Mike Ferguson's Blog (9)

TEN has been doing fairly well being more or less self-managed by the members. Occasionally, non-ephemera related blogs or discussions remain up longer than they should, but the spam is under control and we are growing, if at an ephemeral pace. It seems like a long time ago that I made a commitment to myself that if TEN exceeded 500 members I would have to find a way to more actively manage the site and create a slightly more lively experience for the members.

 

Well we have exceeded…

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A little over six months ago, TEN hit 100 members and I posted my thoughts on that milestone. It captured my feelings well, so I’ve featured that post since some of you (approximately 100) may have not read it:



http://ephemera.ning.com/profiles/blogs/reflections-on-100



In the last paragraph, after all of my “ephemeral” musings, I asked everyone to stick around, invite new members, and use use use the… Continue

New member Lee Kirk (Welcome Lee) inquires as to an orientation page that provides information about TEN and explains how to use some of its features. This tells me that we are moving past the early adopters. I will work on an orientation page and I invite everyone to post your ideas on what should be included. Early adopter don't mind a bit of a learning curve, but it's time to flatten it out so new members don't become inactive before they were ever active. Thanks.

Relative to how many focused social networking sites are out here on the internet, very few reach 100 members. TEN having reached 100 members speaks in part to that something none of us can quite put our finger on in any universal sense…that inherent appeal of ephemera and/or what ephemera reflects. I’ve heard many explanations but they all amount to personal testimony. And like all personal testimony, our reasons, or what we think our reasons, for being drawn to ephemera are a reaching out and… Continue

Ephemera Society of America Fellowship



The Ephemera Society of America invites applications for the Philip Jones Fellowship for the Study of Ephemera. This competition is open to any interested individual for research on any aspect of ephemera—material defined as transitory printed documents. It is expected that this research will further one or more aims of the Society: To cultivate and encourage interest in this material; to further the understanding, appreciation, and enjoyment of… Continue

Without going into too much detail, the software that runs the who's online/IM function was not running smoothly with the software that runs the network. There is a replacement program being designed right now and it should be ready this week for beta testing. I will re-install some version of who's online, hopefully with a chat or IM function, as soon as it is available and I have a little time. Thanks.

This networking site is like a dinner party. It’s held at my house and I have done my best to prepare. The space is adequate, I hope, and the food well prepared. I may even have some nice wine on the table. But the heart of the party, the breath and the life of the party is out of my hands. A party, if it is a party and not an entertainment, is its guests.



I can do my best to introduce the guests to each other and strike up a conversation here and there. I can make the… Continue

Okay, you’ve decided to try this social networking thing in support of your ephemera habit but, what now?

First, you don’t really need to do anything. You can come back now and then and just look around, read a few things, and move on. I’m hoping you’ll be more active than that, but if not, that’s okay. Here’s a few ideas on how to engage the community.



1. Get the picture? I’ve noticed we have a few “Quaker” members on the network, that is, people who have not posted an image,… Continue

As a collector of coffee-related ephemera, I find many advertisements in old magazines that are historically interesting and reflect important milestones in the evolution of the coffee industry in the United States. My question, which must be common but I have not yet found a written answer, relates to accepted practice among collectors as to when and old magazine should remain in tact, and when it can be "dismantled for its parts."



Generally, I have always tried to keep magazines in… Continue