Writing and posting FAQ materials is labor intensive. It takes a lot of
digging, double-checking, drafting, re-drafting , independent review,
correcting, polishing, etc. and it then has to be processed into the right
format for publication. Its a righteously good way to learn a lot of things
but it can also be a bit tedious.
We have asked for and received generous help but we still have the
need for students, writers, and critics to do the job. One of the problems
is that I tend to be a fussy Editor. I have an idea as to what needs to be
covered and the way that material should be presented. I want the material
to be accurate, appropriate, and readable. We don't get many takers.
We are now toying with the idea that it might be a good idea to ask for
appropriate essays that could be attached to the FAQ under the writer's
name. We could give the writers considerably more slack in terms of
content and style. We could give the writers as little or as much editorial
assistance as they would deem appropriate. We would moderate each
essay somewhat more strictly than we presently moderate posts because
these posted essays would imply a measure of endorsement. We have
the idea that having these essays available on-line might be of interest
and value to the newsgroup readers.
Swani in New Zealand has an interest in writing an essay on the role of
wildlife in specific ecosystems. This may become our first essay and it
sounds interesting to me. Any comments?