What It Is All About

Let us say first off that what this is all about is very simple:

A USA BASED COMMUNITY similar to UKAA, or TAA, or KAA with our own voice and mode of operation and management style.

Don't you think its about time?

Don't you think this should have been done a long time ago?

Don't you think that US Pilots have been bashed enough on some other community boards?

Don't you think that events, activities and so forth . .in a USA BASED TIME ZONE would be much better for USA Squads and Pilots?

Don't you think its about time a USA Community joins the International Communites and contributes to this fine game?

Now is the time WE, the USA Squads, can take steps to declare our independence and how WE want our community site run and managed. Now is the time for a USA Community to join in and contribute to a World Wide AA Community set. Now is the time for a USA Community to step up to the plate of AA.

I have often wondered why a game such as AA that has a majority of USA pilots does not have its own home airfield. Why is this? It is my opinion that folks have listened to the doom and gloom of other community sites and 'how it won't work and why" for far too long. It will work, and work well. These other communities are looking out for their interest and their local country members.. as they should!. Although they have done a fine job including all nationalities and especially USA pilots bottom line is they take care of "home interest" first .. using their style of fairness and management. There is no negative complaint here, it is just the way I see thing over years of "observation".

I have seen several post about or something similar to "Should there be a USA community". What I see in replies is mostly from non-usa pilots. Most of those replies go on and on about how it won't work and will split up the AA community. Doom and Gloom. A recent poll on the UKAA forums addressing such a topic .. should have in all fairness only allowed USA pilots to respond! It is my feeling that the 'blinders" are on. It is my feeling when a UKAA and TAA communities have fewer USA pilot traffic through their sites .. they will have MORE TIME to concentrate on recruiting THEIR countrymen into the game of AA .. thus resulting in MORE PILOTS into this fine game .. ie... GROWTH .. not less. they will have more time to enhance and improve their own home system. In some respect, the USA pilots being a majority, have bogged the UKAA and TAA communities sites down servicing USA pilot needs. In my opinion, in the long run, everyone will benefit from a USA Community!

It is time .. and you know it deep down. Setting up a USA based community correctly the first time, with good management is key to success. WE can do this. With the talent level that exists on USA Squads at this time .. our potential is awesome. WE can.. and should do this NOW.

Why has a USA Community not come into play as yet?

Simple answer: No one took the time to do it. No one stepped up and put a package together to present to US Squads. No one really saw the need. No one wanted to breach all the politic or put the effort in. That is the simply truth as I know it.

I have put all this together as well a well thought out plan, both short and long term.

Will the UKAA, TAA, KAA and Ketsujin Studies sign on to this USA Community concept?

Yes they will, and have in concept. There is very strong support at TAA. KAA has no clue, but no objections. Ketsujin Studios actually wants this type of thing to happen. UKAA I have mixed feed back from .. and clearly no official type of feedback. Trust me .. they are aware.

As for a web site and a place to call home. Tides of War will provided the server hosting at no cost with a 2 year commitment of support. Tides of War has also agreed to provide some basic services that the USAAC might need/require. Tides of War provides these hosting and services with no strings attached providing that the basic ToS and CoC of Tides of War is not breached. ToW CoC and ToS is basically the basis that any site would use with an attached "Be a Good Guy" type of CoC.

As to web site design and building, I have already done this work as well in 'basic' form. A Starting point. I have also purchased a domain -- www.airattack.us -- that appears to me to be almost the perfect domain name for the USAAC. The USAAC site is currently pointed at tidesofwar.net so no further expense is needed. It is a good starting point. The site works and is fully functional .. but not advertised. The overall site design is one to be 'portable' or movable to any hosting company. We would loose some functionality, but it is most doable.

How to fund a new organization?

Lets face it, no community or organization can exist without some source of funding. We have NO funds at this point. If we were to try and raise funds for web design, hosting, etc I doubt we would get very far. I doubt any Squad would be willing to provide start up funds. Later as the Community grows and is established, perhaps donations from members and squads would cover costs. Frankly at this point .. no funds. Therefor we must have squads and members donate their time, talents and services. For this reason, I have taken the approach that I have with hosting via ToW and doing the site myself. So currently we do have a starting package we can use "as is" without discussion of cost and how to fund it all.

How will the USAAC be run and managed?

I would like to put that in a topic to itself. Here let me say it is my vision that the first 6 months are critical. I suggest that each squad that signs up.. that the CO of that squad joins the USAAC Mgmt Team and that this team represent the VOICE of all of USAAC. After the initial Six month I would think we could open all big discussion to the USA Community members in general.

During the first Six months of USAAC the Mgmt can assign to the group in total or a task group the assignment of formulating the basic charter, rules, etc.

