Trail Markers(sm) FAQ

Trail Markers^sm FAQ

Thank you for your interest in Trail Markers^sm!!

This site is a collaboration between Mike Walton of Rose Walton and "Savant". I have agreed to follow his guidelines in providing this information to you in exchange for him collecting and providing me the information. The following is taken from his Frequently Asked Questions. Where indicated in italics, I have provided additional information specific only to this page as it appears here on Leaders' Online^tm:

From Savant:
If you have a question or comment, you can reach me at scoutnews-owner@listbot.com.

Additionally, you may reach me at kyblkeagle@aol.com.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. "Why have you set up this?"
I primarily created this to serve people who had an interest in news stories that involved Scouting type organizations. I had been sending stories manually by email, but I found it was cumbersome. So instead I have created this which means I don't have to remember which email addresses to mail to.
I asked Savant to please provide me with a copy of his weekly news summary; when the number of email addresses he was to mail out to exceeded a reasonable number, he set up a mailing list and he sends the postings outward that way. It's easier both for him as well as for me.

2. "How often will you post?"
That depends on a couple of factors. How often stories are written in this subject, and how busy I am at the time. On average, if there are stories coming down the pipes, you can expect updates about once or twice a week.
Keep in mind that even though the date from a story may say it is a week old, does not necessarily mean I have known about it for a week. Some papers only index their articles once or twice a week, and that means it can take a few days before the story shows up on my end.
The date you see with a story is the date that the source published it, it is not the date that I found it. I use whatever date they provide with their story. When I post stories on the mailing list, I will normally put them in chronological order.

3. "I clicked the link but I received an error, what can I do?"
That depends. If the link told you the story was no longer available, then there isn't much you can do. In most cases, I will post stories within 7 days of receiving them. If the story has been removed from their site, you may be able to purchase a copy from their archive. Most newspapers have one. I do not keep full text copies of the stories.
The best thing to do is to check the news story when you see it, and if it interests you greatly, read it right away. If it is a story you want to have a copy of, then just highlight the text and paste it into a word processor, or click file, save as. That way you can reference it later even though the story may be offline.
There aren't too many newspaper links that expire quickly, the main one that I will post from is called "St. Paul/Minneapolis Pioneer Planet" and they expire stories in seven days. If you see a story with Pioneer Planet, make sure to read it or copy it since they WILL expire for sure.

4. "What kind of stories do you plan on including?"
My primary interest will be of 'Scouting' related program news throughout the world. I will include Boy Scouts primarily, but I will also cover the following groups to a limited extent as stories come up:
Boy Scouts related programs (including Venturing and Sea Scouts etc.)
Girl Scouts (including related programs)
Campfire Boys and Girl (if of general interest)
Big Brothers/Big Sisters (if of general interest)
Other organizations (4H club, Boys and Girls Clubs etc.)

Basically any story that a person may find of interest in this genre, I will endeavor to include. The story may be a simple piece on some work local scouts are doing in a community, or part of the ongoing BSA/gays controversy.
The only exception is that I will tend to 'refrain' from posting news stories that are strictly 'opinion' unless the opinion has some redeeming qualities. An opinion that simply 'bashes' one side or the other is something you can get ANYWHERE, so I won't bother posting it here. (I've only seen a couple to date.)
On occasion I may also include stories about adult volunteers who have been charged with crimes against those they should have been caring for. While I firmly believe that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, I also believe that this is something that we SHOULD pay attention to as it reflects on volunteering as a whole. When children are 'abused' in the care of volunteers, we all suffer. However, if these stories bother you, please don't read them.
I also may include a story that doesn't reference the above, but that is of interest in a general sense. For example if I saw a story about a controversy with homosexuals and I felt it could be used in a cross comparison with the Boy Scouts controversy, I would post it as such.
Should a story be listed in more than one source, I will either post the source that has the best coverage, or in some cases, I will post multiple sources if I feel it is worth it.
Many times I will post 'simple' stories I find about Scouts doing what they 'normally' do. Scouting isn't all controversy, and I think you'll find that life goes on in Scouting, contrary to popular beliefs.

5. "Will your opinion on issues affect the stories you post?"
No. I have been posting these stories elsewhere for a while, and I make no effort to post only one side of the news like others do. I feel information is knowledge, so you will find stories that may support or oppose your point of view.
And this is the reason why I asked "Savant" to provide content in this area; because in my review of his content over the past months, I have found that he has been even-handed in praise and condemnation toward the programs of the BSA. I could have done the same, but I bring with me a bias toward my support of the BSA and I felt that after a while, the stories would be slanted more toward the positive ends and not enough of the "negative ends".
The only limit to the stories is what the media provides.

6. "Do you write the headlines?"
Not normally. In almost every case I will copy the headline exactly as it was written. The only exception is in cases where the headline does not reference the content I wish to convey, or if the headline is too long to fit on one line.
However, it is the content that is most important.

