I'd like to thank everyone here for their input on this discussion.
I think most of these suggestions and ideas have come up before in one form or another, and I'd like to state my position on such things.
First, I'd like to dispel any illusions that I am some sort of HTML jock who knows much about web site construction or programming. Yes, I did initially create the PAMPA website back in 1996. It was made (in my normal fashion), by the crudest possible means - a text editor and "borrowed" HTML sources from a few sites I liked. That tradition of crudity has continued, although others (e.g. Bill Huang) have worked on and improved the site, including adding frames. I'd have to attribute the bulk of the existing site to Bill Huang's cleanup and creation.
Yes, I did write a crude little C program to update the PAMPA Email Central page, it accepts database output files which Shareen emails to me every month or so, and builds the new page.
And yes, I do occasionally add and modify things on the site. I have to tell you that I still do much of it with a text editor, and have only started using Mozilla's built in HTML editor recently. I use FTP to upload and download the corrections.
I hope you have figured out that I'm the PAMPA "webmaster" mostly by default.
That said, I understand perfectly the sentiments expressed here. The ability to purchase things directly off the web site would be great. I personally don't understand what is involved, but it certainly has to be a completely secure system, and one which gets immediate service. I had always been under the impression that such things cost MONEY, but perhaps not.
Now, I know that we have PAMPA products, but I'd like us to ask a serious question: do we have enough PAMPA products to warrant such a feature (and expense). I know Curt Nixon stays busy keeping up with it, but I think this is a fair question.
I think it is something for PAMPA leadership to decide and be prepared to pay for it if needed.
Some comments on the idea of Stunt News electronically, an idea I also find very attractive myself. But it is also something which involves some effort and the proper tools. While it may be possible for Tom's version of Quark or whatever he uses to directly export PDF files, this would need to be verified with Tom. And we'd also have to verify that Tom (or someone else) is willing and able to do it - it involves a lot more than exporting PDF files.
BTW, not all programs export perfectly to PDFs, even the ones which install the Acrobat writer support (versus virtual printer). As an example, Microsoft Word has a mind of its own and frequently mungs and otherwise corrupts pageanation, figure placement, etc. It isn't perfect. (But it works tolerably well.)
I personally feel that PDFs are lovely but completely impractical for electronic distribution over the net, considering the large number of folks who are using phone lines and modems. The PDFs are likely to be quite large (multiple megabytes) and simply not practical. The most practical means I have observed for such things as magazine pages are the GIF/JPGs like the AMA uses, simply photocopies of a page. But.. I retrieved a 10-page Fancher article on the Imitation the other day and IT TOOK QUITE A WHILE..
Just my opinion, but whatever you try to distribute over the internet will have a potential bandwidth problem..
I still love PDFs. They work out beautifully distributed on a CD (did I hear someone chime in DVD? 
). Several of you have received a Cunningham's Greatest Hits CD from me, which has a self-starting built in Acrobat reader <probably illegal> that (usually) starts up and presents a table of contents, which you can pick links to open various files of my articles. It's doable, some work, using the Acrobat Writer program to generate the PDFs. And a CD holds plenty. I've just experimented, but I think this is a great medium.
But, questions arise. Who is going to do the transcriptions? How are they going to do it, particularly on older past issues? Surely you are going to want to buy all the previous issues of SN on CD! Who is going to do the CD burning, labeling, billing and mailing? Aren't we going to have people cloning the CDs like crazy? There are a whole group of logistic and distribution problems. Remember, PAMPA is supported entirely by UNPAID volunteers.
I cannot speak for Tom Morris. I do know he continues to do a sterling job on SN, and I know he also runs a business and is quite active. He needs to be ASKED properly to take on such additional work. It's not fair to speculate about it without Tom directly involved.
As for the PAMPA website, I'd love to turn the keys over to anyone with some serious time and effort to donate to improving it. I simply cannot deal with it much nowadays.
But. But. I've discussed various improvements in the past with folks who were quite enthusiastic until they realized the efforts involved. (One suggests I need to get Microsoft Front Page and get with it.. I'd love to have him demonstrate.)
Whoever volunteers to do things, before I give out passwords I'd like to know is a PAMPA member and someone trustworthy (I think that includes most everyone here). You understand.
One of the first obvious little baby steps we could take would be to convert all our airplane picture graphics files over to thumbnails, which would entice more folks to look. Even that first step would be a welcome start.
As far as web design, I'd love to see someone (an expert) make a fresh start and clean up all the junk and bad design on the existing one. Who wants to do it?
Anyone sincerely wishing to work on the PAMPA web site will find me very cooperative and willing to help in any manner, and I will make it accessible to them.
My involvement has to be minimized, particularly in the next few months, as I will be "out of pocket" for awhile.
Feel free to contact me by email at [email protected]
[photo not recovered: 3e69bb3870f12ad5.jpg]
"This shoe fits like a glove" -Yogi Berra
Steve