OPN May 94                        -opn--opn--o
    _                           -opn--opn--opn--    fun, fun, fun
 ==| |==1600                   -opn--opn--opn--op   it's the infobahn...
   | |                         -opn--opn--opn--op
 __| |__1400                  -opn--opn--opn--opn-
   | |                         -opn--opn--opn--op
 __| |__1200                   -opn--opn--opn--op
   | |                          -opn--opn--opn--    OPN/EFN Population:676
 __| |__1000                      -opn--opn--o
___| |__________________________________.____________________________________
 __| |__800............................/:\...................................
   | |  ............................../ ! \..................................
 __|$|__600........................../  |  \.................................
   |$|  ............................/   .   \................................
 __|$|__400......................../         \...............................
   |$|  ........................../     |     \..............................
 __|$|__200....................../      .      \.............................
   |$|  ......................../               \............................
 __|$|__0....................../                 \...........................
  /$$$\ ....................../         |         \..........................
 ($$$$$)...................../                     \.........................
  \OPN/ ..................../           .           \........................
        .................../            |            \.......................


NEWSNET FILES WILL DISAPPEAR AND BE REBUILT WITHIN 24 HRS.

Due to some technical difficulties, the NEWS file system will have to be
rebuilt.  Clif is working on this now.  Your patience is appreciated.


OPN STAFF ON OVERLOAD AND BARELY COPING 

Sorry, but it's true.  Despite many offers of volunteer help, we can't
keep up with everything we'd like to.  As you may know, we still don't
have any paid staff.  The core group of volunteers are each getting
over a hundred e-mail messages a day which we do our best to handle
between other responsibilities.  If you've felt ignored, you're not
alone.  Despite the overload, we've made amazing progress on some
fronts in the last few days.  Details will follow soon.  For starters,
it looks like we'll be able to set up a public office in the Atrium
shortly, thanks to our friends at Dynamix.

You can help in several ways:

	1. Send money (of course see below).  We simply have to hire some
	full-time staff.

	2. Be self-educating.  Check out books on the Internet at local
	bookstores and read up on the various software programs you
	want/need to become proficient at.  As you learn more, you'll
	require help less often and be able to offer it more often.

	3. Form informal affinity groups.  The Ask-A-Nerd volunteers are
	already doing a lot of question answering, but if your friends
	are also using EFN, ask each other for help in solving problems,
	whenever possible.

	4. When you do find problems that require EFN staff attention to
	be solved, try to pinpoint the problem as much as possible before
	firing off an e-mail message.  Include suspicious program output
	if possible (use the CAPTURE feature of your communications software
	to save a session that shows the problem).

	5. Subscribe to efn_news and learn more about the problems
	we're currently trying to solve.  When you see something that
	is right up your alley, by all means jump in and help.  For
	example, we could really use a small team (say 4) of movers
	(literally pick up heavy things and drive them across town)
	with a truck.

We're doing the best we can, but we can use any help you can offer.
The month is half over, but we're not half way to our funding goal
yet.  Please mail a check today (payable "Oregon Public Networking" or
"OPN") to:

            OPN, Attn: Fundraising
            PO Box 1221
            Eugene OR 97440-1221

Please write your user-id (login name) on the check for proper credit.  
Thanks for your support.

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