[TheForge] ABANA support

[Dave Mudge]

On 10/24/07, Phil <mobjak at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Dave:
>
> You wrote:
>
> "If anyone has ideas for changes, that's great. Tell
> your favorite board member about it."
>
> Well, you're my favorite board member, so, first off,
> it seems to me that ABANA has a total lack of
> direction right now.  The least it's had since I've
> been a member.
>
Well thanks Phil, but I have just resigned. and you are correct, the
direction is a bit clouded but not lost. abana will move forward in
spite of all obstacles. Finances are "tight" right now and the very
best way for anyone to help abana is to renew your memberships and
encourage others to join as well. ABANA needs to get those numbers
back up. The membership numbers always fall in non conference years,
but we usually have a financially successful conference to fund
operations and seed money for the next conference. Unfortunately that
did not happen in '06 and now we all have to deal with it.
Most of us have been "broke" at one time or another. Stuff happens.
This financial condition will pass and new board members will try to
change ABANA's focus and life will go on.

> Second, here you have the world's largest
> blacksmithing organization.  You'd think the web-site
> would be THE clearinghouse for information about
> blacksmithing, and for discussion about blacksmithing
> processes and practices, but it's not.  It's not even
> close.
>
I have personally built several web sites. There is a learning curve,
but sorta like forging, you learn to use the simplest tools to
accomplish the job in the most direct manner.
Whoever built the ABANA web site, had a different vision than mine (if
you get my drift) and found the very most complex path to any given
outcome. ( All of that means that it is too hard to use) So abana pays
a guy to make the updates. UNFORTUNATELY, abana only pays $1500 a year
for a job that requires about 10 hours a week. If abana would consider
the web site as one of it's publications, and spend some real money on
it (of course they don't have much money right now) then it could be a
first class resource.


> Third, (and I said this earlier)The Anvil's Ring has
> turned into an arts mag.  I personally don't think
> what's in there represents what the majority of the
> membership makes or does.
>
I respect your opinion however the idea behind the AR is to be the
"flag ship" of the blacksmithing world. It is meant to inspire folks
to do better. One could apply one little "inspiration" from the AR to
their own work and make an extra $10k.

love & peace,
dave mudge

> Regards,
>
> Phil Rosche
>
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