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Thread: Presidential Debate: Newsletter

  1. #1
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    Default Presidential Debate: Newsletter

    Others can start these threads too right Fred?

    What is your stance on the CFC's official newsletter as it exists today? In what direction would you like to take it?

  2. #2

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    To be honest, I simply skim the newsletter. That said, I would love to see more content on the history of chess in Canada (prose, not games analysis). I'm probably not in the majority, but I would much prefer prose in general. If I want analysis, I can seek it out or, where that isn't an option, I can run the game through an engine and have all the information I need. Again, I'm not sure whether that's true of all current and potential readers.

    Going slightly off-topic, I would also like to be able to offer old issues of En Passant and Chess Canada in digital form, but that may be wishful thinking.

  3. #3

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    Quote Originally Posted by Michael von Keitz View Post
    To be honest, I simply skim the newsletter. That said, I would love to see more content on the history of chess in Canada (prose, not games analysis). I'm probably not in the majority, but I would much prefer prose in general. If I want analysis, I can seek it out or, where that isn't an option, I can run the game through an engine and have all the information I need. Again, I'm not sure whether that's true of all current and potential readers.

    Going slightly off-topic, I would also like to be able to offer old issues of En Passant and Chess Canada in digital form, but that may be wishful thinking.
    As a chess researcher/historian I would like to have archival material online. But I think it's a very small market. As baby boomers age many become sentimental about their youth and like to look up old stuff. You can do a user survey of the new CFC site to see how many visits go to the historical bios.

    It takes many volunteer hours and a large bandwith (which isn't too expensive). For example, Michigan Chess has put their old issues of their excellent magazine online as pdf files, but it's not indexed or searchable, so it's too much work to go through. Hugh has done a great job of making a database of games from the magazines, and having that database in a game viewer would be useful.

    I think an area where the CFC website can greatly increase web traffic is in current history, by allowing CFC members to post some stuff to the top of their CFC rating page: a photo, favourite chess quote or player, favourite game played, list of championships won. I do love the simple tables which show the player's activity back 15 years. Perhaps to many of today's youth 1999 is ancient history now.

    The main value of the magazine, and perhaps the origin, was to nudge inactive players, get them reexcited about chess, notify them of upcoming tournaments. Waiting for players to come to your website loses the one (or less) tournament-a-year players.

  4. #4

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    We have a wonderful newsletter and we should keep improving it. Tony Ficzere is doing an amazing job with the limited recourses that he receive from the CFC.

    It would be nice to go back to a paper magazine if we can afford it without compromising the core business of the CFC.It was a hard decision to discontinue the magazine, but I am convinced that it was the right decision. The financial situation of the CFC has changed and if it could be done, I am in favor of a paper magazine.

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Pierre Dénommée View Post
    We have a wonderful newsletter and we should keep improving it. Tony Ficzere is doing an amazing job with the limited recourses that he receive from the CFC.

    It would be nice to go back to a paper magazine if we can afford it without compromising the core business of the CFC.It was a hard decision to discontinue the magazine, but I am convinced that it was the right decision. The financial situation of the CFC has changed and if it could be done, I am in favor of a paper magazine.
    Actually, Tony has GREATER resources than the print magazine had; I believe the annual outlay for that was $12000 or less, aside from printing and mailing costs (which were something like $25000 at one point).

    Yes, it's spread out a little more due to monthly issues rather than bimonthly issues, but overall spending on content is 50% higher still.

  6. #6

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    Well, tell me Chris, how much did the previous editors get paid? Contributors are getting about the same amount as when Knut was editor many years ago. Should they be getting less then they got 5 or 10 years ago? The current editor is getting less then the previous editors. The extra money spent on the editor is being put into articles. Not complaining, just stating a fact.

    Also consider you are getting almost twice the content. Every month instead of two. That isn't counting the extra's like pgn viewer built in.

    If I asked for more money as editor, the newsletter would suffer from lack of content. I would rather see more content myself, preferably from good writers.

    I would prefer to see a printed magazine as in the past, but that isn't possible right now for obvious reasons. It may be better to put the content on the new website. Whatever is decided, if you want good quality from contributors, you will have to pay. If I had my way, I would like to see more money for contributors.

    Just my opinion, with a few facts thrown in.

  7. #7

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    I'm hoping we pursue issueing a bound yearbook copy soon. I really prefer reading material in hard-copy and bound.

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by Tony Ficzere View Post
    Well, tell me Chris, how much did the previous editors get paid? Contributors are getting about the same amount as when Knut was editor many years ago. Should they be getting less then they got 5 or 10 years ago? The current editor is getting less then the previous editors. The extra money spent on the editor is being put into articles. Not complaining, just stating a fact.

    Also consider you are getting almost twice the content. Every month instead of two. That isn't counting the extra's like pgn viewer built in.
    I don't have to have an opinion since I'm not running for President But I did point out that there are double the issues... and in fact it may even be MORE than twice the content given the length of the newsletter?

    IF the CFC can get back up to something like 3000 members we can probably talk about mailing out the newsletter again.

  9. #9

    Default Print Newsletter Likely Unaffordable

    I think this nostalgia for " Print " is an older generation thing.

    The upcoming generation is used to web-based info and info by e-mail.

    Discussion: I would like to see the newsletter folded into the new website, myself ( Cooperative Chess Coalition ( CCC ) is currently debating this issue internally ). Tony could become the part-time Web Editor. He could not only post news/articles, but monitor all postings. That would allow standardization of all posts of all kinds going up. Just floating the idea for discussion.

    Also, I think the hardcopy costs will be prohibitive - the reason it was cancelled in the first place.

    Bob
    Last edited by Bob Armstrong; 07-06-2011 at 11:42 AM.

  10. #10

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    A yearbook could be done for almost not cost.

    We just need to send the pdf to a print on demand service and send two complimentary copies to the national Library of Canada.

    Quote Originally Posted by Ken Craft View Post
    I'm hoping we pursue issueing a bound yearbook copy soon. I really prefer reading material in hard-copy and bound.

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