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guide outline ready

<a href="mailto:yount@csf.Colorado.EDU">

Hello to everyone,

The skeleton of the permaculture guide is ready for you all
to give it some substance.  I have the impression that the
reason for this project isn't clear to everyone, so I've 
written a short web page on the rationale for using futplex.
Basically, it's to provide a forum which is both social, like
a mailing list, and solid or succinct, like a good essay.

To read and make changes to the guide, the first place to
look is the page at
	http://csf.colorado.edu:8080/
On that page is a link called "Sign on" which brings up a
name and password prompt.  I plan to contact each of you
individually with personalized account information, but
in the meantime any of you can use an anonymous account,
with user name "garden" and password "swale".

Once you sign on, you'll see a web page with a very brief
introduction at the top and a copy of the front page of the
guide.  If you want to make comments about this front page,
you'll have to use the "copy" link to look at a second
copy.  On this second copy, you'll find the rationale
document.  All of the hypertext links on either copy are
linked to (usually blank) pages which to which you can
add whatever you wish to write, including HTML-formatted
text.

There are a number of interesting abilities offered by the
futplex software.  If you have a button called "More options"
it can be used to add two new buttons, a magnifying glass
which allows you to see the underlying structure of a page
(including items which have been deleted), and a notebook
icon which allows you to write comments in your own personal
notebook.  You can use this private space to compose your
thoughts over time, which can be moved elsewhere when completed.
The basic editing buttons are a pen, which allows you to 
write new sections of a document, or to edit sections which
have already been written.  The scissors are used to cut
pieces out of documents, or to add hypertext links to new,
blank pages which you create, or to other pages anywhere on
the worldwide web.  "New" and "Index" buttons allow you to
see what changes have been made to the project since you
last signed off.  Finally, the "Help" button allows you
to read through the manual, which is simple to read if
somewhat difficult to navigate.

The software was developed by at least two people in the 
Netherlands; many thanks to them for making this available.
Remember, if you try this and see some ways in which it
could be improved, I'll do my best to accommodate you.

I think that one fairly easy way in which the guide can be
extended is for us to share contacts.  Recently, a gentleman
from Germany wrote to me requesting permaculture contacts
in Germany;  apparently, he had written to numerous places
worldwide and had received no response or "return to sender"
on returned letters.  I'd like for people to know that, for
example, in my home state of Washington, the Permaculture
Institute of North America and the Maritime Permaculture 
Institute are apparently defunct, but apparently two other
groups are extant, Seattle Permaculture Group and
the Permaculture Implementors of Greater Seattle.
If you could test the system by adding a contact name or two
to the  global directory page, which is currently blank,
I'd appreciate it.

As the project evolves, I plan to add to the rationale document
to clarify how to use this new technology as painlessly as possible.
Questions and critiques are welcome.

Thanks much,

Michael
yount@csf.colorado.edu