UA Solid Waste Initiative
Vote "YES" on 52!
Let's Talk Trash!
Welcome to the Trask Talk Forum!
Joining a Forum is a tough decision, because you have no idea what the "Administrator" is going to do with the information you submit.
Forum Member Advantages
So ... why should I join the Forum?
1. You get to see what other folks are posting.
2. You get to post if you have something to say.
3. You get "automatic" notification by email whenever new things are posted to the website. You don't have to log onto the website and go to the "What's New" page to see where you need to go. In doing this, your email address is hidden from other members, so you don't need to worry about being spammed. Generally, we won't do more than one update a day (if that), so your email volume from us shouldn't be unreasonable. If you don't want to be automatically notified, just email me and I'll take you off the forum (it's the only way to reasonably manage this). On Wednesday, May 14, I'll be deleting the "What's New" page because it's more trouble than it's worth, and listing them in a discussion thread in the forum. Only Forum members should have this kind of time-saving perk.
Here's what you need to do in order to get the automatic updates ...
1. Go to the form and log in.
Joining a Forum is a tough decision, because you have no idea what the "Administrator" is going to do with the information you submit.
Forum Member Advantages
So ... why should I join the Forum?
1. You get to see what other folks are posting.
2. You get to post if you have something to say.
3. You get "automatic" notification by email whenever new things are posted to the website. You don't have to log onto the website and go to the "What's New" page to see where you need to go. In doing this, your email address is hidden from other members, so you don't need to worry about being spammed. Generally, we won't do more than one update a day (if that), so your email volume from us shouldn't be unreasonable. If you don't want to be automatically notified, just email me and I'll take you off the forum (it's the only way to reasonably manage this). On Wednesday, May 14, I'll be deleting the "What's New" page because it's more trouble than it's worth, and listing them in a discussion thread in the forum. Only Forum members should have this kind of time-saving perk.
Here's what you need to do in order to get the automatic updates ...
1. Go to the form and log in.
2. Open the "Automatic UATRASH.ORG Updates" category.
3. Open the "Automatic UATRASH.ORG Updates" discussion thread.
4. Click the bar that says "Email Subscription Disabled" (it's on the upper right hand side, in the same line as the discussion heading. This will enable the "Email Alert" for that discussion thread. (You can also do this for other discussions, too, if you wish if you want to be notified whenever there's a new post in them.)
5. That's it!
I'm going to be adding a new post to the thread whenever I add content. And you will automatically get an email telling you that there's been an update, and it will tell you where.
Any questions on this, email me at uapetition@aol.com.
About the Administrator
My name is Vicki Kerman, and I am the Administrator of this forum. I have been a UA resident for 10 years, and up until December 14, if you had asked me to name one Council member, I couldn't have done it. Based on what I've researched and learned since then, however, I can now see that as residents, we need to be far more vigilant in monitoring the actions of our city government -- at both the Council and staff levels -- than we have been in the past. We have let the decision makers in our city government set policy and take actions that have robbed us of our say in how our tax dollars are spent, including the right to vote. This has not happened all at once, it has happened bit-by-bit. It has got to stop.
The Goal of the Forum
The goal of this forum is to bring together residents who have first-hand experience or knowledge of working with members of our city government -- Council or City staff. The City's strength has come from our division and apathy, and we need to come together as a team if we are to regain our rights. Communication is critical to this effort.
What Makes for a Successful Forum?
I've belonged to several of the best-managed forums on the 'net (and worst ones, too), and I've learned a lot about what makes one tick.
A forum can become a disaster (ala Yahoo Groups), or it can become a way for folks with common interests to evolve into a true "community." There is one forum to which I belong in which some of the posters I would trust with my life (no kidding) even though I've never met them in person. Each person has a personality ... they come and go ... and over time, you learn who's talking straight, and who's talking trash.
In order for a forum to be effective, posters must feel safe. You have my word that no one but me will have the registration information you submit. The email addresses will be used to form a listserv (email mailing list) to make announcements on significant developments or to solicit help. That's it.
Forum Rules
A good forum has rules. So ... here they are.
1. Forum Access. You must register in order to enter the forum, either for reading or posting. Although registration is FREE, we would appreciate any contribution or sticker purchase!
2. Registration Information. I don't care what you put as your "First" and "Last" name in the registration ... BUT ... your email address must be valid. If you feel that your current email address is too "revealing," I suggest you get a free email account at AOL or Yahoo to use here.
3. Validity of Email Address. When you register, you'll get immediate access. What I will do, however, is check your email to make sure it's valid. If I get a "MAILER DAEMON" indicating it's not valid, your registration will be cancelled immediately.
4. NO profanity. It will not be tolerated. You will automatically be excluded as soon as I see any displayed. NO TOLERANCE on this one.
5. The Nature of Posts. If you make a claim, you must be able to back it up by personal experience, data, or a link. No ranting without backup documentation. Otherwise, your post will be deleted. This forum is NOT "the moonbat forum."
6. The Goal is to Facilitate a Responsible and Responsive Government. Posts must address issues and must be geared towards resolving problems. We may differ on the issues themselves, but the overarching goal of improving HOW things are decided and implemented is the touchstone for evaluating the quality of a post.
