An Earthquake Sub Forum - An Open Letter to Admin.

[Aretina]

I have just been advised that Ronald is on annual leave so do not expect an answer until his return next week.

Dear Ronald

I do hope that this letter finds you well and fully recovered from the flu.

I guess you had a very full intray on your return to work and may have missed all the many initiatives and hard work by forum members that has taken place since the terrible earthquake in Abruzzo.

I am copying in some, and by no means all, to illustrate the range and depth of their immaginations!


[quote=ronald;115840]ITALY Magazine will be looking to set up a joint project with an Italian association - also so as to ensure that money is not wasted on taxes and transaction fees. Right now if you wanted to simply collect money that is not under any specific regime and would have to be taxed unless it goes straight to a charity.
QUOTE]

Originally Posted by Carole B

Auntie Perce - that should be 'writ large'!

"Ronald, an update would be appreciated!"

Originally Posted by Moxie

Ok... All has gone very quiet in donation land soooo...

I will bung a fiver in the pot if somebody can tell me what Buffalo Bill called his gun?

But beware if you answer the question correctly you must be prepared to set the next question and cough up your own fiver if somebody gets it right

Will this work? Dunno ... Shall we give it a whirl?

Originally Posted by Angie and Robert

This is something Ronald mentioned, but there have been so many posts and so many threads that I didnt want it to get lost, and its something to think about now. The idea being (I think) that owners of holiday lettings out here donate a holiday to an auction run by Italy Mag, all monies to go to the earthquake fund.

To start the ball rolling we are more than happy to donate a week in our apartment, so lets get started, everyone has been so generous, and as theres no way I am a calendar girl its something else we can do.
A

Originally Posted by sarahandmark

LATEST UPDATE FOR FOOD DONATIONS:

For those of us living in the Amandola area, we have been to Conad in Amandola and still waiting for them to get back to us with regards to a collection for food donations.

In the meantime, we have been to Conad in Comunanza and they have been really helpful, setting up a donation area and translation our poster into Italian!

So any non-perishable food items greatfully received at Comunanza Conad until 6pm Thursday 9th April. The donations will then be taken by us to Macerata tomorrow night and then on to L'Aquila.

Please tell everyone you know living in the area, every little helps.

I will keep you posted with regards to Amandola Conad. For any more information you can pm us. Thank you.

Originally Posted by Carole B

Ronald I'm not going into all the 'ins and outs' that I, and many others, have been talking about just about everywhere else on Italy Mag...

This is a sincere plea for your assistance and is totally pertinent to this thread - begun by Aretina on the 22nd April...




As you can see, she said then that 'time had passed'- well now even more has. For those of us who, in one way or another, have been and are still involved in fund raising for Abruzzo - and might I add - are committed to CONTINUE doing so, the fact that you have not felt any urgency to maintain your promise is indeed a bitter pill to swallow.

'Perhaps' I can understand your reluctance to deal with 'certain other matters' that are semi sentational at the moment, but what I am talking about here is not about discipline, slapped wrists, banning, not banning, deleting, moving etc.etc.

No, not at all... I'm talking about a bunch of people who CARE DESPERATELY about all those earthquake victims and who could really, REALLY do with the helping hand from you that you promised us - 'like now man'!.

With the fund raising threads spead around in various places it is nigh on impossible to keep the momentum going...either from the organisers OR the participants. In a nutshell (which has never really been my way of expressing myself) what we need is:

THE SUB FORUM YOU PROMISED US!

Come on Ronnie - even you said it would be easy to set up - so why the continuing procrastination? Just for once please try and respond in a timely manner to what is now an URGENT request!

N:B: Copied to Ronnie in a PM as well!

We now have a tangled mess of earthquake threads and we respectfully ask that you, as promised, set up a sub-forum in order to bring not only order to the forum (in more senses than one!!) but to allow us to continue our efforts to raise not only money but awareness that the plight of the people of Abruzzo is not a short lived experience, it will continue for years.

Respectfully
Aretina

I have just been advised that Ronald is on annual leave so do not expect an answer until his return next week.

