HTML Writers Guild Member Newsletter
Early July 1998

Volume 4 Number 6

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Volunteer Opportunities
2. Governing Board Memberships and Positions
3. T-Shirts Are Here
4. Your Input is Valuable!
5. Frequently Asked Questions about the HWG-News Newsletter

1. Volunteer Opportunities

The Guild is entirely volunteer-run, that means there are many opportunities for active members to become involved and help contribute back some of what you have gained from your guild membership. Volunteering is a great way to gain valuable experience, learn new skills and make friends.

Some of the positions available with the Guild are:

POSITION: Graphic Artist

REPORTS TO: Vice President of Marketing and Outreach, and Lead Graphic Artist
Hours: 5-25 hours per month, as required

RESPONSIBILITIES:

To serve as a staff graphic designer/artist on call as required for various Guild projects. Create new graphics and images as required for the Guild web site and various Guild projects and programs; create graphic designs for off-line printed materials including brochures, advertisements, and t-shirts; produce other graphical materials as requested; other duties as assigned. Graphic Artists will be part of team managed by the Lead Graphic Artist.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Creative artistic ability
  
• Proficiency with common graphics programs
• Ability to provide graphics in a variety of formats as required by Guild programs or projects
• Experience with graphical design for the web
• Marketing and advertising (off-line) graphic design experience
• Reliable and able to work within deadlines

Note that this is a _volunteer_ opportunity, not a paid position.

Interested parties may apply by sending a brief resume (text only) or URL to a web-based resume as well as a summary of relevant experience to:

site contacts

NO ART SAMPLES WILL BE ACCEPTED UNLESS EXPLICITLY SOLICITED.
Under no circumstances should attached images be sent.

POSITION: Book Reviewers

In preparation for the Guild's new online bookstore, we're looking to establish a list of potential computer/internet book reviewers.

To qualify, you must:

Be at least 18 years of age (document signing required)

Read and write in English at a professional level.

Have moderate to expert level experience in at least one related topic (graphics, HTML, design, Java, etc), in order to properly judge the quality of the content and advice given in these texts.

Be able to understand and follow writing style rules and apply templates as required.

Supply an acceptable writing sample that discusses topics of interest to web developers that is of no less than 2 pages (but please no more than 4), single spaced in RTF or MS Word format *only*, sent as an attachment. Samples of past published *computer related* articles or other writing highly desirable.

With your writing sample, please also submit:

A list of topics you are qualified to write about.
Your full name, shipping address, telephone number (home), any special shipping instructions.

This is a volunteer assignment. Copyright on all reviews will be granted to the Guild, bylines will be given. Texts will be supplied to you, but remain the property of the Guild and are expected to be returned (postage supplied).

Successful applicants will be notified that they have been placed in the reviewer database. We will contact you via email before shipping any materials to confirm your availability and level of comfort in the proposed topic.

Please send all materials to site contacts

POSITION: Online Classes Manager

Reports to: Vice President of Member Education

Hours: 5-10 per week after implementation, concentrated effort to launch program over next 2 months.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

In close cooperation with the VP/E, develop curriculum for the Guild's online training programs, review applications from potential instructors, assist instructors in producing class materials, supervise instructor assistants. Coordinate with the Book Store Manager for placement of required course materials. Coordinate with designated staff member for upkeep of classes area on eshare. Coordinate with Chat Events Manager for any events related to online classes. Provide reports and updates as requested by the VP/E. Other duties as assigned.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Clear, concise writing style (for providing directions and staff management via email)
• Knowledge of Guild operations and programs
• Ability to work effectively as part of a team
• Ability to complete assignments independently
• Be able to access to email/online connection daily (i.e. access should not be limited to a lab, a work-based computer, or other day/time restricted-access environment)
• Basic spreadsheet and database skills
• HTML proficiency
• Prior management skills desirable
• Prior teaching or administrative experience in an educational environment helpful

Application Process:

Send letter of interest and resume (resume required, ascii text in email or URL only, no attachments) to: site contacts

POSITION: Grant Researcher
(Contact: Ann Navarro, VP of Finance, site contacts)

The Guild is looking for a volunteer to fill the position of "Grant Researcher." This individual will report to the Vice President of Finance and Personnel.

Job duties will include:

• Conduct research to find grant opportunities that the Guild would be eligible for as a 501(c)3 organization from private and public sources.
• Assist the VP of Finance in completing the required application materials for those grants.
• Follow up and interface with granting entities as requested by the VP of Finance or Governing Board.
• Other duties as assigned.

Complete details are available upon request by sending email to ann@hwg.org. Interested parties should forward a letter of interest and a resume (text in email please, no attachments), to site contacts.

(Newsletter Table of Contents)

2. Governing Board Memberships and Positions

The Governing Board members are:

• Joe Cline President site contacts
• Gerald Oskoboiny VP/Information Technology gerald@hwg.org
• Ann Navarro VP/Finance and Personnel site contacts
• Kynn Bartlett VP/Marketing and Outreach site contacts
• Charlotte Crothers VP/Member Education char@hwg.org
• Leanne Phillips Secretary leanne@hwg.org
• Jim Barchuk Board Member jim@hwg.org
• Mike McGhan Board Member mike@hwg.org
• Fred Barnett Board Member fred@hwg.org
• Larry Behrens Board Member larry@hwg.org

We have one remaining open position on the Board for qualified candidates at present. If you are interested, please send a note to gb-search@hwg.org that includes your resume (text version please, no attachments) and a vision statement of how you see the Guild and your role within it.

