metsocak : Message: newsemail 3

Newsemail 3

By Bob McDavitt

The JUNE Newsletter will, finally, soon be delivered to all members. In the meantime here is our third newsemail which, combined with the first two, contains the contents of the printed newsletter.

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STEPPING FORWARD SLOWLY INTO Electronic Publishing
Our news delivery to members is about to get faster and better. (an update from Bob McDavitt)

In the next subscription notice you will notice TWO extra input items.
1. We need your NEW Postcode.
2. We will ask you to supply an email address (if you wish) that we can use to send you electronic news.

At last year's AGM the following motion was passed: "That an invitation be sent to all members inviting them to switch from printed copies of the newsletter to electronic copies�. However we shall wait awhile before asking the "switch question".

In the interim, as we get the electronic newsletters into a routine, we shall keep offering you the best of both worlds. Electronic newsletters will be able to give you faster access to the news and, eventually, may help reduce the newsletter publishing costs, releasing funds for more exciting items on our budget. It's a slow process: here is what's happening this year.

1. The last two issues of the newsletter have been published on our website as an alternative to the hardcopy. These electronic editions were compiled AFTER the newsletter was posted out. Basically they have been test-runs and there has been a lot of effort setting up the procedures for making these web pages (thanks to Peter Knudsen).

Initial distractions: Only members privy to the password (cumulus9) have been able to read these web pages. There was an upsetting period when the password didn't work. Also, some of the scanned pages have had to be reduced in resolution from what is possible in the printed newsletter.

2. We are now introducing "newsemails" that are being sent BEFORE the printed newsletter. The contain FULL COLOUR and FULL RESOLUTION and allow you to digitally "cut-and-paste" our articles into your private documents. These are currently being sent to those members who have an email on our YAHOO newsgroups: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/metsocxx where xx is either ak for Auckland, wn for Wellington or ch for Christchurch. . We have found YAHOO to be SECURE and SPAM FREE (but they do have some banner ads).

3. When you receive your subscription notice you will be asked to supply an email, if you wish to receive electronic publications. This year we will NOT be asking the "switch question". Supply us with the email you are happy to use for electronic publications and we will be sending you access to EVERTHING in the newsletter, faster than we can print it and then we will send the printed newsletter as well. The password cumulus9 also enables full electronic access to the latest newsletter through the website. At present, we only have emails for about half of the membership, so we need more emails. We will open two more newsgroups, metsocdn (for Dunedin and Otago members) and metsocew (for elsewhere) so that anyone in Met Society who wishes can start receiving electronic publications and enjoy the best of faster delivery

Newspaper clippings: Copyright is getting more restrictive. In the future we may need to do more than just "acknowledge the source" if we want to continue to show newspaper clippings containing photos in either the newsletter on via email or on web pages. There are plenty of web-based newspaper archives now available so we may just provide hyperlinks in the future. These links will work OK electronically but look rather boring in the printed newsletter.

Please send any feedback about our experimentation (what works for you and what doesn't) to bobmcd@...