7. "Are the story quotes below the headline written by you?"
No. In most cases I will simply copy the top 5-10 lines of the story and paste it below the link. In SOME cases I may provide an 'edited' quotation, in order to give you a better idea of what they story is about. In those cases I will take the first few lines, then skip ahead in the story and grab more text etc.
In cases where there is a break in the content you will see 3 periods "..." which means that the text comes from different parts of the story.
On occasion I may feel it necessary to provide a short comment to help explain something in the story. If that happens, I will post it inside square brackets like so [text]. For example, one story referenced a "Guide Association" which some people may not know refers to the Girl Guides organization in the United Kingdom. I will not be posting commentary with the stories though.

8. "I want to comment on the story, where do I write?"
If you have comment on the story, you can either respond to the reporter who wrote it, or post a comment in a public forum. For scouting, you can post your comments on the USENET newsgroup news://rec.scouting.issues and be seen by many. If you don't have access to USENET, you can use a web-version of USENET here: http://groups.google.com/groups?group=rec.scouting.issues
Although you could email comments to me, it would strictly be on a personal basis, since I don't want to flood people's inboxes with debates. (I'm sure you don't want that either!)
You may also email your comments to me, but I will answer them on a much lower priority than specific questions dealing with American Scouting, insignia, uniforming and national/regional programming. I take those questions first, and I try to respond to those questions within 2 to 3 days normally.
However, please don't complain to me based on a story you read since I am not responsible for content creation. I post what I find, nothing more.
Please do not complain to me, either, based on a story you have read, since my "job" is only to provide a way for you to view the content, NOT to write the content itself.

9. "I have a story I saw in a local paper, can I post it?"
You can't post directly, but if you would like to share it with others on the list, send it to me and I'll include it in the next mailing. If you want credit for finding it, post a small note in your email to remind me please. Make sure to include a link with your story. If you don't have a link, but have other information, if I can validate it I may post it depending on the circumstances.
Only validated news stories, releases and information will be provided here. This is not a venue for "vapornews" nor for limited releases from pro- or anti- Scouting organizations or groups. Believe me, I've been a public relations professional for too many years not to know the difference between a "validated" news release and a "vapornews" release.

10. "Can a post a copy of this story on my web page?"
Yes and no. If you want to copy the story outline that I have posted (which has the headline and a small quote from the story), you are within your rights to do so. I do not 'own' the stories I post, nor do I claim to. The text I post for these stories is only a portion of the story, and is entitled under the 'fair use' section of the Copyright Act. It would be nice if you gave me a small credit for finding the story, but that's up to you. If you post a story in the same way I do, you should have no problem.
A suitable credit line would consist of the following: "Found on Trail Markers as originally published by (insert top line from story stating source and date) and used with thanks to Savant and Leaders' Online(tm)."
However, if you want to post the ENTIRE story to your web page, you may only do so if you get permission from the copyright holder first. This means you must contact the source in question and ask permission. In almost every case they will charge you a fee to post the story.
If you post the story WITHOUT permission then you are in violation of the Copyright Act and risk a lawsuit. What you do with the stories is your business, but I would highly recommend that you do not post full text copies of any story unless you have permission. I have seen web sites shut down after doing that. Please keep it in mind.
Rose Walton will ONLY post links to stories, releases, and information. Where the information is BSA-specific (for instance, an announcement concerning changes to uniform or program policy), we will credit the BSA publication or announcement.

