Hi to All Covers :bigwave:
:hbday: Happy belated 10 yrs anniversary & Kudos to all the founding members and supporters.:applause:
My first search encounter for “Quality forum” on this web site did not impress me much. Personally, it’s visuals & graphics was most deceiving, as it hiding numerous gems inside. Only after a few more visits, did I began to realize its value and potential for those who selflessly seek to improve one another.
:2cents:, can I invite all to crack our brain and know-how to make this noble site even better, if at all possible at this juncture.
May I start by making a few suggestions in line with normal organization model
1. Cove Vision: mission, objectives etc
2. Cove Leadership: Organization chart with national, regional & international roles for CEO, COO, CIO, CFO, Education, Membership, PR, Development, Charter etc
3. Cove Strategies: annual reports, review, promotion and awards for best of anything month/year etc
Lastly forgive me if I am a bit direct at this, as I am :bonk:
1. possibly ignorant and behind by a few thousand steps/miles, as the above might probably already be in best order,
2. and not used to such open and constructive environment.
3. projecting questionable intentions and actions.
:thanks: and Best Regards :o

We have discussed these things at length in several threads. For example, see Suggestions for Improvement - January 2006 (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=14750).

Part of the problem (most of it) is the site and forums is just me and unpaid moderators. It doesn't make much money so while your suggestions are along the line of those others have put forward, someone would have to come up with some serious venture capital.

I'm sorry the visuals and graphics appear 'deceiving' (although I'm not sure what you mean by this). Were the forum making a lot of $ I could hire a graphic artist and/or web designer to really shape things up.

Remember, this is just a little site. It is not a 'professional' site set up with profit in mind as, for example, the isixsigma site (at significant cost, I'm sure). Nor do I have people paying US$100 a year or more to be members, as is the case with the ASQ site. I'm not a business man. Just an old man trying to keep a web site online.

Considering the limitations, any suggestions you have will be considered and appreciated.

Personally, it’s visuals & graphics was most deceiving, as it hiding numerous gems inside.

Does the above mean that although the layout and graphics of the site is very basic, the content is very good?

Hi Marc,
:thanx: for your frank reply. I hope I am in better position soon to contribute more. Nonetheless, as a small effort from my end, I am recommending about 20 colleagues in my own industry to check this site out. Hopefully they can help add some values to Oil & Gas Society and all Covers at large.

:2cents: more suggestions
1. A button on this site to recommend others/friends directly
2. Capability to identify/sort/filter Member Sector Specific of any thread
3. Drive/push as requirement/incentive to recomend others such that it will grow much bigger and stronger faster and hopefully bring in needed revenue and even greater ideas and action for self improvement.
4. Vote/nominate appointment holders or volenteers to help run some show

:caution: Marc, you lead, we follow, we shall leave nothing less than a legacy.

Cheers:beerdive:

Would we then have to be audited by a 3rd party to new ISO standard for forums and use thereof? Could we still just throw in our professional opinions without fear of nonconformances?:mg: Would we have to exclude puns and occasional chatter, or humor?:rolleyes:

Dinselong,

Hi, and welcome!

As far as you suggestion about appointing folks to help out, Marc has several of us who have been hanging around here a while who he has asked to be Moderators. We are unpaid, and we help keep the site running as smoothly as we can.

As far as growth goes, it has been steadily increasing, as well as becoming more international in scope. Although I don't have any hard numbers to prove this, I think that all who have been around here for a while will agree.

So, dive right in, learn, and have fun.

dinselong

To be perfectly honest, I'd almost like to start another site from 'scratch. This site has evolved over the years and I'm not a programmer. I never envisioned what it has become. It has just sorta happened. In the beginning I learned some html and hard coded all the pages.

It was never intended as a business. It was something I did in hotel rooms back in the days where I was on the road and only got home 1 or 2 weekends a month. So - It is what it is. Something I keep going.

A complete site redesign and all that would be nice. But like I say, I'm not a professional 'web master' or coder any more than I am an 'astute businessman'. So - It would cost a lot. Last year the site brought in about US$26K gross. Not a lot of money is left after server and related expenses such as domain fees, software fees, consultant fees when I have server problems I can't solve, etc., etc. Not to mention the time I put in. It it wasn't for the Google Adsense revenue this site wouldn't be online (No - That is NOT an invitation to click ads just to get some revenue for the site - Doing so could get me banned from Google. But if you do see an ad that interests you now and again, by all means check it out.). Last month I think about 6 people donated ($ Contributors) - I found a few years ago that few people are willing to donate $ so that's not a significant income source.

I do think a good business person, with some money, could make a much more profitable site. And I'm always willing to listen to anyone interested. Over the years many people have contacted me and told me it's a 'gold mine', etc. They all wanted 'in' but no one wanted to invest the time or money.

As it is, I'm lucky because I have several income sources and am sorta semi-retired. BUT -- This site requires a lot of my time for maintenance alone, not to mention doing things like retitling threads (oh, how many people title threads such as "Help me!") so that they are picked up easily in searches and so that people scrolling through the forums can more easily see what a thread is about (and thus whether they're interested in reading it). Not to mention daily e-mails from people who have forgotten their passwords and do not use the link to reset their password. And those who have other problems and "How do I" questions. Summary: There's more behind the scenes than most people realize. A web site does not 'run its self' as many people tend to believe.

