A new home for the FAQ

Howard Wallace · Jan 26, 2003

The khukuri FAQ is now residing on the HI website at http://www.himalayan-imports.com/faq/ . It has been removed from my ISP's server, except for a pointer to the new location that will stay up for a month or so.

If you have a link to the FAQ in your signature or on a webpage you may wish to update it to the new location.

It has been an honor for me to serve as the custodian of this information for a while. Most of the content in the FAQ came from members of this forum. Now Beoram will have the opportunity to use his considerable editorial and web skills to integrate the information from the FAQ into the HI website. I for one am anxious to see what develops.

Namaste all.

beoram · Jan 26, 2003

Thanks Howard.

I think we have an impressive collection of information on the HI site now... not only HI blades and their makers, but historical examples, Gurkhas, evolution of the khukuri, etymology of khukuri-related words, Dasein, Bishwakarma puja and other ceremonies, essays on Nepal, our own padre....

I would like to thank Howard for all of his work on the Khukuri FAQ page. When I was first learning about khukuris, Howard's pages were the first real resource of information I came upon and considerably whetted my interest.. It's a daunting amount of information to try to figure out how to integrate into the HI site, but how much more work it must have been to compile it in the first place!

Namaskar Howard, and thank you,
Ben

Berkley · Jan 26, 2003

Howard,
We are all indebted to you for creating, editing and hosting the FAQ for so long. Best wishes to you, and thanks to Beoram for his assumption of what I am sure is a formidable amount of work to maintain the FAQ at its' new location.
Berk

Bill Martino · Jan 27, 2003

Howard did a lot of fine work and without prompt from anybody. Just another one of the good guys to whom I extend great thanks for great effort.

Ferrous Wheel · Jan 27, 2003

Hey, went back and read the excerpt from John's book, and dang if I want more. John, If it can't be published, might I suggest a release of the stuff that you have to the Public domain? Just add a disclaimer to it like this:

From Khookerie to Khukuri (SIC)
Copyright © 199x by XXXXX
This work is in the Common Domain.
Common Domain Document License
This work remains the sole property of [NAME].
It may be reproduced only in its entirety. All reproductions of this work must contain or link this Common Domain Document License, as well as the traditional copyright notice (Copyright 199x by [NAME]). Distribution of substantively modified versions of this document is prohibited without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. Substantive modification means a change to the semantic content of the document, and excludes mere changes in format or typographical corrections, including translation to other languages. Appearance of this work in a collection of works, electronic or otherwise, does not constitute an endorsement by the author. This document is supplied as-is, without warranty of any kind.

I and some friends wanted to get some stuff published, and after deciding that the hoop-jumping was crap, we decided that we still wanted to hsare our writings, on the off chance they would benefit someone more than just sitting around on our computers. There ain't no money involved, but we got to share our stuff and still maintain rights to the material.

It was a refreshing change to donate writings to the masses, and I am lad i did so.

Just a thought. I and others are for sure interested in your research, and we hope it was not 'all for naught.'

Thanks!

Keith

Keith

John Powell · Jan 27, 2003

Howard, you did a great job and taught a lot of people about the Gurkhas and the kukri. Even thru some rough personal changes you kept it functioning and up to date. I thank you sincerely.

Keith, I still don't know what I will do with the book. Sword Forum International wants to put it on their site chapter by chapter and they have already produced the article titled "the kukri". The next will be on kothimoras.

The biggest problem is that 90% of the responses and inquiries I get are for a book people can hold and refer to. The book will have at least 160 photos with descriptions. Someting on the web cannot match the convenience and pleasure a printed piece can give.

jim_l_clifton · Jan 27, 2003

JP,
I'M NOT ASKING FOR MUCH,NOW YOU HAVE ME BEGGING,SEND ME "MY" BOOK!

PLEASE QUIT TORTURING ME!

jim(Saintr)

Yvsa · Jan 27, 2003

Add my thanks along with the others.
I think John may have said it best in that Howard did maintain and keep the FAQ up to date through miserable times which is many times more than what I could've done with ten times the effort!!!!

Looking towards the future......... I know everyone wants Bill and HI to go on forever, but nothing on this earth is permanent.......

What happens to the FAQ if or when?

I don't think it should be lost because even if or when John gets his book published I feel the FAQ's will continue to have its part to play, besides the work that Howard put into it.
Nothing such as the FAQ's should ever be lost.

Yvsa,
saying things badly, but I think y'all know what I mean.....

Howard Wallace · Jan 27, 2003

Yvsa,

I have had some of the same concerns about the material in the FAQ.

We have a good opportunity now with the HI webmaster and webspace to put the information in more easily digestible and elegant form.

I also share concerns about the longevity of HI. Bill is a driving force and a crucial element in the success of HI. Those of us who have visited him at his home know that he does not do what he does for money. A replacement would have to have some very unusual qualities.

Bob Engnath had a wealth of good information on his business website. When he headed off for the bardo realm his website was preserved. see www.engnath.com . Many people saw the use of the information Bob had collected. I think many people would get together to preserve the content on the HI site in similar circumstances.

But we need to work quickly. We all worked hard to get to this life, and it passes quickly. We just have a short time to do what we need to do.

The HI site could conceviably become quite a masterpiece before it is memorialized.

PS. Thanks to all for the words of appreciation. I was in earnest when I said it has been an honor to do this work. I owe a debt to all the forumites. I hope to be able to continue to contribute in small ways to the development of this body of information.