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read post numbers 75, 76, and 77 for what i am talking about.

link.

https://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/modules/newbb/viewtopic.php?topic_id=653&forum=10&post_id=8885#forumpost8885

Sometimes content has to be sorted into broad catagories as it may cover multiple things. For example a single service counselor have cover a running Engine, Transmission, and Interior service change.

When I added the by-year catagories, I had to go through every Article in the database and manual assign it to one or more year catagories. That was not a fun task and some of my choice were subjective.

Now that being all said, Brian (BH) at one time had developed a V8 index (for the Packard V8 Club) of all the Service Counselors and STB's that provided a pretty good cheat sheet cross-index of where to look for everything. So for example if you wanted to find something about brakes, his index would show you in what STB's and SC's that was discussed and I belive the Topic of that particular item. I will let Brian speak more to that as he developed it.

Now I think that would be great if we can develop those kind of cross-references list here for all the content. But I would need some volunteers to take on building that kind of content. I can turn it into a webpage and drive in with a database back end, but I dont have the bandwidth labor-wise to actually compile all the cross-reference information.

The best case would be to take Brian's current fixed index and turn it into a web-driven list. So basically extended Brian's list with a link to the STB or SC in question if that exists here on the website. That would be the shortcut as far as the V8 index goes. But I would like to do the same thing for the other years if we can also. I know I would find it usefull. So if there is anyone out there with idle hands that would like to take on the task of building a "Brian" style index for various logical series brakes (51-54 (Rheinholds), 48-50 (Bathtubs), 47 and prior...etc) then please let me know!

i would like to help in anyway i can. i have the computer knowledge for sure. i know i can't complain without contributing somehow. ;0)

also what kind of RAM does your server run....i have some Registered RAM laying around that you might beable to use. i gave away the Dell 750 rack mount server i had to my church otherwise you could have had that too. i can't use the RAM since it is R and not U

what kind of server you running, maybe i can help beef it up.

later dude,

Hank

if i had a file cache large enough i could even set up an FTP for the Packard club....but i am not too keen on opening up my firewall for that. maybe in the future if the need arises

The website is hosted on a national provider, so I have no problems with website/server infastucture. But thank for the offer.

Just to give you an idea, we have about 9 gigs of online content here on the website, and that only represents 1.3% of total disk space available to the website on my hosted server. Even with over a million content hits a month here on the website (pages, pictures, articles, etc), that only represent .067% of the allotted bandwidth. I planned for future growth and pay a year in advance to keep my out of pocket expenses as low as possible. Hence why I have been able to keep the website going without any advertisments or vendor support.

Also several people have been nice enough to not only help out with dontating content but have send a some donations to help offset my out of pockets expense. While I appreciate that, and it has been very helpfull, given the choice, I would rather have people donate time, content and knowledge, as that pays back dividends that money cant buy!

When I refer to needing help due to my bandwidth, I am referring to the actual time to do the research in relation to the amount of other things in my life that take priority. So the help I am seeking is labor (doing the research and writing up the content) more than parts (the actual website infastructure or programming)

Just like everything else in life, its the labor that will kill ya, the parts are cheap!

Big Kev and Cli55er,

What Cli55er is asking and what you (Big Kev) are doing with this PI website is a whole new generation of information processing.

Here are my unsolicited observations -- from a non-computer wiz and also a newby, (but also a process thinker and perpetual student of human nature):

1. Before PI the 'Technical Advisor' function in the various Regional Packard Clubs is the go-to person for Cli55er's questions and the 'personified-index-of-technical Packard-knowledge.

2. In my 8 months in Packardland I have come to know 2 Tech Advisors from two Regions. Both are SUPER People. Helpful, knowledgable, and fun to know. They are both kinda-libraries of information BUT neither is digitalized.

3. One of the two is NOT ONLINE at all -has no email. He does an annual TECH WORKSHOP - I went to my 1st one 8 months ago. I will go to my second one in 4 more months. This was a great way to start my Packard journey.

4. Both Tech Advisors are swamped. One has written articles for 20 years, (almost to the point of burnout).

5. To my knowledge NONE if their wisdom is 'digitalized' or available on the web or this PI website.

6. Big Kev - Your responses are talking about making 'digitalized indexes' to knowledge (either written or digitalized). THIS IS THE WHOLE NEW GENERATION OF INFORMATION PROCESSING poart that I am suggesting.

