009 News Feedback

[Malcolm]

Prior to going away for a week to Skye I commented that I too thought too much was made of the FR 150.  I think one page would have been OK to mark what was of course a most historic anniversary.  I'll also have to admit I'm no great fan of the FR or for that matter Corsican Railways but I did enjoy the Corsican article!

Tom keep experimenting as it is all too easy to get stuck in a rut and the whole thing could then go stale but do not lose sight of what does work.  009 News is one magazine I do look forward to receiving each month and indeed now is the only modelling magazine I take so please do not squeeze out the modelling articles as they are the lifeblood of my 009 modelling.

One thing though.  I appreciate the need for the reports from the groups around the country but could something be done to shorten them.  Sharpen up that blue pencil and replace one page of Branchlines with one page of anything else relevant to narrow gauge modelling.  There now I've found space for Blair's holiday snaps!  Dare you to publish one I took last week at Isle Ornsay!!!

Malcolm 

[Hobby]

Ok, but that was not the impression I was getting from earlier posts... Personally I'd much rather have a few more pages of modelable prototype NG than so many pages of Branchlines which don't, in my view, contribute much to modelling for the amount of space they take up. I seem to remember some years back a previous editor trying to put a limit on the number of words in the reports, perhaps it's about time that was brought back...

(PS I'll send in the photos!)

[B.Meldon]

Branchlines reports have always been a problem in 009 News. What will be of little interest to some will be of great interest to others, especially those that are mentioned in the reports!
I have changed the way I send in Branchlines reports to a brief list of the future meeting dates (when I remember!) and a quarterly review with photos of the various layouts at the meetings. Obviously it is up to the editors if they include the photos or not but personally I find this a more interesting way to show what the group has been up to rather than a worded description.

Brian Meldon

[Graeme Dunbar]

I like your ideas Brian!

Branchlines is absolutely "core business" but several similarly worded reports do not make for the most interesting reading. What you suggest gets the essential information across (next meeting dates etc) and gives greater insight into what groups are doing. It may need cooperation and coordination to stagger lengthier (with photos) reports, or the acceptance that some issues might  contain more "club news".

In Branchlines there are reports of models being made (or shown for the first time) and meetings centred on members layouts. If the owners did not feel the urge to write specific articles on them, then a photo and a short write-up by the local scribe would let others see models that they might otherwise not. 

[rod335]

The whole Branchlines topic is thorny. Whilst the vast amount of content is possibly boring and does not really connect with those who were not present at the meetings, I do, nevertheless, think that it should continue, pretty much in its present form as by doing so it emphasises that we ARE a society comprised of real people, not just names on paper.

It is, of course, always good to meet other members in person but often this is not possible and Branchlines goes a long way making other members human.

Rod

[petersmith1942]

Rod
and pretty well fed by most accounts. I like Brians suggestion, lets see a few pics of the locos and stock described and the layouts under construction. I do agree that the groups are an important feature of our Society and that help of any sort provided is recognized
Peter Smith

[invercloy]

Firstly, thanks for the continued postings here, although we've not replied for a bit we're still reading.

Tom keep experimenting as it is all too easy to get stuck in a rut and the whole thing could then go stale but do not lose sight of what does work.  009 News is one magazine I do look forward to receiving each month and indeed now is the only modelling magazine I take so please do not squeeze out the modelling articles as they are the lifeblood of my 009 modelling.

Thanks Malcolm. Let me confirm - we have no intention of squeezing out modelling content in the News, but what i've mentioned several times is that we're looking to incorporate prototype content where it can be made to work WITH modelling content in the same issue. Hopefully it'll work, if we get more negative feedback than positive about it long term then we'll re-evaluate.

Branchlines reports have always been a problem in 009 News. What will be of little interest to some will be of great interest to others, especially those that are mentioned in the reports!
I have changed the way I send in Branchlines reports to a brief list of the future meeting dates (when I remember!) and a quarterly review with photos of the various layouts at the meetings. Obviously it is up to the editors if they include the photos or not but personally I find this a more interesting way to show what the group has been up to rather than a worded description.

Brian Meldon

In Branchlines there are reports of models being made (or shown for the first time) and meetings centred on members layouts. If the owners did not feel the urge to write specific articles on them, then a photo and a short write-up by the local scribe would let others see models that they might otherwise not. 

