the weakest links --- an invitation

[nick]

Hi Companions ---With Stone's Alexander just two months away I would expect heavy visiting of this website from November onwards. My intention is to improve or clean up the weakest paragraphs of pothos.org before the movie release date. Apologies for whoever wrote them. No offense intended, but I believe that some of those paragraphs are just remnants from the distant past of this website when it was still very young in the 90s.Here is my list of pothos.org paragraphs that would really require an update or a critical checkup. Whoever comes up with a better text, please email that one to nick at gaugamela.com and I will replace the current text with a better one. Here is my list of paragraphs that --- in my perception --- require improvement (after so many years...).http://www.pothos.org/alexander.asp?par ... D=21Please do not be annoyed about the fact that many of these articles appear to be written by Thomas. Thomas just collected articles by various authors submitted to the very old pothos.co.uk and published them. They were good at that time. I suspect they just might need an update.So: whenever you feel you could do better on those subjects, email me. Tell me which paragraphs should stay, which should go. Don't feel hesitant to tell me about other paragraphs (including my own). My main aim is: to have pothos.org be a smooth and reliable web resource once the movie rushes in.Regards ---Nick

[S]

Greetings Nick,It might be interesting to invite Pothosians to submit articles on these topics and post the best- or combine and post. A lot of editing work, but it would make for a fascinatng site.Regards,
Sikander

[nick]

Hi Sikander ---Exactly. That is my intention. I don't mind doing the editing work.I will admit that a few months ago I tried editing the "Bucephalas" paragraph. After a few lines and some research I gave up. Apparently I didn't love horses that much or I wasn't fascinated enough by the Great Beast, to really put together a better and comprehensive, inspirational paragraph.So this is a genuine invitation. Just as the subject line says.Regards ---Nick

[susan]

NickI've got half of Arrian transcribed, plus public domain versions of Plutarch, Justin, and many of the lesser Alexander sources. I should have the other half of Arrian done in the next fortnight - ( it's the 1893 version). Obviously these sources all take up many pages, so I don't know that putting it on Pothos is the answer - what do you think ?There doesn't seem to be a public domain version of Curtius, unfortunately.Susan

[nick]

Hi Susan ---Great to hear from you. My answer is: if it is good, we should publish. A simple jpeg-file still needs more computer space than a simple 10,000 words text file. So size should not be the problem.Regards ---Nick

[S]

Greetings Nick and hopefully, Andrew,Andrew, I think you could do a nice paragraph here, since you appreciate horses; if you do not want it, I could pick up the slack. Let me know, either way.I'll look at the others to see if there is anything in particular I could pick up. I think we have some good armchair scholars here, also, as well as historians, who could update the paragraphs.Tre? Halil? Susan? Linda? Amyntoros? Karl? Smitty? Dr. Pal? etc (No offense to anyone I left out)Regards,
Sikander

[Halil]

Nick
What might be a problem is bandwidth - do we know how much is allowed before Thomas gets charged more from the host provider? If too many people start hitting the site, it might become a serious issue.
Regards
Halil

[beausefaless]

Greetings Sikander,Thanks for your kind supporting thought. I initially observed the semi short paragraph by Bruce R. Hartshorn on Thomas's new (Pothos) website and with all due respect to Hartshorn I knew immediately the story of Bucephalus could have been told with more thought. I'm not surprised Nick tried to tackle this vague but thrilling story to me, I think there's less known about Bucephalus than all other subjects related to Alexander. I believe you are also well versed with knowledge of the equus (horse).We have some important projects around the ranch for the next three days but I'm sure you and I can come up with a good paragraph or two that would make Plutarch smile without drifting from logic. I'll start on this Tuesday and shortly after submit this article for your review and any contribution on your behalf would be appreciated.Best regards, Andrew

[nickw]

Andrew, great, I'm looking forward to it.Regards ---Nick

[nick]

Hi Halil ---It has been a long time since I've seen pothos.org statistics. The last time there were 22.000-plus unique hits per month. If the movie generates more visits, if, then it really doesn't make any difference how much paragraphs are included or how long they are: people just read a few that will satisfy their interest, then they move on. My issue is: if they visit just a few pages, what is written there should be really good. So I just made a list of paragraphs that, in my view, are to brief or to superficial to satisfy the taste of the avarage interested visitor.Considering the few websites that I own, I have learned never to be worried about bandwith as long as you publish texts. I only worry about large image files, audio files or video files etcetera. Once people begin to request these frequently, you'll notice you are approaching your maximum bandwith. As long as pothos.org mainly consists of quite basic text files, I suppose we have nothing to worry about.Regards ---Nick

[marcus]

Hi Nick,Thanks for the list - as I indicated before, I'll be glad to do what I can.I recently added sections on Craterus and the sons of Andromenes to the Main Characters; and in the next day or two I'll add Erigyius and Laomedon, too; so I'm happy to carry on with various biographical bits, providing more on those already there, and adding other new ones (and *very* happily leaving anything to do with horses to Sikander and Andrew!)All the bestMarcus

[amyntoros]

I'm taking a shot at the Seven Wonders list as an Alexander connection can actually be made to all of them. When completed, do I send it directly to Nick?

[nickw]

Hi Linda,Yes, directly to me... Please use nick at gaugamela.com or, if that provides an error (large files), use my work email: n.welman at fontys.nlRegards, and thanks for all the trouble you take! Indeed, the seven wonders list is more than overdue for a good Alexander-connected restyling...Nick

[jona]

Hi NickUpdating articles is not my strongest point. But I can add something new. I wrote an article on Alexander's death according to the cuneiform sources that may or may not be useful. Unfortunately, it is still in Dutch, so it will take some time before I can send it to you. (I need to translate it anyhow because I want to send it to the New York Review of Books.)You can also copy anything you need from my website and add it to pothos. The Persian Gate part may be useful for the pilgrimage part, perhaps.Jonahttp://www.livius.org/aj-al/alexander/alexander00a.html