Professional opinion needed

[boxing_cat]

Hi

I graduated with MS in Forest Resources last year from Umass Amherst. I defended my master's thesis that was a research about the forest industry trends on the web. The full text is available at the university online repository:

http://scholarworks.umass.edu/theses/11/

As a part of this project I built a web system called timberia.org that, as I thought, would help to esteblish collaboration between small forest-related businesses in the North America.

Currently I am undertaking the follow up research and I would like to know how the web could help the forest industry, particulary in the US to work efficiently and at low cost for forest product marketing.

I would appreciate any thought on this topic from the industry professionals. Especially, I would like to hear something from loggers and private consulting foresters.

Many thanks!
Andrey Semenov

[Daren]

I read your thesis. I will read it again later...over the last few years here I have read many posts by guys who should have a PhD in this business. They still have a pocket full of sawdust and a love for what they do. I will reserve any more comments. Good luck.

[Sprucegum]

I too skimmed through your thesis so I could give an opinion, unprofessional though it may be;

Our commerce section answers quite well to the needs addressed in your Timberia and its under the umbrella of a vibrant community of diverse individuals whose experience and intellect knows no bounds.

I wish you well in your endeavors and hope you stay on to share and learn as we evolve.

P.S. $2000.00 an acre for consultation? Did I read that right?

[rebocardo]

Assuming you want an honest opinion and not just a pat on the back, it is my unprofessional opinion that the grammar mistakes greatly detract from the message.

Trying to read this the main thing going through my mind was "I can't believe a college student could turn in a paper for a Master's Degree and get a passing mark with all the grammar and English mistakes involved".  IMO, I put together better sentences in my coffee induced midnight ramblings.

"Abstract:
In recent years, a second generation of Web-based technologies have as “Web 2.0” At the core of Web 2.0 are web-based services"

?  Your very FIRST impression (sentence) does not make sense.

The rest of the text is too tough to read without paragraphs, so I did not read it.

So, I skipped to

"ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

First of all I would like to thank my advisor Charlie Schweik who has

? who has?

guided me through the

? an?

 uneasy academic process and contributed a lot

? much ?

in sharpening my academic,

research, and programming skills while I was at

? in?

the program. I gratefully appreciate

does anyone ungratefully appreciate?

Charlie’s help and support,"



Okay, so I skipped to the meat

INTRODUCTION



In recent years, a second generation of Web-based technologies have emerged what is

? that - conj. 1. used to introduce a noun clause

sometimes referred to as "Web 2.0"

At the core of Web 2.0 are web-based services and

? comma - no and

social networking

? comma

and online collaborative functions.



So, I skipped to Chapter Two

The dot.com bubble that crashed at the beginning of the Millennium

? They had computers in the year 1,000 AD? It is normally used as a past tense except when talking about the period of time Satan      spends tied up in the future.



So, I skipped to Chapter Three

I just gave up reading, it was too annoying, especially with how many times the word "the" was left out in the sentences.

IMHO, If you are going to put this on the WEB as an example of your work and thought process that a future employer will read, polish it up yourself or have a friend that is an  English major blue pencil it. 

Just some unprofessional, though friendly advice, take it as such 

[Phorester]

First thoughts: You have done a commendable job on research and the thoughts going into the dissertation.  I have not yet had the time to visit the Timberia website. 

I have to agree with Recarbo.  I take it English is not your first language.  I recommend that you have future writings edited by someone to correct the grammar and make sure it flows effortlessly.  Your message is lost if it is difficult to read.  People will simply stop reading it.

In some of your charts the legend is very difficult to read. In the future make the legend boxes bigger, so the reader can see at a glance what each bar, crosshatch, etc., depicts.

A few of the figures are so complicated as to be almost impossible to decipher.  Figures 10 and 17 for instance.

