CCD Newsletter

[Tim Abbott]

Dear Colleagues,

	I have recently been meditating on methods of supplementing
the CCD mailing list which I have been maintaining for the last 18
months.  In short, I would like to offer my services as
editor/roving-reporter for an informal electronic newsletter of CCD
research, development and usage.  The rationale and proposed structure
for this is as follows

	I hope that you will agree that the CCD mailing list is
reasonably successful, and a fair amount of useful information appears
to be changing hands.  However, it is something of an oracle, in that
one has to know the right questions to ask and one must exercise
caution in interpreting the answers.  Moreover, questions *must* be
asked, or information is rarely forthcoming at all.  That is, the
mailing list is a passive medium.

	Therefore, I propose to initiate a more active approach in the
form of a newsletter accessible via WWW.  The format that I envision
is somewhat like Jim Janesick's memos as they were before they became
too expensive for him to continue, ie. completely freeform and as
wide-ranging as the contributors' whims take them.  Anyone could
contribute to the newsletter, but its "active" nature would take the
form of occasional email or telephone solicitations for articles
and/or information from a list of known willing participants.  I can
then provide scanning facilities and editing (for suitable WWW
structure, not for content) services, and, of course, the disk-space
home for the publication.

	Contributions could range from a simple QE curve, a short
paragraph describing a recent discovery in the lab, some sample images
from a particularly nice (or bad) chip, complete postscript copies of
a recent article (assuming there are no copyright problems) or even,
in homage to Jim, your favourite cartoon.  In particular, I would be
interested in news of newly initiated projects, results of test
observing runs or other news of major progress in, or the completion
of whatever projects the contributors are working on.

	The intent is not to compete with existing WWW pages from
particular labs.  Indeed, a contribution could take the form of a
simple link to a page at another site (whereupon it is incumbent upon
the owner of that page to ensure its accessibility).  I am most
interested in providing a central resource of on-line information for
the entire community of CCD developers.

	I do not foresee any particular schedule.  The interval
between "Issues" will be determined by the rate of accumulation of
articles, each of which will be installed upon receipt.  Occasionally,
I will post synopses of received articles to the CCD mailing list.

	This message is therefore a call for volunteers.  If you feel
that your lab can contribute and would be willing to be badgered by me
from time to time, please let me know.  I would also be grateful for
any comments, ideas or suggestions of what you may be able to
contribute.  Likewise, if you think it's all a bad idea, let me know
that too!

	Best regards,

		Tim Abbott
		tmca at cfht.hawaii.edu

P.S.  I have already compiled a list of CCD-related WWW links in my
homepage (http://www.cfht.hawaii.edu/~tmca/tmca.html).  If you have a
homepage you would like to be included, please let me know.