STRAW POLL: FIDE Rep on Olympic Fundraising

[Kevin Pacey]

Assuming we don't lose too many members because of it, your plan seems viable, Chris.

[Christopher Mallon]

Assuming we don't lose too many members because of it, your plan seems viable, Chris.

I see it as a viable starting point for a discussion anyway.

I suggested earlier that we conduct a poll via the newsletter to see what member's opinions of the newsletter were - along with other options for spending the money. Another Governor thought that was ridiculous as many people don't even get the newsletter and thus wouldn't respond to the poll.

However, that really proves my point in a way... if they don't get the newsletter now, they won't miss it either.

[Kevin Pacey]

For those who haven't seen it, here is a link to a thread from the Governors Private Forum that I believe Chris is refering to (in his post above) concerning a previous discussion about scaling back/axing the Newsletter:

http://www.chesscanada.info/forum/showthread.php?t=2358

[Michael von Keitz]

If you would like, if you were to open a poll on this topic in the English Forum on or about May 1st, I could point the members to it on the next distribution of the newsletter. Just so everyone is aware, approximately 70% of members receive the newsletter directly. Exactly how many of the remaining 30% receive it by indirect means is beyond the scope of my knowledge, but I know there are at least a few.

[Vladimir Drkulec]

I think funding the Olympiad teams makes more sense than spending $18k on an email newsletter that few seem to care about.

[Michael von Keitz]

I think funding the Olympiad teams makes more sense than spending $18k on an email newsletter that few seem to care about.

We just need to be careful that we're not underestimating the newsletter's popularity. Shooting first and asking questions later could be disastrous.

[Christopher Mallon]

I'm not sure a public poll is the best way to go. Using actual poll software, feeding in all the email addresses which receive the newsletter, would be far better. I'll look around and see if there's anything free we can use.