Also, I would suggest that ALL USA based sysops, refs, etc .. be included within the USAAC. WE must as we do not want to rock boats etc., a smooth transition is needed. As the USAAC moves along .. naturally the 'system' of Ketsujin Launch etc .. will provide that the USAAC have a Representative, Sysops and Refs ... how this exact process will work it not known to me at this time as I don't have hands on experience with that process in the past. But, I am sure it will be a fair inclusion same as any other community would have.

Closing Comments

Everything stated here is up the squads that join up. I don't have all the answers and can't forsee the future. What I have done is thought it out and made plans.. best I could in solo mode. A USA Community has been my dream for some time.

What say you all? Are you ready to stand up and support an effort?

Respects,

Todd "Tbar" Markham

CO BSS

During the first Six months of USAAC the Mgmt can assign to the group in total or a task group the assignment of formulating the basic charter, rules, etc.

It is time to get this all "proper".......

Please read the above again plus the proposed charter.

The only way I will ever donate money for USA Air Attack site, if it was separate from TOW site. Meaning get our US Air Attack forums off TOW's forums. Which should been indenpent from TOW in the first place.

Nitro,

I am unaware of you being a CO or XO of any registered squad here at USAAC. Kindly refrain from posting in forums that are not meant for you. There are proper places for you to make posts and express your opinion, etc.

If you are a CO or XO of a USAAC registered Squad .. I apologize, but please register said squad or enlighten us about same.

You are a 'moderator' and thus have access to several forums because many of these forums are not yet completely private. Many have the same password to keep things simple on the users. As we organize only CO's will have access to this area. As explained to you when you became a moderator .. just because you have some privilege.. does not mean you are authorized to post in that area. And as was further explained to you all areas you do have access to are completely confidential and not to be discussed in public or with non staff members. Don't abuse that trust, we have a hard enough time keeping staff I certainly don't want to see you removed you from those duties.

The only way I will ever donate money for USA Air Attack site, if it was separate from TOW site. Meaning get our US Air Attack forums off TOW's forums. Which should been indenpent from TOW in the first place.

I don?t want to stick my nose into this but please allow me to add my 2p worth:

Over at TAA-website, there are 3 admins (Babsack, TANK and myself) who are paying the host for the site (which is a fiver/ monthly for each). There is an additional person (COB_Eddy), who sponsors the ?TeamSpeak?- server (which is a tenner per month).

So you can have it for 25 bucks alltogether over here but I naturally don?t know the costs for such stuff over in america.

All work on TAA-website is done voluntarily. Nobody earns only a single cent and we don?t ask for donations. But of course, it is everyones right to add a ?donate? - button to their site(s), so do the brits at the UKAAC webby. Some may can?t effort the 25 bucks and some may ask: why should I ? They want to have fun, they?re many and if we share the fun, we can also share the costs and a donation isn?t a ?must?.

What I want to say is the following: it doesn?t matter who hosts an AA - related website and most important is not the money, which costs such a website (really: 25 bucks isn?t the world, is it ?) but the ?owners?of such a website have to be either ?independent? or better: there is more than only one owner but (as we have it at TAA) 3 owners of 3 different ?squads?. At the very beginning there was alot of distrust and indeed there were attempts to create ?advantages? for certain squads but since we are all equal and do supervise each others work, it never happened. And even if it happens: we have eyes and ears and can appeal at any time.

What I don?t get is, what is wrong with ToW ? Tbar was the very 1st US-american for a very long time who has taken things in his hands, has asked the right questions at the right time and has developed a very nice AA related website here and the USAAC with its members has done a lot, in order to entertain the international AA community since but the US-community in the very first place. Is ToW power-hungry and if, in which way they could be power-hungry ? The US administration regarding AA is known already. Sal is the admin and the sysops are: Temper, Marine, DEI#8, Kid and Vipor. So far the USAAC (or if you want them to call ToW) is merely capable to enter and announce events and leagues on the central-launchpage and regarding leagues and events they?re doing very well so far. (even if everything is still under development)

Probably it was a mistake to found a squad named ?ToW?. Allthough this squad is absolutely independent from the ToW organisation, it causes ?distrust?somehow because folks seem to think it will create advantages for ToW-squad !?!

I am maybe biased on this matter because I was very pleased to see Tbar, popgun, Knightmare % Co. overtaking some work on league- and eventorganisation, as well as dealing with some - let?s call them - ?very difficulty characters?. It took a lot of pressure from TAA. But please think twice.

wow, who granted TULLAMORE access to USA private board ? Thought this was American CO private forum??

