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This site is dedicated to Team OS/2 projects - general ideas or suggestions for Teamer participation. As time goes on, I will be accumulating all the great ideas and "cool stuff" that has been thought up over the ages, and perhaps forgotten as time ticked by. Suggestions for projects or Teamer events are always welcome. You can send your submissions using this form or e-mail me at plazenby@sno.net and use "Project" as the subject line to make sorting a bit easier. |
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These pages are currently under construction, but then again this notice will probably always be here, so take it with a grain of salt :-) |
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This site has earned the OS/2 e-Zine site of the week award for the week of August 28th, 1996 |
I would like to thank Stephen 'Sophisto' Loomis for donating the Web Explorer animation for this site.
These pages are being maintained with HTML Studio, an excellent application by Panacea Software
The Project: Team OS/2 logo was created using Photo>Graphics, an excellent graphics application by TrueSpectra
Please note that this site is not maintained by IBM. This is a volunteer effort provided as a service to the OS/2 community.
09/10/96- Assistance for the physically and financially challenged
This excellent idea comes to you from the mind of judy@mail.imagin.net (Judy Childress)
The voice technology in Merlin could be of benefit to many of the physically challenged but many of these people are on fixed incomes that keep the expense of the hardware outside their reach. Since OS/2 users tend to be more hi-tech than even most other PC users, most of us probably have hardware we no longer use gathering dust in our closets. Possibly, we could set up a central point for donating this hardware. Along with this, possibly a few ISV's could be persuaded to donate a small amount from each software sale (say 50 cents). We could also solicit donations from Team OS/2 members and offer a GIF file they are entitled to put on their home page if they contribute. Hopefully, we could find a reputable organization (like maybe the Shriners or the Lion's Club) to handle the adminstrative part. Team OS2 members could volunteer to set up the systems for people. This would not only brighten the lives of a few people but might also generate some positive press for OS/2.
07/24/96- Ad Campaign
It's frustrating when the company that makes OS/2 will do very little to promote it. In our case, OS/2 is suffering because IBM doesn't preload it or effectively promote it as a normal user operating system.
My proposal is to start a teamer-funded advertising campaign nationwide. It's a difficult task, but I was doing something similar until three months ago where I made up pamphlets and passing them out, offered to switch the OS myself for the $75-120 a copy of OS/2 Warp costs (non-profit upgrade), as well as talking to local merchants about offering this option as well. It's not impossible, but it does need people working to keep it going. My only fear is that since Merlin will be released in about a month, it might be worth it to wait.
Tell me what you think teamers! Oh, and it doesn't have to be just teamers either. Send some mail to me at brianm@iconn.net.
07/02/96- List Keeper
Esther Schindler has come up with the following 3 part suggested project. I don't want to write words into her mouth though, so I've copied the entire contents of her message to this space. Please, if you have any questions or comments direct them to me , and not to Esther.
If you gentlefolk are willing to have Team OS/2 be something OTHER than
swat teams at Comdex, I have two suggestions to propose which could be of
significant benefit. Best of all, they can be accomplished in the comfort
of your own home, with a beer in your hand.
I'd like to see Teamers compile two lists, maybe three.
#1. A database or list of all media contacts that would be useful to an
OS/2 software vendor.
I talk to a lot of OS/2 ISVs (Independent Software Vendors) and most of
them don't have a clue at how to reach the press. They know well enough to
contact me -- having "OS/2 Magazine" practically tattooed across my head
is a good hint -- but after that, they don't know who to call, much less
what to say to them.
I'm trying to help out on the "what to say" by leading a section in the
OS2AVEN forum on Compuserve called "Marketing OS/2 applications" (in which
I'm currently giving lessons about press releases), but it's not my place
to research the various magazine editors and freelance writers,
particularly not for topic areas outside my expertise (ie I couldn't tell
you who writes most of the networking product reviews). Doing it
themselves is a lot of work for OS/2 ISVs, especially considering how many
of them are programmer + marketer + cook + bottle washer besides. So
anything that Teamers can do --that's you-- would make the job much easier
for them, and could make a difference in the number of OS/2 applications
that get reviewed in the general press.
#2 and #3. I would desperately appreciate a list of all known OS/2 ISVs,
and/or a list of all known OS/2 shareware authors.
Case in point: On very short notice, I was asked to write about OS/2
applications for a national publication. This is my specialty, so I
already had phone numbers and email addresses and so forth. But I assure
you that 99% of my editors do NOT and don't have any way of getting that
information in a timely manner. (The article I sent in this morning will
be going to press by Friday; "deadline" is a very serious word around
these parts.)
Also, I attended the Shareware Industry Conference over the weekend and
was distressed to see how few OS/2 shareware authors attended. Someone
suggested that the problem might be that many of the OS/2 authors didn't
know about the event, since few of them belong to the standard shareware
organizations. So if I had wanted to be obnoxious and send them all email
messages saying "I look forward to seeing you there!" I wouldn't have been
able to do so... at least, not without poring through my various files,
post-its, and shareware apps I chose not to register.
This project needs a champion. It will not be me. I think one might
consider that I do plenty for OS/2, already, so I feel no guilt in saying,
"Who's up for it?" I'm willing to serve as a sort of consultant, since I
know what information is useful to journalists, but I don't plan to take
on this responsibility myself.
The champion's job (and there could certainly be one for each of these
lists) would be to collect and compile the information into lists. Other
non-champion Team OS/2 members could email the information to the champion
or to a mutually-agreed upon site. (Ie perhaps someone could set up a web
page that creates a searchable database.)
This could be an an ongoing project. It's free, and it doesn't cost
anybody anything except time and enthusiasm.
Anybody game?
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Esther Schindler
Senior contributing editor, OS/2 Magazine
Program chair, Phoenix OS/2 Society
Freelance writer: will write about OS/2 for food
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I (Peter) am personally willing to take on at least one of these lists if no other volunteers step forward. However, my lack of programming skills prevents me from creating a searchable index, so my version may be somewhat clumsy, and I will be happy to bow out to someone more qualified.
05/22/96 OS/2 Awareness
The OS/2 Awareness page is a page with links and information designed to educate the new user and experienced user about OS/2 and its related programs. I encourage all Teamers to visit the site, and to submit additional material to help develop this page. This project is being authored by Jason Weill (jweill@northeast.net)
since May 9th, 1996