And none of that addresses daily and weekly server maintenance, including site and database backups, or responding to events like the reacting to the scraper that 'visited' today which was requesting almost 400 pages a minute.

If you haven't read through The Elsmar Cove Web Site (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=6641), please take a minute and do so for some more details.

Everyone should thank the moderators for donating their time. I could never do this alone. And remember, the moderators donate their time - Moderators are NOT paid.

If you are interested in jumping in and helping out, see this thread: Are you interested in helping out as a Moderator? Moderator Requirements (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=10012).

If you are interested in helping in the Wiki here, please see this thread: The Elsmar Cove Wiki Questions Discussion Thread (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=15287) and this thread: Elsmar Cove Quality Assurance BOK (Body of Knowledge) Wiki (http://elsmar.com/Forums/showthread.php?t=15007).

Yes - There are lots of 'hidden gems'. It does take some work. Searches (http://elsmar.com/Forums/search.php). Looking through the Post Attachments listing (http://elsmar.com/Forums/fileslist.php). Reading through threads.

The Elsmar Cove may not be what it could be, but I do think it has a lot of valuable information and that there are one heck of a lot of people who help each other out.

Dear Marc, Super/Moderators & Administrators, :bigwave:
I would like to moderate, pls let me know how.
My special interest are those matters related to Oil & Gas Sector where I think I could be most useful.
With this features such as identify/sort/filter of sector in any thread, moderator could minimise workload and also afford more prompt responses. I guess:topic: :thanks:

BUT -- This site requires a lot of my time for maintenance alone, not to mention doing things like retitling threads (oh, how many people title threads such as "Help me!") so that they are picked up easily in searches and so that people scrolling through the forums can more easily see what a thread is about (and thus whether they're interested in reading it). Not to mention daily e-mails from people who have forgotten their passwords and do not use the link to reset their password. And those who have other problems and "How do I" questions. Summary: There's more behind the scenes than most people realize. A web site does not 'run its self' as many people tend to believe.

And none of that addresses daily and weekly server maintenance, including site and database backups, or responding to events like the reacting to the scraper that 'visited' today which was requesting almost 400 pages a minute.

Everyone should thank the moderators for donating their time. I could never do this alone. And remember, the moderators donate their time - Moderators are NOT paid.


The Elsmar Cove may not be what it could be, but I do think it has a lot of valuable information and that there are one heck of a lot of people who help each other out.

Mark:
I for one am exceedingly grateful for the cove and all of the individuals that participate in this forum.

I now visit regularly and continue to absorb as much as I can while trying to contribute in some small way without showing too much of my minimal knowledge.

This site helped me through one of the most difficult things (work related anyway) I have had to accomplish :17025:2005.


"Remember, this is just a little site. It is not a 'professional' site set up with profit in mind as, for example, the isixsigma site (at significant cost, I'm sure). Nor do I have people paying US$100 a year or more to be members, as is the case with the ASQ site. I'm not a business man. Just an old man trying to keep a web site online."

I would hate to see anything interfere with the free flow of information and opinions that happen here. Such opinions and on occasion “lively” discussions enable novices like me to form our own opinions on the best way to handle our own situations.

Dear Marc, Super/Moderators & Administrators, I would like to moderate, pls let me know how.

My special interest are those matters related to Oil & Gas Sector where I think I could be most useful.

With this features such as identify/sort/filter of sector in any thread, moderator could minimise workload and also afford more prompt responses.:
Let me consult with the moderators about this. In part my concern is you have just registered here in the forums, and I would probably have to open a sub-forum. Not a big problem, but something to think about.

In the mean time, use the Other Specifications, Standards, and related Requirements (http://elsmar.com/Forums/forumdisplay.php?f=43) forum for Oil & Gas Sector related posts.

Dear Marc, Super/Moderators & Administrators, :bigwave:
I would like to moderate, pls let me know how.
My special interest are those matters related to Oil & Gas Sector where I think I could be most useful.
With this features such as identify/sort/filter of sector in any thread, moderator could minimise workload and also afford more prompt responses. I guess:topic: :thanks:


OK, what do you have to offer?

Additionally, how much have you seen here related to your specific area of expertise?

BTW...why not introduce yourself a bit?

OK, what do you have to offer?

Additionally, how much have you seen here related to your specific area of expertise?

BTW...why not introduce yourself a bit?

BTW...why not introduce yourself a bit?

Background: I am involved in all local major shipyards, beginning as yard representative….. and later as customer representative, all along in quality discipline. To see for myself how a smaller ‘mom & pop’ outfit ticks, I had also worked full time in a newly listed smaller engineering company.

Reportedly having captured 70% of global market share of offshore structures upgrading, conversion and construction projects, I believe the overall local quality standard and culture has gone a long way since. Nonetheless there still room for improvement, especially with the new notion of being market leader and opposition of ideas are not a common sight here.