Trying to buy and sell stumpage online is pretty much impossible. A logging job depends on soil and site conditions, access for logging equipment, stream crossings, slope, access points to highways, different laws in each locality concerning sight distances when coming out to a highway, how stream crossings are to be handled, landowner restrictions, etc., etc., etc.  An on-the-ground look is necessary to determine logging costs, which of course have an impact on the price offered by the buyers.  No two timber sales can be compared on timber volume and price alone, although many private landowners try to.  There are too many variables, including the ones just mentioned, but also past management histories of different properties which result in different species compostions and timber quality, different soil types, which determine the quality of timber from one hillside to the next, market differences from one month to the next, etc.

Again, first thoughts. But first impressions are lasting ones. There is a wealth of materiel here that make it impossible to absorb and digest in one reading.

[Ron Wenrich]

I didn't find any problem with the English in the thesis.  Yes, the abstract is a little disjointed, but most of the abstracts I have read seem to read the same.

Let me give you a perspective of someone working in the primary production end of the business.  Every log that rolls onto my headblocks represents sold material.  That means that nearly every piece, from slab to sawdust, is sold.  I have a ready market before its cut.  Most hardwood mills are like that, especially the smaller mills.  Very little is cut on speculation.

If I have no ready market for the logs, I have 2 options.  I can sit on the logs until the market arises, or I can move the logs.  If no market is available for the logs, then I have to sit on the logs.  If I can't move them locally, I have no doubt that I won't move them globally. 

Most markets, from stumpage to processed lumber, are local markets.  I'm not going to travel 200-300 miles to get logs when diesel is $3.50/gal.   By the same token, I'm not going to haul lumber long distances if a similar market is to be had local.  I am not going to abandon steady clients for a few dollars more.  I have seen mills that have jumped from one buyer to another in the pursuit of more dollars and have ended up with no markets, especially during low demand times.  Some went out of business because of it.  My opinion is that its a poor business practice.

Where the Internet does come in handy is when you want to expand your marketplace.  That may come about by putting in new production equipment, or if you're looking at more lucractive markets.  But, you will still want to have sold goods before you start production.  Again, speculation production will kill your business, unless you have very deep pockets or very good credit. 

The only thing that I have found very worthwhile from a marketing standpoint is a way of marketing equipment and supplies.  They're easier to transport.  Stumpage is too localized, as are most primary markets.  When you get into specialty woods and the smaller user, you may have a better success rate. 

I have found that mills are very reluctant to relate anything that has to do with business.  Most guys like to either talk face to face or over the phone.  A lot more business gets done that way, and questions can be answered on the spot.  The ability to negotiate for price is not done very well on the Internet.   

I think you are going to have to look at this business as an agricultural business.  You'll find that most farmers are also web shy.  I'd be curious how farming B2B sites have fared.  I think you'll find them to be very similar.

The urban end may be different.

[logwalker]

It has been a week since BoxingCat posted. I doubt that he is even reading all these thoughtful responses. I hope he is though. I don't think I would be wanting to start out in the current business cycle. Joe

P.S. could someone correct my grammar please. 

[Furby]

I'm of the opinion he was only using the forum to further his website.
Hope I'm wrong.

[Ron Wenrich]

He posted his message and has yet to return. 

[Furby]

He has yet to log in, but has he been looking in as a guest?

[Haytrader]

You guys may have scared him away.
He asked for professional opinions on how the web  could help the forestry industry work effeciently, particurally in the US.
He didn't ask for a critique of his thesis, but that is what he got.

I didn't read it, and am not an expert that he asked for, just an observer.

Furby, you may be right about his intentions. But, he may be sincere with his request.
Again, I am an observer on this one

[Gary_C]

I'm of the opinion he was only using the forum to further his website.
Hope I'm wrong.

You could assume that. But you could also see that he put a lot of work into that program and I am sure he is doing a little promotion trying to get someone to take an interest in his project and do something with it now. I am sure he would hate to see his work go for nothing. Nothing really wrong with that.

