Re: Fwd: [Philmont]: Trek books on-line ? Why Not ?

I have to laugh at the "heavy hitter" label. Philmont Admin does a
pretty good job of ignoring us.

Personally, I'd like to see everything on-line, and I am sure Philmont
will eventually do so. The cost savings would certainly be significant,
and errors in the Treks books and other critical materials would be
easily corrected (version dates and a change log for each critical
document would help keep things straight). I'd suggest posting a month
in advance, so everyone can review (and corrections made), then everyone
send in their selections via email after such and such a date/time. I
can foresee a time issue, so it would have to be understood that order
of *actual* arrival on the Philmont ISP would have to dictate order of
selections. So somewhat another lottery. Those with the fastest
Internet speeds would have a slight advantage, but so be it (I say this
being one of the last dinosaurs on a telephone modem). But based on the
conversations on this List, there would be only a rather small
percentage of us that would be sitting at our computers, waiting for the
official Philmont time counter to go to :00 on submissions. Whatever.
Certainly an automated return e-receipt is better than sweating whether
the postcard got there or not, and if yes when?

So why not now? I suspect the answer has already been given - not
everyone is on-line yet. Comments that people can go to their library
are accurate, but people who are not on-line at home or work face an
intimidation factor based on lack of even basic computer knowledge - if
you were a Scouter who never used computers or the Internet (e.g., a
graybeard who runs a Council High Adventure Committee), how comfortable
would you be trying to go use a library computer for such a critical
task? With luck, you could get someone else in your Unit or HAC who was
a whiz-bang - but maybe not. So I suspect Philmont is sticking with the
admittedly archaic paper method because it levels the playing field -
everyone can deal with paperwork.

My guess is we will see within five years the "option" of receiving a
standard paperwork package, or instead an authorization code to enter a
Philmont website that has everything posted on-line. Eventually, as the
number of people requesting hard copies dwindles to asymptotic zero, a
switch to all electronic will be made. In the meanwhile, don't hold
your breath....

- Dr. Bob (light hitter)

CaptMcD18@aol.com wrote:
> I was interested in some of the seasoned Advisors opinions on the List
> here re: "Trek Books on Line.."
>
> Any thoughts from the heavy hitters ??
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Subject:
> [Philmont]: Trek books on-line ? Why Not ?
> From:
> CaptMcD18@aol.com
> Date:
> Thu, 24 Mar 2005 01:02:03 EST
> To:
> Multiple recipients of list philmont <philmont@troop47.com>
>
>
> The Philmont Registration is thru a lottery on-line now, right ? Solved
> a lot of problems and saved a bunch of money...........
>
> Why not put the Trek Books on-line in PDF and/or Word format ? (or
> other format ?)
>
> Wouldn't that save a whole bunch of money for the Book Printing and UPS
> charges ??
>
> We could print out copies of the Book at our end - or just portions of
> the Book.
>
> You could post "the Book" to a Web Site and give out a password to those
> who have a trek confirmation # for a certain date or time to control the
> process.
>
> You could have a printable form to write down your trek selections -and
> those would have to be mailed / Fed Ex'd back. Just like now. Everybody
> would get the book on exactly the same date and time.
>
> If Philmont got behind in the Trek tweaking process - they could just
> send out a postponement notice as to a new date & time that the "book"
> would come on line.
>
> I haven't sat down and thought this out completely -but there's gotta be
> a workable solution using the Internet to save the time / money / and
> 'even up" the playing field for those that are out in the boonies -just
> now getting 'THE PACKAGE".
>
> I am a part-time lurker here so maybe this idea has been batted around
> & I just missed out on the discussion ?
>
> Bob McDermott
> NWSC - Chicago NW 'burbs
> '98, '02 w/ my son
> 710-E5 in 2005 w/ my daughter !

-------------------------------------------------------
Scouting E-mail Discussion Lists @ usscouts.org
Subscribe/Unsubscribe at http://usscouts.org/lists/
Listserv Commands at http://usscouts.org/lists/lc.asp
-------------------------------------------------------
Send listserv commands to: listserv@troop47.com
Send postings to: philmont@troop47.com
List FAQ found at: http://usscouts.org/lists/faq.asp
List Administrator: philmont_owner@troop47.com
-------------------------------------------------------
As you gather around this virtual campfire with fellow
Scouts and Scouters, do your best to be trustworthy,
loyal, helpful, friendly, courteous, kind, obedient,
cheerful, thrifty, brave, clean and reverent.
-------------------------------------------------------

 
Received on Mon Mar 28 21:24:38 2005