Thank you, Cary.   Storage (I have been using the term 'hosting'; is this
incorrect?) is precisely the need that INTERCOM wants to have filled.  As
you state, it is the pure and simple availability of space on the ICOM
server.  The Committees are and must remain responsible for content and
maintenance, as this ensure the individual character of each.

Thank you very much for the clarifications.  INTERCOM should be ready in
some 2- 3 weeks with our site.  Will you let us know what the procedure
will be - when you have a moment.

Nancy Hushion
INTERCOM

At 08:35 AM 26/04/2001 +0200, Cary Karp wrote:
>Commenting on the long-standing issue of ICOM suport for Committee
>Web sites --
>
>A decision has already been made to make space available on the
>central ICOM server for use by the Committees in the maintenance of
>their Web sites. The delay in the posting of the announcement of
>this is something for which I am largely responsible. My concern is
>that the intended scope of the hosting services would likely be
>subject to misunderstanding and thereby fail to bring the matter to
>a satisfactory conclusion. The recent comments on ICOM-L suggest
>that there is justification for this feeling.
>
>There is capacity enough on ICOM's central server (located in
>Stockholm) for a reasonable amount of space to be allocated to any
>Committee wishing to use it.  Expanding the storage capacity, if it
>should prove necessary, would be a trivial matter. There are
>significant security issues involved in increasing the number of
>people with privileged access to the server but these can be dealt
>with reasonably well by the use of inexpensive high-security
>software for the transferral of files.
>
>What ICOM cannot do is provide central assistance in the preparation
>or maintenance of Committee resources that are hosted in this
>manner. However desirable this may be, there are no available
>resources that can be allocated for the purpose. It is for this
>reason that I so greatly fear misunderstanding.
>
>Stating it as clearly as possible:  The provision of a central
>storage repository will in no way either enhance or diminish the
>ability of individual Committees to profile themselves on the Web as
>they see fit (within the limitations imposed by the software that is
>available on the server).  The provision of a central storage
>repository will in no way reduce the individual Committee burden in
>authoring, formatting and maintaining the material housed on its
>server. The availability of a central platform will not address the
>issue of providing the maintainers of Committee sites with access to
>the Internet.
>
>This having been said, any Committee that is able to designate
>someone with the requisite skills and the willingness to do the
>work, can be provided with a host platform on the central ICOM
>server. There is a further technical component to the delay that
>is rapidly nearing its resolution. As preparations for the launch
>of .museum are going into their final stages, a significantly
>expanded server facility is being established in Stockholm. The ICOM
>Web host is being upgraded in the process and, although anyone who
>wishes to do so is welcome to establish an "account" on the existing
>server, the holders of such accounts will be subjected to some
>inconvenience when their material is transferred to the new machine.
>
>I will gladly explain the advantages and disadvantages of sharing a
>centralized server but will wait until there been some response to
>what has been said above before proceeding. I will also be in
>Barcelona and will be pleased to participate in further discussion
>of this, there.
>
>Cary Karp
>Delinquent Processor of Draft Texts
>
>- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
>
>Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the
>archives at:  http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Change ICOM-L subscription options, unsubscribe, and search the
archives at:  http://home.ease.lsoft.com/archives/icom-l.html