7. The PI website is effectively becoming a Daily Tech Workshop (rather that annual as in regional club sponsored). It also serves other functions NOT served by any other function.

8. No other media (that I have yet seen) in Packardland is capable of doing this (#7).

9. PAC has a wonderful website. I have used it many times. I found my 41Clipper in an ad there. BUT, it is not interactive. There are no forums that I know of. I don't check it for daily discussions like what we are doing now from SD, CA and wherever you are, Cli55er.

10 None of the Publications of Nat'l Pack Club or its many Regions (in the annual banquet role call that I attended at the Des Moines meet last Fri evening) can DO WHAT PI website is doing.

SO, there are rambling thoughts in very early morning to say:

"BIG KEV, you have startred the next generation of Packard Information that the National Clubs and Regional groups have not addressed."htt
I have no idea of the 'politics' involved.
Does PAC view PI as a good thing? Competition? Renegade Packard Fans?
KEV- I read your "free for Now" posting on the PI website portal page. Every good endeavor needs partons who $upport it (with time, money, regular involvement). PI is highly efficient in all of these areas and more.

(Really ramblin NOW) Must copy and post this BOOK of Observations & Specutations before breakfast.

DanL

p://packardinfo.com/xoops/html/uploads/smil3dbd4e5e7563a.gif

In response to your #9 I see that PAC has eliminated the ads portion of their website because of hacking. Sad, but probably too much for one guy to keep up with. This site will probably improve in that area as a result.

the good news is you can share the information you learn from the non-digitized person that you have gone to workshops with.....and share it here! ;0) so, in essense, he is now digitized through you ;0)

Just for a point of clarification and to prevent people from getting confused, PI is usually the accepted abbreviation for Packards International, and "PInfo" for this website. I just didn't want people getting confused.


"Does PAC view PI [i](Pinfo) as a good thing? Competition? Renegade Packard Fans?"[/i]


Well from a standpoint of the governing bodies of either club, I have never really got any thumbs up or down. I can see in some respects where a few people can feel that this website may cut into their user base. But in general nothing other than that has surfaced. I attend the PI (Packards International) yearly meet as it is here in So. Calif, and I also attend the area region swapmeet. But besides that I have very little interaction with the clubs in general except for the members of both clubs that are also online here. Now that being said I have always had good relations with most the club guys I have meet in person and online. There are lots of people out there just getting started on their cars, and also people that are not geographically close to a club. For those people this website has become their unofficial car club.

"I read your "free for Now" posting on the PI website portal page"

If not sure who put the "Free for Now" portion on that description, but I have always stated that I did not put this website up to make a buck. If I did, then I guess I am just a really poor business man. I never ask for any type of monetary donations, kickbacks, or anything like that. I run this as a way to give back to the hobby, and learn something in the process. All I ask is that people be interactive here on the website, and if they come across some content that is not yet available here, to think about donating a scanned copy to help the next guy out.

Just as a point of reference, I am a computer guy (Software/Web Developer) that is trying to be a car guy. Not a car guy trying to be a computer guy. So while I am able to do things here on the website pretty quickly, my car project moves along slowly in direction relation to my car knowledge. Behind the scenes I probably spend 2 hrs+ a day on the website making sure everything is running good, working on improvements, and answering emails and the such. But in the process I learn a lot about Packards and can that with me out to the garage.

You will notice that some of the users here have the title "Forum Ambassador". In some ways they act as the resident "Tech Advisors" here on the website. While I know enough about the 51-54 Packard to be dangerous, I rely to them to help out with answering the questions in the various forums. Also several of them were extremely helpful behind the scenes when we start putting together the Model Info pages and I can acknowledged them in the past for their efforts.

I always like to think of the website as a grassroots effort, where everyone that interacts with the website plays a tole. I very rarely refer to the website as "my website". I just act as the custodian...take out the trash, wash the windows, and make sure the lights stay on.

Well enough of my rambling......

Now that you brought it up Kev, maybe the title "Forum Ambassador" should be changed to "Tech Advisor" or "Packard Historian" depending on the individual. I know several people on here who fit into either category. Heck, you can even add the title of "Packard Flunky" to those like me!