7. No name-calling. Personal attacks of fellow members will not be tolerated. It is assumed that everyone has the same goal in mind, and that discourse is beneficial to achieving that goal.
8. Rumors go under "Rumors." There is a special category for rumors. Put them here.
9. Stay on-topic. If you want to talk about something NOT related to our city government, put it in "Off-Topic. That's why it's here.
10. Qualify your answers to questions. There's nothing worse than getting bad information. If someone asks a question and you may have the answer, be sure to qualify it (e.g. "I know that ... because ..." or "I think that ..." or "I don't know, but maybe ...").
11. Don't complain to me about another poster's behavior. I am not a referee, I am a "moderator." If you feel offended by something someone else has said, communicate that to him/her in a "caring and loving" way. Folks who chronically post inappropriately will learn from the feedback they receive how to shape their behavior to be more respectable. Similarly, folks who consistently post quality material will garner the respect of their fellow forum members. This is a process that will take time. I will be monitoring all posts and will also provide feedback.
12. Room for Improvement. If you can think of any more guidelines that should be included, or if you have any problems, you can email me at uapetition@aol.com.
Thank you!
Any questions on this, email me at uapetition@aol.com.
About the Administrator
My name is Vicki Kerman, and I am the Administrator of this forum. I have been a UA resident for 10 years, and up until December 14, if you had asked me to name one Council member, I couldn't have done it. Based on what I've researched and learned since then, however, I can now see that as residents, we need to be far more vigilant in monitoring the actions of our city government -- at both the Council and staff levels -- than we have been in the past. We have let the decision makers in our city government set policy and take actions that have robbed us of our say in how our tax dollars are spent, including the right to vote. This has not happened all at once, it has happened bit-by-bit. It has got to stop.
The Goal of the Forum
The goal of this forum is to bring together residents who have first-hand experience or knowledge of working with members of our city government -- Council or City staff. The City's strength has come from our division and apathy, and we need to come together as a team if we are to regain our rights. Communication is critical to this effort.
What Makes for a Successful Forum?
I've belonged to several of the best-managed forums on the 'net (and worst ones, too), and I've learned a lot about what makes one tick.
A forum can become a disaster (ala Yahoo Groups), or it can become a way for folks with common interests to evolve into a true "community." There is one forum to which I belong in which some of the posters I would trust with my life (no kidding) even though I've never met them in person. Each person has a personality ... they come and go ... and over time, you learn who's talking straight, and who's talking trash.
In order for a forum to be effective, posters must feel safe. You have my word that no one but me will have the registration information you submit. The email addresses will be used to form a listserv (email mailing list) to make announcements on significant developments or to solicit help. That's it.
Forum Rules
A good forum has rules. So ... here they are.
1. Forum Access. You must register in order to enter the forum, either for reading or posting. Although registration is FREE, we would appreciate any contribution or sticker purchase!
2. Registration Information. I don't care what you put as your "First" and "Last" name in the registration ... BUT ... your email address must be valid. If you feel that your current email address is too "revealing," I suggest you get a free email account at AOL or Yahoo to use here.
3. Validity of Email Address. When you register, you'll get immediate access. What I will do, however, is check your email to make sure it's valid. If I get a "MAILER DAEMON" indicating it's not valid, your registration will be cancelled immediately.
4. NO profanity. It will not be tolerated. You will automatically be excluded as soon as I see any displayed. NO TOLERANCE on this one.
5. The Nature of Posts. If you make a claim, you must be able to back it up by personal experience, data, or a link. No ranting without backup documentation. Otherwise, your post will be deleted. This forum is NOT "the moonbat forum."
6. The Goal is to Facilitate a Responsible and Responsive Government. Posts must address issues and must be geared towards resolving problems. We may differ on the issues themselves, but the overarching goal of improving HOW things are decided and implemented is the touchstone for evaluating the quality of a post.
7. No name-calling. Personal attacks of fellow members will not be tolerated. It is assumed that everyone has the same goal in mind, and that discourse is beneficial to achieving that goal.
8. Rumors go under "Rumors." There is a special category for rumors. Put them here.
9. Stay on-topic. If you want to talk about something NOT related to our city government, put it in "Off-Topic. That's why it's here.
10. Qualify your answers to questions. There's nothing worse than getting bad information. If someone asks a question and you may have the answer, be sure to qualify it (e.g. "I know that ... because ..." or "I think that ..." or "I don't know, but maybe ...").
11. Don't complain to me about another poster's behavior. I am not a referee, I am a "moderator." If you feel offended by something someone else has said, communicate that to him/her in a "caring and loving" way. Folks who chronically post inappropriately will learn from the feedback they receive how to shape their behavior to be more respectable. Similarly, folks who consistently post quality material will garner the respect of their fellow forum members. This is a process that will take time. I will be monitoring all posts and will also provide feedback.
12. Room for Improvement. If you can think of any more guidelines that should be included, or if you have any problems, you can email me at uapetition@aol.com.
Thank you!
By clicking the can to enter the forum, you agree that you have read these rules and will abide by them.
