re: sublists, archives, and access to pertinant posts

[C1J1Miller@aol.com]

How about getting specific individuals to write faqs (answers to frequently 
asked questions) for specific models/systems?  Alex recently wrote a good one 
on the type 44; there are some on the s-cars list and 20v list home pages.  
It's not a daunting task if you only have to do one car or one system (such 
as the hydraulic system; subgroups of this:  required fluids; the bomb; 
hoses; pumps; tightening the drive belt; diagnosis of problems...).

After someone has a go at it, post it and let others critique it and add to 
it:  add how to change the rack, where to get the rack, where to take the 
hoses to get replacement hoses made up, a list of what car/what hydraulic 
fluid, how to diagnose a bad bomb vs. bad servo, how to repair a leaking 
pump...

Then, post it on a central web site (say audifans.com).  Model specific web 
sites can then include it by referencing it's url, making updates and changes 
work on all the various sites.  As a web-based item, photos, sketches, etc. 
can be added for clarity.
Then get another person to organize the overall sites to allow you to easily 
flip among them all.

So, to search, you'd first look at the web site for your model, skim the 
index for the appropriate section, look up the solution/faq; then ask for 
clarification on what's unclear.  If you end up with a better solution, you'd 
then post it, cc'ing whoever acted as editor for the faq.

Much of this is already in place.  Looking for your answer in this manner is 
much faster and better than searching some huge collection of archives... 
especially as the archives start getting placed onto many different 
locations.  Using the same examples:  say my "brake" light stays on at 
startup.  I go to the 200q20v sublist to search archives:  oops, there are 
none.  OK, how about the v8 list?  don't know how to check them.  Now on to 
the 20v list: oops, they're done by date, as is the current quattro list 
archives and s-cars list.  So, none of the archives help me out, unless I 
happen to pick the right date group to search.  After a dozen tries, it's 
back to whatever list (or all of them) with a cry for help.  Even when the 
quattro list archive search worked, it would find way too many unrelated 
items (search for brake light and get lots of posts about metal master brake 
pads, UFO brakes, Big Reds, bleeding brakes, needing to fix the glove-box 
light or license plate light to get the tailights to work, and posts on 
corrosion and bad grounds in tail light clusters.  Oh, and the broken wire in 
the trunk hinge thingy.  Not to mention every other "how do I..." post that 
mentioned brake light.  And this post, of course.  Now, what was I looking 
for again?
chris