User:Zabek/Miqra:Go public

Suggestion
Hi! As mentioned at the Community portal, I tentatively suggest Rosh Hodesh Iyyar (Monday, May 9th is the first day of Rosh Hodesh) as a target date for going public.

Date
Rosh Hodesh Iyyar is only a tentative date, and it can be changed if any of us think it should be. I think it is a pretty good date for two reasons: Maccabi: It's a good idea, but I'm unable to add those special ressources in a sephardic way :-)
 * It gives us enough time to put all the basic pages and initial examples of recordings needed on the website (and maybe even get Hebrew in half-decent shape if the technical problems get solved).
 * It will give us a good upportunity to put up specific material related to Pesah and Shavuot. I am thinking mostly of Megillot Shir ha-Shirim (Pesah)and Ruth (Shavuot), as well as the Aseret ha-dibberot (taam elyon and tahton, with perhaps a short article explaining the differnence between the two).

I don't think we should upload masses of examples of our own personal keriot, but rather limit ourselves to some good recordings of basic examples: e.g. Special keriot and haftarot, plus those two megillot. ''Maccabi: My next keria is on parashat tazria, and when I practice I allways record myself, so I think it's allways a good idea to add what we have on the website, it helps to complet our works. But I'm okey that it isn't our priority right now''

By the way, Olve: Like you said, we don't have any recordings from you yourself yet. But we would love to get some. Does the Help:Audio page I wrote make it any for feasable for you to record yourself? ''Maccabi: The page is great! I'll add a link to the freeware I use to record files: it's light ans very easy to use'' ''Olve: My main problem is lack of a microphone... And this week also lack of time. Hoping for more time next week!'' :-]

As for regular parashot, I think Terumah is enough of an example for now. I will try to upload more recordings of it my a couple of people. Maccabi: I'll add parts of tazria, and the haftara of Terumah, and maybe vezot haberaha, but nothing else :-)

What will we do when we go public?
I suggest notices on various mailing lists and websites. He are some examples I am aware of (feel free to add more):
 * Mail Jewish
 * "Areivim" of Aishdas
 * Lookjed (Jewish education list)
 * David Grossman's laining discussion group (of course). I've been corresponding with him about this site, by the way, and he is very positive.

Draft notice for going public
Miqra is a new website for the production and dissemination of free (open content) resources (audio & text) related to the liturgical reading of Tanakh with cantillation (te'amim, trope) and for traditional Jewish Bible study. The website is a "wiki", which means that anyone may directly contribute to building the website and add materials to it.

Miqra is still very new, but it is already has preliminary versions up and running in three languages (English, French, and Norwegian). There is also a Hebrew version, but it is temporarily stalled (partially due to some technical problems).

Everyone is invited to freely use enjoy the materials already available on the website, and you are especially encouraged to donate your own materials by adding them to the site! Just visit the website and "jump in"!

To visit, just click miqra.info, or go directly to a Main Page:

http://miqra.info (language portal, best viewed with Firefox )

http://en.miqra.wikicities.com  (English main page)

http://he.miqra.wikicities.com  (Hebrew main page - best viewed with Firefox , not Explorer, due to technical problems)

Miqra looks forward to your participation.