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Post by George on Feb 27, 2005 2:04:15 GMT -5
Concerning recent proposals to begin a newsletter in support of a single member without an internet connection I say absolutely not!
We live in the 21st century (or the 6th Century for those of us in Atlantium), and the cost in time and resources of duplicating on paper data that is already readily available to members online at zero cost far outweighs any benefit that might be made from catering to the needs of members who do not have the internet at home.
If my 70 year-old father can learn to use the internet, then I'm sure other older potential members can too - even if it is at the local library or internet cafe.
If the new member in question is adamant about not wanting to use the internet, then I suggest we refund his money, or perhaps offer "offline" membership with no specified benefits at the token rate of US $5 - so he can at least still be part of the group.
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Post by shibolet on Feb 27, 2005 6:41:33 GMT -5
Just like George, I do not support starting a hardcopy newsletter.
I think we should maintain being an online society, and not waste our financial resources, which will be squandered on unecessary postage stamps, enveloppes, printing costs etc. I also think that in this time of environmental waste, the unnecessary use of paper should be kept to a minimum, if there is a viable alternative (which there is).
Just my two eurocents worth...
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Post by OdedPaz on Feb 27, 2005 9:26:49 GMT -5
O.K., I tend to agree with all of you.
Interesting discussion though, don't you think?
{^_*}
Oded
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Post by George on Feb 27, 2005 17:22:07 GMT -5
Yes it is an interesting discussion, because it goes to the heart of the matter of exactly how we want or need to give our members "value for money".
Every society or community organisation I've ever been a member of publishes some sort of paper magazine or newsletter as one of the chief benefits of membership.
The cost of production and distribution of that publication usually represents a not insignificant proportion of the group's annual budget - and of course that cost is tied directly to the level of membership fees.
What this means is that there is a general perception in the "marketplace" of potential new USNS members that a collectors group must demonstrate "value for money" by providing its members with a printed publication.
I say nuts to that!
The USNS can and should be at the forefront of using electronic communications technologies to deliver value for money to its members - particularly so given that it owes its very existence to the internet; indeed, none of us would even have met otherwise.
The USNS' chief asset is the information a number of its members have compiled at great personal cost in time and money over many years. We are now electing to make that information available electronically to the world as a public service.
In doing so we are demonstrating in the best possible way the superiority of the electronic medium as a numismatic cataloguing tool. No longer do we need to rely on updates to printed catalogues that may not be reprinted for decades; instead we can identify, document, catalogue and update material in a matter of hours if necessary.
Our online libraries in my view therefore represent our chief financial asset, as well as offering "value for money" that is superior to anything from clubs or societies who rely on sending printed publications to their members - and we should make it clear in our communications with the "outside world" that the current open access to those libraries is not intended to be a permanent thing.
If people want the benefit of accesing the chief asset of the USNS, they they need to be prepared to pay to be members of the USNS. Access in the mid to long term must be seen to be a priviledge - not a right.
To this end I shortly intend to start researching how we can protect the images in the coin library from simply being copied with a right mouseclick. Once I've implemented that, the next step will be to set up member-only password access to the libraries themselves. I anticipate this process being finalised over the next 6-8 months, time permitting.
Once catalogue access is fully restricted I propose making available a "teaser" page from the library that any non-member visiting our website can have full access to. Each month a different "unrecognised state" page would be made available in this manner, so people can have a taste of the information they will gain access to as a paid-up member.
The financial benefits of all of the above will be threefold:
1. More people becoming paid-up members. 2. Dues can be kept at a modest level. 3. A large % of dues collected can be used for promotion and other purposes.
Comments, feedback welcome.
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Post by David Alexander on Dec 24, 2009 1:03:19 GMT -5
I have only visited your site recently. Most of my collecting involves more traditional coins. Still I have picked up a few coins in your area of interest. E.g. I like the Esperanto coins and the Shire Post coins. Though I never thought of them as a serious area of interest.
If these become a more important area of collecting then I will certainly join. Otherwise, I will miss being able to use your site as a resource. I think that it is an unfortunate decision to take yourselves off the web as a free resource. One that will do only serve to suppress interest in your branch of the hobby and therefore, your potential membership.
Well, I am not being a polite guest. I do thank you for letting me drop by and learn a little. A good New Year to all.
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