We need to seriously rethink, :confused: before irreparable damage is done, the general culture and attitude of quality as just “necessary evil” held by some shipyards, customers and accreditation bodies. As is, some customers are doing away with project quality manager/advisor/engineer and maintain only inspection personnel on sites. As such and at times, Clients’ specifications/directives/requirements/feedback /complaints etc are conveniently ignored by various parties. This just show how serious the problem has been.

IMHO, due to tight schedule, budget and plain ignorance, quality is becoming the immediate casualty, not to mention mutual goodwill and professionalism of parties involved. The situation is made worse with new management practices such as balanced score cards and people development, clients/3rd party testimonials etc being taken at their face value. :bonk:

Out of this concern and out of moral responsibility of being quality professional, it is my humble hope we can jointly, locally and globally turn the tide around. Quality, I hope has come a long way beyond accept or reject to one of business and social responsibility and fulfillment. This could only happen with open and wide participation of those within the industry. With forums such as Elsmar Cove, there is one less excuse not to share and contribute. ;)

OK, what do you have to offer?

Comparing to most of you guys, I am probably the least informed. This could be due to the environment of business compliance and norm, rather than total management excellence, which I am still seeking, at least in commitment.
So far, I had encouraged as many of those I know to partake in this forum and hopefully they will in turn help to expand participation further. In another words, my contribution would be their participation and feedback, hopefully a bit of my moderations.

Additionally, how much have you seen here related to your specific area of expertise?

So far I had seen various topics that could be beneficial, albeit 5% relevance. Not pretending to know the good practices of other industries and the total content of Elsmar Cove, I would like to effectively convey relevant information and problems in easily understood formats. While some say standards are the worst way to do things at this moment, I believe the real time ideas from all around are most effective way forward.

Case in point, while ISO 29001 do provide supplementary requirements and good practices over ISO 9001 for the oil & gas industry, I am confident there are various good practices and plain common sense we could effectively identify and adopt.

Your kind prompt and correction. is much appreciated :thanx:

PS: :topic: Meanwhile, with regards to original suggestion of Marc providing Grand Vision and we supporting with supporting plans and actions, any takers? :magic:

Hi dinselong and welcome to the Cove :bigwave: ,

I am sure you will find a wealth of information at this site.

I think it is important that you understand something vitally important about the Cove….this is a web site paid for by our host, Marc Smith. Everyone works on a volunteer basis to help in sharing the knowledge. Most moderators have come to be after spending some time on this site, contributing to posts, sharing information and helping others. I applaud you for wanting to jump in and help.

Developing a “Grand Vision”???? Already been done…read what this site is all about…People helping People.

Your kind prompt and correction. is much appreciated

Not sure what you are asking for. Could you clarify?

I look forward to your posts in areas other than this thread.

Well said, Carol! :applause:

I think it is important that you understand something vitally important about the Cove….this is a web site paid for by our host, Marc Smith. Everyone works on a volunteer basis to help in sharing the knowledge. Most moderators have come to be after spending some time on this site, contributing to posts, sharing information and helping others. I applaud you for wanting to jump in and help.

So true. I sometimes wonder if I spend more time here than I should, but I chalk it up to professional development. This site has been a great tool for me to learn from, but even greater when I receive recognition that I'm doing things okay...it's a wonderful feeling, recieving peer acknowledgement that I'm on the right track.

Developing a “Grand Vision”???? Already been done…read what this site is all about…People helping People.

And what could be grander than that? And it's so simple! A Grand Vision does not need to be grandiose and verbose...sometimes, true grandness is found in simplicity.

When you consider the multi-national state of our members, the simple statement of "People helping people" is easy to translate and easily understood by all.

Not sure what you are asking for. Could you clarify?

I look forward to your posts in areas other than this thread.

Not sure what you are asking for. Could you clarify?

Upon further scrutiny, I begin to see how far The Cove had developed and how far behind the oil and gas sector in terms of indepedence, opinions and open forum and contributions are concerned. :bonk: That is why I humbly requested for greater participation and membership from this sector, and possibly thru Marc's help make it all possible. As Tom Peters put it, "impossible" dreams that become (more than) possible. In another words translate this success into oil & gas sector also, without reinventing the wheels, but just another wheel to drive all of us along. :biglaugh:

Again thanks to Marc and all. Only Heaven can truly reward your noble cause. :agree1:

PS: Should I restart this as a new thread? :confused:

Make a statement, ask a question, express an opinion. See where it goes from there.

PS: Should I restart this as a new thread? :confused:

No - no need to "restart" but you could begin a new thread here...

Various Other Specifications, Standards, and related Requirements (http://elsmar.com/Forums/forumdisplay.php?f=43)

under

National and International Business Standards (http://elsmar.com/Forums/forumdisplay.php?f=4) http://elsmar.com/Forums/images/misc/navbits_finallink.gif (http://elsmar.com/Forums/forumdisplay.php?f=43) Other Specifications, Standards, and related Requirements

Encourage your colleagues to post in your thread and to use the other boards to research how manufacture's have addressed some of the similar issues.

Dear Marc
Please accept my appreciations. Good site
I have already requested many of my contacts to join
GEMS ARE ALWAYS HIDDEN. Need effort to dig them out