
>
> SMF is a personal favorite of mine, but I don't think that a Forum
> will be necessary, if we can work with either a mailing list or a
> wiki (I'll dig into Drupal, concerning access rights. It *can* be
> used as a wiki, too, which is a bonus).

Actually I think a blog or wiki is better for a character newsletter
than a cms.
With a wiki everyone can easily post, with a blog you can easily post
news which can be commented in-character.
The set up of a blog is rather easy (wordpress for example), the
administration is easier than with CMS and the theming is usually
easier (and there are offline clients you can use to post to a blog…)

Niels



--
Jammern für Anfänger: Niels K. (25) Jammerbacke -- auch für
professionelles Jammern zu haben
http://jammern.wordpress.com
Message no. 11
From: cmdjackryan@**********.com (Phillip Gawlowski)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 18:31:31 +0200
Niels Kobschätzki wrote:
> On Apr 10, 2007, at 4:19 PM, Phillip Gawlowski wrote:

> Actually I think a blog or wiki is better for a character newsletter
> than a cms.

Um, not if it is intended to be more of a webzine (think CNN or The
Escapist, not BoingBoing or the Huffington Post).

> With a wiki everyone can easily post, with a blog you can easily post
> news which can be commented in-character.
> The set up of a blog is rather easy (wordpress for example), the
> administration is easier than with CMS and the theming is usually easier
> (and there are offline clients you can use to post to a blog…)

But a blog layout is fairly limited, as blog engines are usually geared
for a chronological order of entries. Which doesn't have this
"NewsScream" feel to it.

Think more along the lines of a newspaper, and you get the general idea
(hence my mention of the Aventurischer Bote: A newspaper that is
distinctly in-character).

And while a wiki is nice to use if you want to do something
collaboratively, this project is not going to be very Web 2.0 ;). While
everybody can submit articles to be published, the newsletter will be
organized like a news-website, which is much more rigid than a wiki, and
edited. There more likely than not will be editing guidelines, and those
have to be enforced. And once an article is published, it won't be
changed, which becomes a major hassle with most wikis.

The final product could, for example, be like an ePaper, published by
News Magazine Seattle and NAN, a member of the Horizon Holding Group.

I hope to have the website up soonish, so that those interested can work
there (and this will be a collaborative effort, so the CMS will act as a
wiki in this regard).

--
Phillip "CynicalRyan" Gawlowski
http://cynicalryan.110mb.com/

Eek! That was supposed to be My Special Law, _MY_ special law, I tell
you!

T/
Message no. 12
From: toast.in.the.machine@*****.com (Mark)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 11:38:22 -0700
On 4/10/07, Phillip Gawlowski <cmdjackryan@**********.com> wrote:
> Niels Kobschätzki wrote:
> > On Apr 10, 2007, at 4:19 PM, Phillip Gawlowski wrote:
>
> > Actually I think a blog or wiki is better for a character newsletter
> > than a cms.
>
> Um, not if it is intended to be more of a webzine (think CNN or The
> Escapist, not BoingBoing or the Huffington Post).

I've only been skimming this discussion, but perhaps a blog, wiki, or
forum is the correct analogue for this publication. Webzine almost
sounds dated to me as a 6th world concept (no offense to any current
webzine authors), and if you're intending on doing this in 4th
edition, perhaps it should be downplayed along with concepts such as
Japanese global dominance, decking, and punk fashion that date the
original (though much beloved) earlier editions.

On a personal note, either works for me, as it's just a style
decision. I just don't think a blog or wiki format should be
dismissed out of hand. Maybe it's the sixthworldwiki in me.

Mark
Message no. 13
From: n.kobschaetzki@**********.com (Niels_KobschÀtzki)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 20:49:22 +0200
On Apr 10, 2007, at 8:38 PM, Mark wrote:

> On 4/10/07, Phillip Gawlowski <cmdjackryan@**********.com> wrote:
>> Niels Kobschätzki wrote:
>> > On Apr 10, 2007, at 4:19 PM, Phillip Gawlowski wrote:
>>
>> > Actually I think a blog or wiki is better for a character
>> newsletter
>> > than a cms.
>>
>> Um, not if it is intended to be more of a webzine (think CNN or The
>> Escapist, not BoingBoing or the Huffington Post).
>
> I've only been skimming this discussion, but perhaps a blog, wiki, or
> forum is the correct analogue for this publication. Webzine almost
> sounds dated to me as a 6th world concept (no offense to any current
> webzine authors), and if you're intending on doing this in 4th
> edition, perhaps it should be downplayed along with concepts such as
> Japanese global dominance, decking, and punk fashion that date the
> original (though much beloved) earlier editions.

If someone wants to include some Japanese (or Korean) I can help with
Kanji and stuff -- I hate it when ppl are doing that wrong ;)

Niels



--
Jammern für Anfänger: Niels K. (25) Jammerbacke -- auch für
professionelles Jammern zu haben
http://jammern.wordpress.com
Message no. 14
From: derek@***************.com (Derek Hyde)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2007 19:25:24 -0500
> On a personal note, either works for me, as it's just a style
> decision. I just don't think a blog or wiki format should be
> dismissed out of hand. Maybe it's the sixthworldwiki in me.
>
> Mark

I agree...personally I'd think a forum for discussion (in character and for idea
extrapolation/editing and such) and a blog with possibly a cms wrapped around
both would work best, and the "development" portion of the forum being blocked
for non-admins or non-authors to maintain the quality of the appearance of the
site.
Message no. 15
From: cmdjackryan@**********.com (Phillip Gawlowski)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 13:56:33 +0200
Quick update: The website has been setup, and I'm currentl wrestling
Drupal into submission to do what I want. This can take a while, but I
hope to have a wiki-ish setup soon-ish, so that we can discuss this
stuff there.

So, if anyone is able to work with Drupal's Theme engine (it can work
with Smarty, too, if that is of any help), and wants to create a
template for this project, by all means, make my inbox choke ;)

--
Phillip "CynicalRyan" Gawlowski
http://cynicalryan.110mb.com/

Rule of Open-Source Programming #7:

Release early, release often. Clean compilation is optional.
Message no. 16
From: derek@***************.com (Derek Hyde)
Subject: Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms)
Date: Wed, 11 Apr 2007 23:45:20 -0500
> Quick update: The website has been setup, and I'm currentl wrestling
> Drupal into submission to do what I want. This can take a while, but I
> hope to have a wiki-ish setup soon-ish, so that we can discuss this
> stuff there.
>
Oh yeah....as far as this stuff goes.....drop me a line offlist with which
IM app you prefer, I've already fished through most of the control panel
side of drupal, and can find/setup most of what needs to be setup, but, a
quicker collaboration system needs to be generated so I know what is needed
to be done, and I'll do as much as I can....

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about Shdowrun in character newsletter (A Call to Arms), you may also be interested in:

Disclaimer

These messages were posted a long time ago on a mailing list far, far away. The copyright to their contents probably lies with the original authors of the individual messages, but since they were published in an electronic forum that anyone could subscribe to, and the logs were available to subscribers and most likely non-subscribers as well, it's felt that re-publishing them here is a kind of public service.