Questions about THE NEWS

[cnw6847]

Any chance of a area group section on the forum rather than most things going into the general section?

[invercloy]

OH!  I intended to add the suggestion that each Local Group have a 'Branchline' thread in this forum!  Sorry!

Seconded.

Thrirded.

See my reply in the other thread too before I spotted this one.

Chris - you mentioned the notion of a survey - why not ask how many readers actually want Branchlines in an editorial?

[Chris Ford]

[/quote]

Chris - you mentioned the notion of a survey - why not ask how many readers actually want Branchlines in an editorial?
[/quote]
Did I mention a survey? Anyway no. It would cause less trouble if I asked about Briexit. One thing underlines it staying- people still want to send the reports in. They don't have to, it's not compulsory, but they do. There's still an appitite for it. As I said earlier. If people vote with their feet and stop sending things in and it drops down to less than a page, I'll review. Until that time...

[cp.409067]

Chris - you mentioned the notion of a survey - why not ask how many readers actually want Branchlines in an editorial?
[/quote].... One thing underlines it staying- people still want to send the reports in. They don't have to, it's not compulsory, but they do. There's still an appitite for it. As I said earlier. If people vote with their feet and stop sending things in and it drops down to less than a page, I'll review. Until that time...

[/quote]

*

No, no, no.

Chris, what you offer is an illogical and unreasonable argument.

The justification for the inclusion of Branchline reports cannot and should not be that there are a small number of persons willing to write them. Against that should be considered the alternative view that these reports are a self-indulgent waste of space that the majority find of no interest.

Here and in the other thread there have been three suggestions as to what should happen to Branchlines.

[1]  Removal to this forum.

[2]  Publication in print on a separate cheaply produced supplement.

[3]  Reduction in the NEWS to a simple statement of contact person and date of next meeting (as proposed above by Rod).


The time is long overdue for the adoption of one or more of these options - option [3] could go hand in hand with either [1] or [2].

The very least you can do as Editor is to stop inviting these reports.

Better still would be to have the courage to oversee an honest and reasonable period of experimentation - say at least a year - of not including the reports but going for option [3] above.

During that time it might be hoped that those who currently spend their time writing unwelcome and unnecessary reports will instead send you something on actual modelling. In other words that the space currently wasted can be used for material that is potentially of interest and value to all members of the Society.

At the end of the experiment it would then be fair to assess the way forward.

*****

There is also the recurring matter of repetitious overkill. I cite one recent case - but that have in the past been other examples of the same thing.

In the October 2018 issue there is mention of the Norfolk and Suffolk Narrow Gauge Modellers exhibition held on 13 October.

(i)   A full page ad on page 11.

(ii)  An entry in the Diary section on page 21.

(iii) Reference in the Branchline report on page 23.


CP

[Chris Ford]

Name the 'majority'.
I know there is a small vocal anti B/L group, but you cannot possibly know the wishes and desires of 1,940 people. I have noticed this in the mere three days I've been in here, that there is a tendency for people to make sweeping assumptions about numbers to support an argument. I know full well that you would be the first to call out the maths on the 'will of the people' statements that are bandied about these days and yet...

I will add that CP is a long-standing and dear friend and we shout at each other all the time.

[cp.409067]

Name the 'majority'.
I know there is a small vocal anti B/L group, but you cannot possibly know the wishes and desires of 1,940 people. I have noticed this in the mere three days I've been in here, that there is a tendency for people to make sweeping assumptions about numbers to support an argument. I know full well that you would be the first to call out the maths on the 'will of the people' statements that are bandied about these days and yet...

I will add that CP is a long-standing and dear friend and we shout at each other all the time.

*

The alternative argument might be that there is small vocal pro B/L group. At the current time can anyone say with any certainty what a majority view is?

It has been said that Society members who are not on line would be disadvantaged if Branchlines moved to this Forum.

Therefore the obvious way forward is three fold.

[1]   Permit this discussion here to be repeated in print in the NEWS ("Letters to the Editor"). Allow it to run for a couple of months.

[2]   Experiment for a year by replacing the reports with a simple statement of contact persons and date of next meeting.

[3]   Then conduct a serious survey of all members as to what they would like done about Branchlines. The exact wording will need to be carefully agreed in advance.

If after such a process there was found to be a majority in favour of the current system that would be fair enough.

I will add that CF is a long-standing and dear friend and that we DO NOT shout at each other all the time. Rather we are very different people, with very different experiences, and different outlooks on life. Vive la difference.



CP

[cnw6847]

Perhaps there should be a questionaire sent out in a future issue of News with various questions regarding the Society and News including the Branchlines inclusion.