Thanks for the thoughts on Branchlines, we're aware that this is a thorny subject and whatever we do won't please everyone (this sounds familiar...). We're hoping to modernise the design of some elements of the News at the start of the next issue, nothing too radical. One thing I'd like to do to make Branchlines more manageable in the future is set a regular maximum amount of space it occupies in an issue, this may mean we cap the reports at a certain length, we'll have to see how the new design works out in this respect.

It's nice to see photos in Branchlines, but I think we'd need to offset this against less text to ensure it doesn't take up any greater proportion of an issue. I have to admit that I do rather like the suggestion of staggered reports with photos and less text/longer reports and no photos. Will give this some more thought.

What is encouraging is that after some badgering of some members at exhibitions and by email we're now getting some really interesting articles coming in for future issues.

P.S. Blair, photos would be good when you're ready, thanks :)

[Hugh Norwood]

I've just had a look at the membership of this forum - which of course any member can do.
There 414 members (actually a pretty good proportion of the Society membership, I would say)

But
only 20 have posted more than 20 times
and
226 have not posted at all

We may not be a representative cross-section of the Membership...

[Krizzy]

Tom & Steve

The Branchlines have always appeared in the NEWS since the very first years of the Society. They keep members informed of what is going on in their locality as well as further afield. Very few members actually do attend group meetings but reports in the NEWS may alert them to realise there is more going on and that attending a group may actually help them with their 009 modelling. One problem though has always been the Branchlines that ramble on and on and that means the editors must use their editorial prerogative to remove non essential items that mean nothing to the majority of members. In the past we have had comments and complaints regarding the inclusion garden railway happenings as well as other larger scales such as 7mm/O16.5. So keep the Branchlines in the NEWS but edit out the dross we have had to read in the past.

Roger

[Malcolm]

I've just had a look at the membership of this forum - which of course any member can do.
There 414 members (actually a pretty good proportion of the Society membership, I would say)
But
only 20 have posted more than 20 times
and
226 have not posted at all
We may not be a representative cross-section of the Membership...   

Shades of Unite Union and the Falkirk Labour Party then...........
Malcolm

[petersmith1942]

I thought that choice was part of democracy. I would not expect the group to be representative of the whole Society for a range of reasons. That is why  I was keen that it was seen as PART of the normal feedback in the Society and no more or less so than membership itself, readership of News attendance at group meeting and meets and attendance or voting at AGMs or other formal meetings. What I would wish to avoid at all costs is any impression that one form of feedback, especially this group, is more relevant than others. I remain of the view that it is important that the editors of News as far as possible keep abreast of all types of feedback
I am a member of another organisation in the hobby where the disconnect between the online and other forms of interraction has been disastrous (in my view)
In that organization I was a member but not a participant in group discussion untill I was told that my identity had been used by someone else to cause trouble. It was a very distressing experience and is why I always use my proper name and "sign" every posting I make
Peter Smith

[invercloy]

Don't worry, we're aware that this may not necessarily be a representative group of the society due to its size, in fact I mentioned just that on page 1. But, it is another form of feedback that we can make use of. We won't just act on suggestions here to the detriment of other forms of communication.

Roger, re Branchlines, I'd like to be in a position where we have to reduce the amount of editing, hopefully the length limit may start the work towards this, we'll see (I may be being optimistic)...

[Hobby]

Don't worry, we're aware that this may not necessarily be a representative group of the society due to its size, in fact I mentioned just that on page 1. But, it is another form of feedback that we can make use of.

You'll probably get more and varied feedback on here in one week than by any other method I suspect, Tom...

(Still to put the photos on the computer btw!)

[Alan Feldon]

At the time of my posting i had not received my copy of the news.Having now received this I agree wholeheartedly with Rod regarding the festiniog but stick by my comments  regarding lesser known railways (Corsica) which people may not be aware of ,and could well visit if they had known about them.Having said that it should not take over modelling articles.
I do not need to know who attended a branch meeting or what they ate and most certainly not "apologies for absence" for goodness sake!

[invercloy]

As mentioned in previous issues of the News, Volume 41 starts with the October issue. This is the first issue where Steve and I have applied the refreshed design.

Copies should be with members before the Convention - we'll be interested to know what you think.