Avoiding Duplication of Efforts

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Well, believe it or not, RtV is in the process of appointing a liaison to work with CASAA even as we speak. ;)

I don't think this absolutely requires a liason from each organization, but a contact method consistent with each group's org structure. I'm betting most members of any one organization are likely to at least be peripherally related to one or more of the others, so basically anyone could take a liason role upon themselves, but we should have an established method of transferring a project from one group to another (and maybe taking it back if the other group doesn't move on it) and/or how to work together on some projects, or perhaps just to solicit for volunteers from other groups.
 

JustJulie

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I don't think this absolutely requires a liason from each organization, but a contact method consistent with each group's org structure. I'm betting most members of any one organization are likely to at least be peripherally related to one or more of the others, so basically anyone could take a liason role upon themselves, but we should have an established method of transferring a project from one group to another (and maybe taking it back if the other group doesn't move on it) and/or how to work together on some projects, or perhaps just to solicit for volunteers from other groups.

RtV works using a liaison model because, at least for us, it seems to be a more efficient use of volunteer time. If you have too many folks "liaising," you wind up with too many cooks in the kitchen, and the whole effort can become counter-productive. :oops:

Of course, the liaison model does not preclude other means of working together and communicating, and I'm sure those will be worked out. :)
 
RtV works using a liaison model because, at least for us, it seems to be a more efficient use of volunteer time. If you have too many folks "liaising," you wind up with too many cooks in the kitchen, and the whole effort can become counter-productive. :oops:

Of course, the liaison model does not preclude other means of working together and communicating, and I'm sure those will be worked out. :)

In a nutshell, we just need to communicate to one another what that method or those methods are so we can work with them when we need to.
 

Webby

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The "Lifestyle" section of CASAA constitutes our efforts to take action in the courts of public opinion.

To quote the great American theologian, Arthur Fonzerelli, "Exactamundo"

Lifestyle -User testimonials, shared experiences, tips, tricks and commentary from fellow users. Note: this is NOT a duplication of ECF - it is a source for non-frontpage-news items such as how-to guides (tea bag mods, stir stick mods, newbie tips) and feedback from fellow users worthy of being documented. Think, "things that are repeated every week in ECF") but with the benefit of a strong SEO effort that makes finding this information via the web quick and easy.

Quickly becoming one of my favorite subsections...

Remember, we all weave through these forums like a 19-year-olds through a rock concert crowd or packed bar. However, for many people, the web IS the internet. Following complex threads and dealving through awkward search tools (no offense SJ - I know the new site is addressing this issue) is simply not something they are going to do.

They attack the internet with the attention span of a ferret on fire. In web marketing, it's called the "3 click rule" If users have to click more then three times, they're gone.

In my mind, it was part of the genesis concept of CASAA. A web based version of the wealth of information already out there. Stuff I've gleaned only after months of learning (and earning) my way through ECF. IMHO, many people who aren't as devoted as we to e-cigs will simply chalk them up as a novelty or another gadget that took thier money.

Not because they don't care, but because there isn't a simple newbie web site with enough experienced user support to keep the actives interested until they could jump into the deep end of the information pool.

What we all know needs to be freely and easily available. (I've got an ECF "Sticky" of my own that I send to my existing retail-only customers that tries to answer all their newbie questions before they start asking them here.) Forums are incredible tools for shared user input, but if the only tool you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Many users show up on our shores with an overpriced kiosk kit and a ton of questions. The internet savvy ones are tossed into the lake and tread water until they cam swim. Many more flounder around awhile and simply don't come back.

WebTaxMan was asking in another thread about hoping CASAA wasn't just going to made of ECF members, to be honest - I'd like to see ECF gain thousands of members FROM CASAA, RtV and the ECA. The more people we introduce to "information alternatives" the better. If it sounds like I feel this web site is going to be one of our strongest tools it's because I honestly believe it is.

CASAA isn't the only e-cig advocacy group to embrace the web, we just have the resources to do it quickly and time is our enemy in this fight.

So far, RtV has follwed ECF's forum model for their publicly available site (although I understand they have their own web based initiative in the works). ECA has been acting on the legal front which has given it a wealth of knowledge that would take any of us years to build. This is in no small part CASAA's salvation because the lovely (and quite formidable) Mrs. Webby would hasten my demise if I dared take on aiding Lacey with indexing her library. (sorry Lacey, she knows where I live)

KB made a very valid argument (and one that I'm sure was on every webmaster's mind) when he asked why were duplicating every other site's content. Far from it, I envision a collection of links to sites with this information. The ECA houses legal and medical reports, RtV is a strong activism group, CASAA attempts to tread the muddied waters were users and suppliers meet. Personally, I intend to belong to all three groups if they'll have me. Not to conduct espionage against one another, but to liaison and join forces so we provide a solid front.