I think Nitro just wanted to stir the pot for some unknown reason.. all I can say is Nitro is Nitro. I'm not sure what his intention was, but from all the feed back I get there is no issue. So Mr Tulla don't get the impression there is a lot of controversy here at USAAC .. because there is not and most CO's are well intune with what its all about.

For those that just need a complete read .. continue ..otherwise you can just ignor the rest of this post

There as never been any money asked for .. or donations asked for. Nor is there a donation button on USAAC. The donation Button we do have is not obvious and takes you to a page asking one to donate time and talent .. but not money. If anyone ever did want to donate funds .. we do have a place for that but its NOT public here at USAAC at all.

Money .. is the last thing to be addressed by USAAC. We have so many other basic areas to cover. We don't have a lot of work to do .. we just need to make the basic agreements as to how this organization is to be governed .. and in such a manner as to be self perpetuating...

When or Board of Directors is 'firm' and our 'by laws' or 'charter' is established .. and when everyone knows the roles and responsibilities of all the Staff members .. then the BoD will decide all the matters of the USAAC including where it is hosted, etc. Since TowNet has already committed to two years of free hosting .. money is not an issue. If the BoD wants to move the site to some other hosting facility .. then so shall it be.

Tides of War is really no different from UKAA or TAA .. but it is perceived to be a 'clan site' which it is not and anyone that has ever been involved with ToW would know. ToW is a Club, that is hosted by TowNet. TowNet would host any club that needed help including AA Squads .. and we have in the past. BAD Squadron started out at ToW. Notice that the BSS has a totaly seperate website .. Notice that there are other clubs/clans and battlegroups hosted by TowNet.

As Tulla points out it was probably a mistake for the BSS to go with a tag of ToW. But that is water under the bridge, they wanted to USE THE POWER and DRAW of ToW to bring in new pilots to the game .. noble, but the TAG cause some to think its a Squad site. BSS is in the process of changing its TAG to BSS because of the flack the USAAC and ToW has taken from ONLY 1 or 2 folks. But all the same they are making the move in order to ensure USAAC does not have a perception problem.

Again.. and I have to emphasize this .. certain things require 'ownership'. Domain names and Lic's of certain type .. even some software requires ownership. In order to get the USAAC off the ground someone had to absorb those costs .. so the costs themself would not be an issue or hinderence to the organization getting off the ground. It also takes a great deal of work and setup time to get everthing working and looking nice. These forums for example are 'skinned' to match our site .. even a free forum does not give your free 'themed skins'.. these are extra costs. When the time is right .. and the BoD is firmly inplace .. and when there is such a time as the USAAC has is a US LEGAL Entity .. the domain name will be 'gifted' to the proper organization.

The real power of any organization is the people that run it. Any so called 'power' in the Case of USAAC and/or AA Centra.org is only granted by the CO's and Representatives .. its not something 'Tbar' can just walk up and take. In addition anyone that knows anything about "Tbar" knows that is not a goal to have power or otherwise 'control' the organization. I want no more than any CO or Staff member would have. I want my voice heard, and my opinions respected; I don't feel that is more than anyother CO would want.

Inclosing.. and addressed to Mr Nitro: If you or anyone you know can do a better job within the AA community to get a USA Site up and running.. or even to make the current USAAC a better organization .. please step up to the plate and do something. Talk is cheap .. action is respected and appreciated.

wow, who granted TULLAMORE access to USA private board ? Thought this was American CO private forum??

You are a 'moderator' and thus have access to several forums because many of these forums are not yet completely private. Many have the same password to keep things simple on the users. As we organize only CO's will have access to this area. As explained to you when you became a moderator .. just because you have some privilege.. does not mean you are authorized to post in that area. And as was further explained to you all areas you do have access to are completely confidential and not to be discussed in public or with non staff members. Don't abuse that trust, we have a hard enough time keeping staff I certainly don't want to see you removed you from those duties.

Nitro, please have respect.. do not post in this area again. If you post again I will be forced to present your removal as a USAAC Moderator to the BoD.

Do Not quote text from this area .. you are not authorized to do so.

Until such time as you are a CO or XO of a legitimate and registered squad .. you are NOT authorized to post in this forum. Those that are authorized or invited to post here are frankly non of your business and we do not want our guest insulted with remarks made by you.

Just to clear things up for Nitro, Tulla is the C/O of the Rb Squad. They, along with the GE Squad, are registered and playing in the SNL. That alone gives Tulla the right to post here.

Sorry, I didn?t knew I can?t post here, since I hadn?t to enter a password or such, in order to view this board.

If possible, please cancel my access to this board. I don?t want to give anyone the impression, I am here to spy something out or to stick my nose into issues, which I don?t have anything to do with.

Sorry Nitro, I see where you coming from now.