[COMM-ORG] upcoming COMM-ORG papers and changes

[Discussion list for COMM-ORG]

Hi COMM-ORG,

In announcing Peter Dreier's paper (see my previous message), I also 
want to let you know that I still have 2008 papers and syllabi to post.  
I apologize for the delay, along with my own work becoming busier than I 
expected, the papers I receive are becoming more and more difficult to 
convert to clean html.  So I continue to ask for your patience as I am 
still a one-person operation here for the most part.  Any volunteer 
code-strippers and rebuilders out there?

Something else I may put ahead in the queue is a reflection piece on 
Saul Alinsky's 100th birthday, which I just had the thrill of 
celebrating in Chicago last week.  It's a big year for community 
organizing, to say the least.

I also want to let you know of upcoming changes to COMM-ORG. 

First, we are getting an actual server, rather than running off of a 
desktop computer.  That will speed things up for most of you and provide 
better redundancy.  I've been extraordinarily fortunate that nothing has 
broken so badly that it has created real messes, but I feel like I am 
pushing my luck.  The server is built and up and running, but now I need 
to transfer everything to it and do all the network hocus-pocus so that 
"http://comm-org.wisc.edu" finds to the new server and not the old 
computer.  It could be a bit before I have it all set up.

Second, I am going to be putting COMM-ORG on a "content management 
system."  You will notice a few cosmetic differences, but the structure 
of the website will remain pretty much the same and the syllabi and 
papers links will also not change (it makes me crazy when people keep 
changing their databases around and I have to keep re-finding their 
content).  What will change is that there will be more interactive 
features--multimedia, forums, member interaction, etc.  That too could 
be a while, but it will happen.

All this is in celebration of this momentous year in the history of 
community organizing.

Randy Stoecker
moderator/editor, COMM-ORG