Board members should have the following qualities:

• Familiarity with the way the Guild is managed, and the Guild's bylaws
• Member of the HWG for at least one year
• Any of the following desired types of experience:
• Business/Corporate
• Marketing/Public Relations
• Non-profit Organizations
• Virtual (Internet) Organizations
• Must be at least 18 years of age

As part of the Board, you will be expected to:

• Serve a term of up to three years on the Governing Board
• Invest a minimum of 10 hours per week in Board-related activities, and possibly more if asked to serve as an officer on the Executive Committee
  
• Contribute to setting the direction of the Guild through participation on the Governing Board's private discussion list, and effectively articulate your vision for the HWG
• Reach decisions based on the best interests of the HWG Inc. corporation as a whole, in cooperation with other members of the Board
• Be willing to travel (if necessary) on behalf of the Guild

Being on the Governing Board is a major responsibility and commitment, but it can also be very rewarding to shape the future of this organization. If you have any questions, feel free to direct them to gb-search@hwg.org.

(Newsletter Table of Contents)

3. T-Shirts Are Here!

You've asked for 'em -- we've got 'em: official Guild t-shirts! Display your Guild colors with these distinctive tees printed in full color on high-quality white cotton. Each t-shirt features the world-famous HTML Writers Guild logo on the front; you, too, can look like a web page!

These shirts debuted at Spring Internet World '98 in Los Angeles and were a big hit; now we're making them available as fundraiser for only $24 (shipping and handling included) within the U.S. or Canada, $28 overseas. Available in XL and XXL sizes.

A copy of the order form is available at:

http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/guildwear/

(Newsletter Table of Contents)

4. Your Input is Valuable!

Because the Guild is a membership-based organization, and we run on volunteer labor, it's important that the lines of communication between you (the membership) and the Governing Board stay open and uncluttered.

To this end, the Guild has created several avenues for members to voice their opinions on Guild operations and suggest new activities. These include:

* The HWG-Announce mailing list

While hwg-announce is a one-way announcement list, it's also the primary source of official Guild news besides the monthly HWG-News newsletter (which you're reading now). You're welcome to respond to any of the announcement or issues raised on that list by writing to any of the Governing Board members (previously listed in this newsletter), especially when 'RFCs' -- requests for comments -- are posted by the Board. For more information, please see:

http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-announce/

* The Guild's Online Suggestion Box (new!)

If you have an idea for a new project, a change to an existing Guild service, or some suggestions on which direction the Guild should be heading, you might want to use our online suggestion box form on the web, located at:

http://www.hwg.org/opcenter/suggest/

This is a general suggestion box for anything Guild-related that you would like the Governing Board to consider. Please keep in mind that this goes to all of the current Board, so take care to not over-burden the system. However, all suggestions will be acknowledged by the GB.

* Regularly Scheduled Town Hall Meetings (new!)

Each month, the Guild will provide an opportunity for real-time discussion and chatting via our new HWG Interactive server. These monthly meetings will be hosted by at least one member of the Governing Board (and likely most of them in attendance), and will give you, the members, the chance to voice your views about the HWG. The scheduling information for this first meeting is:

• Date: Thursday, 30 July 1998
• Time: 6:30 PDT, 9:30 EDT,
• Hosts: Fred Barnett and Leanne Phillips
• Location: HWG Interactive (TBA)

The details on how to connect to our interactive chat server (powered by eShare) will be announced at least a week before the meeting, on both hwg-announce and the Guild's website; these instructions were not available at the time this newsletter was written.

* Guild Issues Web Forum (coming soon!)

We will be announcing in the next newsletter our new web-based discussion forums; one of these bulletin boards will be devoted exclusively to Guild Issues. More details on this will be announced soon!

(Newsletter Table of Contents)

5. Subscription Information and other Frequently Asked Questions

Some questions you may be asking:

Q: Why did I get this mail?

A: You received this newsletter because you are a member of the HTML Writers Guild. This message came from hwg-news, the Guild's mandatory mailing list for all members. If you need more information about hwg-news, please see the List Charter at:

http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-news/index.html

Q. Why doesn't this newsletter talk about web design or HTML?

A. The newsletter is the Guild's administrative bulletin to the membership. If you are interested in the topics of Web design and HTML, then you might want to subscribe to some of our discussion lists devoted to those topics. More information on the Guild's offering of discussion lists can be found at:

http://www.hwg.org/lists/mailinglists.html

Q. How can I find out more about Guild activities?

A. The Guild has set up a one-way announcement list, HWG-Announce, that carries bulletins of day-to-day Guild business. For details on how to subscribe, please see:

http://www.hwg.org/lists/hwg-announce/

Q: How do I unsubscribe from hwg-news?

A: Since this is a required list in order to maintain your Guild membership, unsubscribing is the same as resigning from the HTML Writers Guild.

If you have your Member ID and password, to resign your membership in the Guild and to unsubscribe to hwg-news, visit:

http://www.hwg.org/member/resign.html

Fill in the pertinent information, and submit it.

If you don't have a Member ID, or have forgotten your password, send mail to:

site contacts

with a Subject of: Resign membership

In the body of the message, provide the following information:

• Your email address(es)
• Your member ID if you have one.
• The list of discussion lists you are on.

Please remember that unsubscribing to hwg-news automatically resigns you from the Guild. If you have problems with unsubscribing, please contact the Database Manager for help.

Q: What if I want to comment on the newsletter?

A: The HWG-News Mailing List is a "Read-Only" list -- please do not try to reply to this message directly.

If you wish to contact the editor of this newsletter, you may do so by sending email to editor@hwg.org. Each article begins with the contact information for the author as well.

This issue was edited by Shelly Ross; minor edits by Kynn Bartlett.

(Newsletter Table of Contents)

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