[Nfb-web] Non X Catalyst Hosting on NFB Server

[Ruth Anne Wheeler]

Chiming in here from Chicago.....

The Illinois affiliate made a decision quite a few years back now that to
them it was worth the investment of a couple hundred dollars a year to
utilize an outside hosting company, because the company provided an uptime
guarantee at 99.xx%. Illinois also chose that course in order to have an
independent site, also. (we do utilize NFBnet for our listserves)  Is that
in the realm of every affiliate?  Probably not.  But we make a point of
utilizing our giftcard fundraiser (among other projects we have) to ensure
we have the funds to pay for that independent hosting.  

That said, what is done with NFBnet.org is incredible.  The fact it is
provided free of charge is beyond incredible - it is a priceless gift to all
of the NFB.  If there is a line problem with Qwest, that is beyond David's
control, and solely the responsibility of Qwest.  If David needs to go and
buy a new DSL modem once every few years, that is a price of business.  But
everything that David Andrews has done has been timely and certainly to
everyone's best interest.  

We cannot look the gift horse in the mouth.  If we are being given a gift,
we use it and work with that gift to the best of our ability.  It is called
stewardship.  That is the course of action of any responsible non-profit
organization.  

Stepping off my soapbox,
Ruth Anne
Ruth Anne Wheeler
Webmaster
NFB of Illinois
www.nfbofillinois.org
 

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-web-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfb-web-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Gary Wunder
Sent: Monday, March 23, 2009 9:37 PM
To: NFB Webmaster's List
Subject: Re: [Nfb-web] Non X Catalyst Hosting on NFB Server

Pete, As one  who is keenly interested in our web presence but also serves
on the national board of directors, I have to take issue with your statement
that we should not use poverty as an excuse for not upgrading our site. The
investments we make in the NFB are, by most standards, conservative, and yet
the drop that we have seen in the economy means that this year we will have
millions of dollars less to spend nationally than we have in the past. You
have every right if you wish to tell us how we should spend our money, but
you have every obligation as well to help us raise it. You do a spectacular
job, and I have no doubt that you're feeling tremendous pressure as a
result, but do not let yourself be placed in the position where you feel
responsible for something which is beyond your control. Missouri does not
hold you responsible, and neither does anyone else who understands the
complexity of technology.

None of us, as divisions or affiliates, is obligated in the least to use NFB
Net. At least in Missouri we use it because it is a bargain, because until
recently it has been extremely reliable, and because the volunteers who give
so much of their time to host and moderate are just spectacular. I think
that you have every right to rant if you must, but you also do have an
obligation to be grateful for what is given, and unless you and I and a few
other people can figure out a way to provide better funding for NFB Net,
we're going to have to deal with the situation where we have one modem, one
server, and one small and dedicated volunteer staff.

Gary

P.S. I will gladly withdraw the preceding statement if somebody wants to
offer us $1 million so that we may continue to grant free web service to our
affiliates.