In my anti-blog I’ve noted work on something called Project TEAM. Here’s the pilot for that project, and a look into the future in the process:

http://www.tektonics.org/copycathub.html

In sum, here’s what it’s all about:

TEAM stands for Tekton Apologetics and Education Ministry. This won’t be an official name change for the organization, at least for now. Maybe later.

It does reflect a shift in emphasis I’ve had going for a while, to make Tekton more of an educational resource. I’ll be creating more main “hub” pages like this one for different topical areas.

The goal for design has been to make the site more accessible, brighter, and readable. The Perfesser will be the mascot and I’ll try to use graphics when I can.

Bear in mind that some links are to articles outside the "copycat" folder and so have not been revamped yet.

Articles have not been changed much, except that where possible I have done more “depersonalizing” of arguments that aren’t specific to one person (eg, Acharya S isn’t the only one making some of those arguments about Mithra, so her name has been scrubbed; but Freke and Gandy are the only ones making certain arguments about Dionysus, so their names remain).

Lecture notes and PPT presentations will become part of the package, as will, hopefully, video presentations. For now I’ve linked to a couple of Kabane’s productions on Attis and Mithra to see how things go.

(Kabane, please let me know, if you're able, how many people click through. A weekly report is fine.)

I expect some articles will be done away with if they’re not used much (eg, the one of A. Powell Davies http://www.tektonics.org/af/daviesap01.html -- which as far as I can tell, was read by less than 24 people last month, if any). I will also perhaps move more stuff to the toon site that is repetitive.

Please note this sidebar in the Osiris article (there’s also one in the Mithra article):

Please Don't Take This for Granted

This article on Osiris and Horus is repeatedly one of the top two on this site in terms of traffic, found by as many as 3000 people per month. I also frequently find it copied verbatim on to forums.

Unfortunately, this ministry is in a precarious position financially. I'd like to produce more materials like this article, but donor support doesn't reflect the heavy use this article and others like it receive.

If you've found this article helpful, please don't take the work it represents for granted. Please support Tekton's efforts to continue to inform others about the truth behind claims like the ones refuted here.)

Actually, that’s wrong. The Osiris article was visited by 4069 people last month. The Mithra article, 3153 people. But the main point is the same. It’s getting kind of tiresome seeing the stats not mirrored in the support, and also seeing so many people repost the material on forums and the like without so much as a “thank you.” Tekton can’t keep operating that way if I want to do more book and film projects, so that’s the way it’ll have to be.

I’ll almost certainly be looking to “rope off” some areas of Tekton for subscriber access as I revamp material. The lecture notes and PPTs will be roped off this way too, once I get feedback on this format change and do any tweaking.

That’s it for now….I’ll start on the next folder (not sure which one yet) this week.

Feedback?

Originally posted by jpholding

TEAM stands for Tekton Apologetics and Education Ministry.

"Tekton Education and Apologetics Ministry", you no doubt mean.

Originally posted by JB

"Tekton Education and Apologetics Ministry", you no doubt mean.

Yeah. That struck me as odd also.

Did you get the idea from SES any? I'm part of TEAM there.

Anything I can do to help?

Cool Idea I like the power point and lesson docs idea. is the copycat hub page up with the lesson word doc and powerpoint stuff?

Interesting idea, JP. I could see how it'd be beneficial to people wanting to do a Sunday School class on an issue you address.

(By the by, There's typos in the word document that compliments the Powerpoint )

My videos are there!

Oh, and JP, I have one recommendation. A lot of people I've talked to don't know how to use MLA citations, they prefer numbered footnotes. Not a huge issue, just a thought.

This looks cool.

Any possibility of either my or one of my collegues in translating some of your future articles? ^^

Originally posted by Kabane52

Oh, and JP, I have one recommendation. A lot of people I've talked to don't know how to use MLA citations, they prefer numbered footnotes. Not a huge issue, just a thought.

MLA citations are a curse of humanity...

Looks good. I like the idea of it becoming more educational. The Tekton site needs some revamping anyway.

The recategorization makes it so much easier to thumb through.

Originally posted by ApologiaPhoenix

Yeah. That struck me as odd also.

I ain't got it memorized in order yet.

Did you get the idea from SES any? I'm part of TEAM there.

Mmmm, nope, never heard about that or don't recall it. But I already had the TAM part of it.

Anything I can do to help?

I'm not sure, unless you have an HTML editing program.

Originally posted by RumTumTugger

Cool Idea I like the power point and lesson docs idea. is the copycat hub page up with the lesson word doc and powerpoint stuff?

Yes, it is.



And if CV wants to help, he can send me a list of the typos.

Originally posted by Kabane52

Oh, and JP, I have one recommendation. A lot of people I've talked to don't know how to use MLA citations, they prefer numbered footnotes. Not a huge issue, just a thought.

It'd be hard to redo all of them at this point....but I happen to prefer MLA anyway.

Originally posted by Doomrater

The recategorization makes it so much easier to thumb through.

That's part of the idea too. I'll be creating new subject hub pages like that as well. I've decided I'll next redo the tiny folder with the material on "Liberated Christians" in it, but I'll use that as a pilot to create a hub page on minor cults and deviant groups (like LC, or the Sound Doctrine Church, etc).

Hey, in the Buddha section, both links point to the same article.

I hate when stuff like that happens. Thanks.