Encyclopedia News; May 17, 2002

[Gaetan Charlebois]

Hello all

We're several years into the project and you think this kind of thing
shouldn't happen:

I received an irate e-mail from someone who had visited the site asking me
why, in the name of all that was good, Vancouver Playhouse was not there. I
nearly went ballistic (I handle literally dozens of e-mails a week from
school kids who ask me for information which is easily found by the briefest
of surfs...ie: they want me to do their homework for them). But I breathed a
little with this e-mail. I went to directly to the Vancouver Playhouse
profile to make sure that all was in order. But then I had a flash. I went
to the index page for "v" and, sure enough, Vancouver Playhouse was not
there so the only way that someone looking for the information would have
found it is if they had been directed there by a search engine like Google
or Yahoo (which index a whole site, unlike what we do - indexing the
profiles as they're created...or not, as the case may be). All this to say
that even someone complaining can improve things and I thanked the
correspondant who thanked me and all was well without a flame-war.

Two things I have learned in the last while: though some fans are invaluable
assistants in the creation of profiles, you have to be very, very careful.
They will often get insanely territorial (like they are keepers of some kind
of sacred flame). Also, don't let profilees anywhere near their profiles
because they will invariably go from correcting facts to applying warped
senses of grammar to the text. On average I get a dozen or so encyclopedia
related e-mails a day. For only two profiles I have now exchanged some 60.
This kind of thing can sap your will to live, let alone work. (So if you
wonder what I am doing with all my time, "soothing egos" is the correct
answer...)

But it remains, on the whole, a fun, rewarding and challenging project and,
clearly, it serves a variety of purposes. Thank you all for being there.

And "you all" is a group that just keeps getting bigger every year. The
traffic for the site for the week of May 9 - 15 was a whopping 25,205
visitors!


New profiles:
Hyslop, Jeff (actor/director/choreographer)
http://www.canadiantheatre.com/h/hyslopj.html
Theatre de l'Oeil (Company)
http://www.canadiantheatre.com/t/theatredeloeil.html

Updates (p=photo added):
Reviews (47 added); Links; Masthead; Carley, D.; Theatre de Quat'Sous;
Thomson, K.; Droege, S.; Kennedy, L.;  Koensgen, J.; Frechette, C.; McCall,
G.; Walker, G.; Spoken Word; Verdecchia, G.; Red Barn Theatre; Kennedy, L.;
Phillips, R.; Centre des auteurs dramatiques; Laberge, M.; "Aurore, l'enfant
martyre"; Vajda, S.; Feore, C.; Guilbeault, E.; Martin, P.; Poulin, J.;
Sutto, J.; Berryman, D.; Hogan, M.; Davis, W.; Fox, M.; Guerin, M.; Theatre
Calgary; Ferry, D.; Curran, C.; Richmond, B.; Benson, S.; Reid, F.; Musical
Theatre; Cirque du Soleil; Champagne, D.; Proteau, R.; Tremblay, M.;
Turgeon, M.; Brassard, A.; Lafontaine, R.; Marien, R.; Jacques, Y.; Roy, G.;
Roux, J.; Montmorency, A.; Dallin, H.; Ottawa Little Theatre

If you would like a copy of the entire list of profiles, I can send it to
you by e-mail (there is no charge for this service).

Register your link too (at no charge)!
(http://www.canadiantheatre.com/links/linksguidelines.html)

Gaetan L. Charlebois (Editor, The Encyclopedia of Canadian Theatre on the
WWW) http://www.canadiantheatre.com
If you want to join the Encyclopedia's mailing list, simply send an e-mail
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