[Gala Placidia]

Dear Ronald and Team,
Further to what has been said by Aretina and by other Forum members, I do believe that a sub-forum is needed to concentrate not only threads and posts related to the Earthquake fundraising but also to give a dedicated space to any other community oriented assistance that Members may wish to give in the future.
The Abruzzo tragedy has triggered a sense of solidarity with people in need, but this feeling was already in the Forum and was waiting to be channelled. Unfortunately, the recent earthquake will not be the last tragedy that people in Italy may suffer; therefore, by giving the title of "Solidarity" to the sub-forum it will be there to be used whenever the need arises.
Thank you in advance

[Carole B]

Isn't it about time that all this 'nicey, nicey' pussy footing around stopped

and we instead asked, bluntly...

"If the pilot ain't in the cockpit, then who the heck is flying the blo*dy plane? Where is the 'co-pilot'?"

How can a site be run properly when the NCO's are denied any power and the foot soldiers are just left to flounder around while tremendous opportunities to help others are ignored and 'promises made' seem to mean little or nothing.

[Carole B]

Just think how much better this http://www.italymag.co.uk/italy/abruzzo-earthquake-how-you-can-help could have been one month after the start of the (mentioned as an afterthought?) 'Forum Members drive' on the 9th of April...

Instead of which it is now hidden away in the bottom right hand corner without so much as a title line.

That is nothing short of shameful!

[Cristiana]

Hi and thanks for your suggestions.

It's a great thing to see how non-Italian people are involved with an Italian tragedy.

We are thinking re the possibility of a sub-forum and will let you know as soon as possible.

Cristiana

[sarahandmark]

Wow - are we finally getting through?
Please do let us know AS SOON AS POSSIBLE, Christina - today would be good.

[alan h]

Originally Posted by Carole B

..............Instead of which it, [the 'box' leading to details of how to help with the Earthquake Appeal], is now hidden away in the bottom right hand corner without so much as a title line..........

I have steered well clear of getting involved in the 'action' by some on how IM has reacted to members' requests for more 'visibility' of the Earthquake Appeal etc

However, I do feel that the 'box' should be displayed in a more prominent position on the IM web page.

I assume that it was quicker [a relative term in this case] and easier to place it down in the 'small adds' section because of how the page is set up. BUT hopefully it will be possible to reposition it towards the top of the page, so that everyone sees it when they go on to the IM site [I for one almost never scroll down to the bottom of the page].


.

[adriatica]

alan

as regards the forum members action i too have stayed well clear...mainly cause i always seem to go my own way... and to be honest am not that good at jokes...

however on my screen when i go to the forum i get a big box at the top right hand corner

"Abruzzo earthquake how you can you help"

you click on this and it takes you to the a page with a link to the just giving area and promoting it as a forum started appeal

basically the most prominent area on the page to my mind... and if Ronald does this each time there is a cause then it seems to me that he is going at least half way towards what is wanted...

as regards other forum efforts... the march group have been extra ordinary... but regional postings often get lost... so people end up putting it on the main general one... always the most popular and with the highest number of posts...

if as this is an abruzzo specific subject it had all been tossed into the abruzzo regional area then it would have been pretty prominent for ever i would have thought... indeed any regional problem highlighted in the regional forums always seems to do ok... the toxic waste thread is a good example by russ... stayed there for ages...

anyway they are my thoughts... not for or against... either side... just all seems a bit of a shame when people either threaten or ignore...depending on your viewpoint ... bit like Italy in general i suppose

[alan h]

Originally Posted by adriatica

...........however on my screen when i go to the forum i get a big box at the top right hand corner

"Abruzzo earthquake how you can you help".............

Its near the bottom right hand corner on my page - odd that - suppose its down to how each computer is 'set up'?

Still at least its there.


.

[Noma]

however on my screen when i go to the forum i get a big box at the top right hand corner

"Abruzzo earthquake how you can you help"

you click on this and it takes you to the a page with a link to the just giving area and promoting it as a forum started appeal

It's prominently at the top on my computer as well- that's what I used to make my donations.