11. "What sources do you use in finding these stories?"
I have an extensive list of about 300 sources and periodicals that are included in my regular search pattern. I also watch different forums and newsgroups for information about stories, after which I may try and dig up a reference. I will ONLY include stories that I can provide you with a working link for.
We will also provide valid links to Scouting information, but as above, if one is not available, we will post the information in as complete form as possible and post it from Leaders' Online(tm). An example of this would an announcement of a new insignia item which was not posted on the BSA's nor other websites.
If for some reason I have a story and I can't provide a reference for it, I will not post it unless it has extremely interesting content. (to date I have never run into this problem.)
Items will not be posted on this page without a reference.
Here is a list of the sources I scan on a daily basis:
ABC News
Advertising Age's BtoB
Advocate, The
Age, The
AICPA Online
Air and Space
Aisle Say
Akron Beacon Journal
Alabama Live
Albuquerque Journal
AllPolitics
AlterNet
American Demographics
American Farm Bureau - Voice of Agriculture
American Scientist
American Spectator
Anchorage Daily News
AnchorDesk
APB Online
Archaeology Magazine
Arizona Central/Arizona Republic
Arizona Highways
Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Associated Press
Astronomy
Atlanta Business Chronicle
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Austin American-Statesman/Austin 360
Austin Business Journal
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian News Network
Auto Channel,
The Auto.com
Baltimore Business Journal
BBC News
Bergen Record
Billboard
Binghamton Press
Boston Business Journal
Boston Globe
Boston Phoenix,
The Boston Review
Boxoffice Online
Business First of Buffalo
Business First of Columbus
Business First of Louisville
Business Journal of Charlotte
Business Journal of Milwaukee
Business Journal of Phoenix
Business Journal of Portland
Business News of Dayton
Business Wire
Cable World
Cal Law
Calgary Herald
Capital District
Business Review
Career Magazine
Catalog Age
CBC News
CBS MarketWatch
CBS Sportsline
Channel 4000
Chicago Sun Times
Christian Science Monitor
Cincinnati Business
Courier Cincinnati Post
CIO Magazine
CIO WebBusiness
Cleveland Live/Cleveland Plain Dealer
CNEWS/CANOE
CNN Interactive
CNN/SI
CNNfn
Columbus Dispatch
Computer Reseller News
Computer User
Court TV
CRM Daily
Daily Radar
Daily Star Dallas
Business Journal
Dallas Observer
Denver Business Journal
Denver Post
Denver Rocky Mountain News
Deseret News
Detroit Free Press
Detroit News, The
Discovering Archaeology
Dow Jones
E! Online
E-Commerce Times
E: The Environmental Magazine
Earth Times
Economist, The
Editor and Publisher
Edmonton Journal
Education Week
EE Times
Egypt Revealed
Environmental News Network
ESPN
EurekAlert!
Evansville Courier & Press
eWeek
Federal Computer Week
Florida Today Space
Fortune
Fox Market Wire
Fox News
Fox Sports
Frommer's Vacations for Real People
Game Informer
Gamecenter.com/CNET
Gamesmania
Golf Online
Golf Web
Government Technology
Health Advocate Magazine
Hindu, The
Hollywood Online
Honolulu Star-Bulletin
Houston Business Journal
Independent, The
InformationWeek
InfoWorld
Inside China Today
Interactive Week
International Herald Tribune
Internet World
InternetWeek
Irish Times
ITN Online
iWorld's InternetNews.com
Jacksonville Business Journal
Jam! Showbiz
JAMA AIDS Center
Jerusalem Post
Jewish Telegraphic Agency
Journal of Artificial Intelligence Research
Kansas City Business Journal
Kansas City Star
Kiplinger's Personal Finance
LA Weekly
Leisure Travel News
Lincoln Journal Star
Livedaily.com
London Evening Standard/This is London
Los Angeles Times
Mac Week
Macworld
Mayo Clinic Health Oasis
Memphis Business Journal
Metro
Metropolis Magazine
Miami Herald
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
Minneapolis/St. Paul CityBusiness
Mirror, The
Missouri Conservationist
Modern Healthcare
Montreal Gazette
Mother Jones
MSNBC
MTV
Mushing Nando Times
NASCAR Online
Nation, The
National Enquirer
National Geographic Traveler
National Parks
Network Computing
Network Magazine
New England Journal of Medicine, The
New Scientist
New York Post
New York Review of Books
New York Times
News.com /CNET
NewsFactor Network
NFL.com
NME.com/New Musical Express
ON24 Audio/Video
Orange County Weekly
Oregon Live
Orlando Business Journal
Ottawa Citizen
Outside Magazine
Pacific Business News
PC Magazine
PC World
Philadelphia Business Journal
Philadelphia Daily News
Philadelphia Inquirer
Pittsburgh Business Times
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
PlanetOut
Policy Review
PR Newswire
Premiere Magazine
Progressive Populist, The
Radio Free Europe
Raleigh-Durham Triangle Business Journal
Reason Magazine
Red Herring Magazine
Redherring.com
Reuters Russia Today
S.F. Gate/ San Francisco Examiner & Chronicle
Sacramento Bee
Sacramento Business Journal
Salon
Salt Lake Tribune
Salt Water Sportsman
San Antonio Business Journal
San Francisco Business Journal
San Jose Business Journal
San Jose Mercury News
Savannah Morning News
Sci-Fi Entertainment
ScienceDaily
Scientific American
Scripting News - DaveNet
SeaLetter
Seattle Post-Intelligencer
Seattle Times
Seattle/Puget Sound Business Journal
Silicon Strategies
Slate
Soldiers Online
South Florida Business Journal
Space.com
Speedvision
Split
Sporting Life
Sporting News, The
St. Louis Business Journal
St. Paul/Minneapolis Pioneer Planet
St. Petersburg Times
Star-Telegram
Sun Herald
Sunday Times - South Africa
Sydney Morning Herald
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Technology Review
TechWeb
Time Magazine
Toledo Blade
Toronto Star
TV Guide
U-Wire
URLwire
US News
US Newswire
USA Today
VAR Business
Village Voice
Washington Business Journal
Washington Post
Web Developer
Web Review
Web Techniques
Why Files, The
Wichita Business Journal
Wired
Wired News
Wireless NewsFactor
Zap2it TV News
ZDNet
ZDNet Australia