 
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LaceyUnderall

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Mrs. Webby would hasten my demise if I dared take on aiding Lacey with indexing her library. (sorry Lacey, she knows where I live)

LOL.... :)

Personally, I intend to belong to all three groups if they'll have me. Not to conduct espionage against one another, but to liaison and join forces so we provide a solid front.

We are all in this T O G E T H E R and there are different strengths from each of the groups and if the mission and goals of CASAA align with mine... I, and my company, plan on doing the same.

Many organizations work in conjunction with each other. Check out every single anti-smoking/anti-tobacco product petition or complaint to the FDA... They consist of a minimum of 2 groups.

What we also need to remember is that there are other groups out there already who are not electronic cigarette focused but tobacco harm reduction focused and we should make every attempt to embrace them as well. While our missions may be focused slightly different, we all DO have one thing in common and that is a Tobacco Harm Reduction philosophy that enables consumers to have a CHOICE as to their delivery method.
 

lordmage

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personally i am in favor of a free level and a paid or donation level and other methods of a group that does only one true thing. remove the nanny of government control to the personal choice and judgment of the people with foreknowledge of possible issues. in other words take the ECA and RTV and other groups and merge them under a single banner instead of treating each case separately. it will allow for all energy to go into the main body agenda which is to limit the government automatic control over freedoms of choice and speech. you get the point i hope. forgive spelling please touchpad mode.
 
Lordmage
One more addition to your post....I would extend my freedoms to also include the right to life (cigarettes kill) Liberty (my choice) and the pursuit of happiness (as 555 and caramel e-liquid put a big smile on my face!)
Bonnie:D

How outrageous !

;)
 

Webby

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personally i am in favor of a free level and a paid or donation level and other methods of a group that does only one true thing. remove the nanny of government control to the personal choice and judgment of the people with foreknowledge of possible issues. in other words take the ECA and RTV and other groups and merge them under a single banner instead of treating each case separately. it will allow for all energy to go into the main body agenda which is to limit the government automatic control over freedoms of choice and speech. you get the point i hope. forgive spelling please touchpad mode.

Lordmage,

Were we all of one like mind, I would agree wholeheartedly. One of the truly magnificent advantages of the internet is that it brings intelligent and differing opinions to a global table.

Suffice to say that the goals of the ECA, RtV and CASAA may be relatively identical, our underlying principals have enough deviation to warrant (albeit, slight) variations in our principals. Those deviations are enough (IMHO) to justify multiple groups – if for no other reason than to secure the participation of a disenfranchised portion of the populace that might otherwise not join the fight.

Over the past few weeks, I have spoken repeatedly with representatives of other advocacy groups, all of us jockeying for an understanding of each other and where we all play into the universal front. Whatever our differences, we are all united in a mutual respect for each others’ efforts, and a universal goal to keep e-cigarettes legal.

I am VERY pleased to openly say that CASAA may not always see eye-to-eye with ECA (or RtV), on every issue, which is a GOOD THING. It helps ensure that there is a check and balance within our own.
 

lordmage

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Lordmage,

Were we all of one like mind, I would agree wholeheartedly. One of the truly magnificent advantages of the internet is that it brings intelligent and differing opinions to a global table.

Suffice to say that the goals of the ECA, RtV and CASAA may be relatively identical, our underlying principals have enough deviation to warrant (albeit, slight) variations in our principals. Those deviations are enough (IMHO) to justify multiple groups – if for no other reason than to secure the participation of a disenfranchised portion of the populace that might otherwise not join the fight.

Over the past few weeks, I have spoken repeatedly with representatives of other advocacy groups, all of us jockeying for an understanding of each other and where we all play into the universal front. Whatever our differences, we are all united in a mutual respect for each others’ efforts, and a universal goal to keep e-cigarettes legal.

I am VERY pleased to openly say that CASAA may not always see eye-to-eye with ECA (or RtV), on every issue, which is a GOOD THING. It helps ensure that there is a check and balance within our own.


I can see the need for checks and balances but what i am saying is that while things like the ECA and RTV and other groups have their individual place and things to do. i think it would be more important to have a group has a whole that would not seprate a supplier from a manafacture from a end user and so on so there for the group would have an encompassing factor where in the members of ECA will be seens as a person and not a supplier and the members of RTV are seen as members and not more.

In short why separate a supplier from a end user in this group after all the goal is the rights of all and not just one. bottom line in order to keep e-cig legal we need a hugh group of people. some with professional ties and some that are just people with there story's and involvement. when you seprate people you weaken their standing when it comes to government each person doing one thing separately of a group is one thing but when you take a large number of people who have a group concenses you have something that the government can't simply just push aside. also by including other freedoms into this group agenda would open the available member pool to people besides e-cig users. i think the groups over all goal should be to support a persons informed choice regardless of what that choice is.
 
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