I read his thesis and looked at the website and just have not taken the time to reply. It looks like he did a lot of work laying out buying decisions for a lot of products. But I suspect his main problem is trying to put too much into one place. And it does not look like he made any provisions for pictures and we all know how much everyone likes pictures. Plus I echo Rons comments, putting all timber sales in one place will never happen for a lot of reasons. And even if you could accomplish that and accumulate sales data, it would not be worth much.

So overall, it's just too much to put in one box. And even if you overcome the individual problems with each part, trying to find everything or even more so, getting the users to find everything after you get it in there is going to be difficult.

[Furby]

I also read the thesis (best I could anyways) and nearly the entire thing in my opinion, was more or less concerning the promotion of the site, basicly by doing what he did here.
I've been to the site and even signed up, putting too much in one box is putting it mildly.
I will give him/them credit for doing a GREAT job creating the sawmill/lumber yard list/search.
It's a pretty large list and must have taken a fair amount of time to do the business searches.
As for the rest of the site, I'm not impressed even a little.

[Ed_K]

 I sent a message to one of Andrey's professors at U Mass and asked to relay a message to please come back and discuss this with you. I too am a observer.

[isawlogs]

You guys may have scared him away.
He asked for professional opinions on how the web  could help the forestry industry work effeciently, particurally in the US.
He didn't ask for a critique of his thesis, but that is what he got.

I didn't read it, and am not an expert that he asked for, just an observer.

Furby, you may be right about his intentions. But, he may be sincere with his request.
Again, I am an observer on this one

 I am of the same opinion , he has a profesor to whom he must deliver his thesis , he should be the one to do any critising of spelling and sentence structure ...
 I think we missed out on this one .

[Tom]

Sometimes we can be too critical and answer questions that weren't asked.  But, to console some who think that they were too critical, he hasn't been back to read anything, unless it was done as a guest.  He may have lost the site in his volumes of material.

[Furby]

Well a simple google search shows he's been running around submiting links all over the web the last couple of weeks.

[SwampDonkey]

P.S. $2000.00 an acre for consultation? Did I read that right?

Just a mock listing Sprucegum, I opened it up and it explains it's reforestation projects funded by government. I know it's outlandish, but it's fictitious. But, if I add up the costs I know that goes into planting and tending I can easily reach $1000/acre by the time the trees are 12 years old. Everyone is used to subsidies, without them most woodlot owners would not have the money to invest in reforestation.

I have not read the thesis, it's quite a large document to sit and wait for on dial-up. I may snag it in an over night download.

The idea certainly is not new. There are all kinds of sites out there brokering forest products over the internet. There are private businesses doing it as well as non profit. But, what I have found as with farming most producers and timber salesmen around here deal on the phone and in the wood yards. Most woodlot owners around here (and farmers) at least are at an age that metric still means nothing and computers were no substitute for pencil and hand held calculators. A lot of folks in my area don't even think in terms of MBFM's. Those of us with computers went through the C64 era and the next generations had them since birth. The biggest thing with web based commerce is the trust factor and not really knowing if that stack of lumber is SEL or CULLS by looking at a posted description. You can write anything and post it, but am I getting what I'm expecting and how well educated about the timber/lumber business is the guy on the other end. A lot of folks have done trade on this site because we have built up a trust that you may not find on another site. So that in itself says something, it can be done. I think the key is moderation of the site and some type of legitimacy. If it's a free for all, it will fizzle and die because of the few idiots out their trying to cause harm. By the way, everyone in this business thinks their site "is the ultimate tool to market their products and services on the web".

[Sprucegum]

I figured it was something like that, I was hoping he would come back and refute or clarify the numbers. In other words: If you want to sell something you ought to SELL  it by answering questions and building up a rapport with your future clients.

[Ron Wenrich]

I wrote something about college professors in another thread.  I think this is a pretty prime example where those in academia aren't in touch with those that have to make things work.  You have to know your audience.