But how many of the 1940 members would actually fill them in and return?

It could be reviewed in time for AGM perhaps.

If Branchlines was removed would enough extra articles be sent in to fill the space or would two pages just be removed from News?

[JulienW]

Most of the other society mags are bi-monthly or quarterly. If memory serves some of the 'newssheets' have a more frequent posting. This seem pointless for us with a month turnaround. The cost is/would be negligible, but by the same token, if I was THAT short of space I could wind another four pages into the news for not a lot extra. It's not a space thing, it's more about what people want. Some are online, some aren't. Some like it, some don't. I'm walking down the middle with it all.

The old 'can't please all of the people all,of the time'!

Another thought about a monthly 'newssheet' that went out with a monthly 009 News is that the time sensitive stuff (date of the next group meeting, exhibitions, marmalade recipes...) could be on the sheet which could be disposed off once it is 'out of date' with the more interesting stuff in the (full colour) 009 News could be kept on the shelf for future reference.

At the end of the day though the most important thing for me is getting and reading the News, so please accept my thanks for doing the thankless editorial tasks, and my thanks also go out to the team of stuffers in the first stage of the distribution network.

I have no plans to change it. My successor may. Or... if the groups DO decide to come onto here, which I certainly have no problem with, then the question answers itself. Until that happens and I don't get 500 words a month from Angela - it stays.

:D (that really did make me laugh out loud)

[BrianE]

Can I just strongly emphasize a point that is occasionally made: not only is the News a means of communication but for some members it is a lifeline. As MemSec I get phone calls, letters in with the cheques, emails from members abroad. Many of these are from members who, by tone or content, indicate that they are on their own and that I may be the only person they've spoken to all week. In one sense the content of the News is almost irrelevant; that it exists is enough. That it contains articles on a hobby that they can no longer fully partake in is a godsend. Over a quarter (28%) of current members do not have email addresses on my file. This, or any other forum, is of no use to them.

For those of you who still buy a newspaper: do you read every article in it? I bet you don't.

[Chris Ford]

I'm repeating myself here.
1. the Society IS its members and area groups.
2. the area groups have been with us almost since day one and are an important part (lifeline?) of the promotion and progression of the society.
3, the area group reports are an important flag wave for the group, a link for someone who may either be new to the society or has moved into the geographical area - I wouldn't be here now if I hadn't have been pulled into the Sussex Downs Group at a show, and then into the Society proper.

4. the group reports are a fundemental part of the News and unless I get told by the Directors to take the section out, it will remain.
Seperate newssheets are not in anyway a cost saving in fact it would be more work and an extra layer. If I need the space in the News I can generate it.

The 009 News is the newsletter of the society (the clue is in the title) if there is a part of it that doesn't interest you (does anyone read the blue info strip under Branchlines?) then turn the page to the bits that do.

Branchlines will stay.

[cp.409067]

I'm repeating myself here.
1. the Society IS its members and area groups.
2. the area groups have been with us almost since day one and are an important part (lifeline?) of the promotion and progression of the society.
3, the area group reports are an important flag wave for the group, a link for someone who may either be new to the society or has moved into the geographical area.

4. the group reports are a fundemental part of the News and unless I get told by the Directors to take the section out, it will remain.
Seperate newssheets are not in anyway a cost saving in fact it would be more work and an extra layer. If I need the space in the News I can generate it.

The 009 News is the newsletter of the society (the clue is in the title) if there is a part of it that doesn't interest you (does anyone read the blue info strip under Branchlines?) then turn the page to the bits that do.

Branchlines will stay.

*

Once again - no, no, no. There is irrational argument here and it needs to be refuted. I will take each of the points made by Chris in order.

[1]   Yes the Society is its members

[MickT]

Can I just strongly emphasize a point that is occasionally made: not only is the News a means of communication but for some members it is a lifeline. ...................................................................etc (full posting deleted to avoid pointless duplication)

Brian,

Once again you have hit the nail squarely on the head. The voice of reason, thank you

Mick

[Stan Williams]

I totally agree with the Editor that the Branchlines should stay.

Yes you can apply the red pen and cut out Aunt Nellies cakes, but some people appreciate all thats in the Newsletter.

I personnally have been contacted by guys who have seen an area group in Branchlines and they now come along on a regular basis and they do not

live that close.

We have members coming from Yorkshire, we have one from the Midlands and we have had one from the Peak District.

We meet in Rainford on Merseyside.

Chris, overall you are doing a very good job, keep it up.

Stan.

[rander]

I thought there was one rule in journalism "The Editor's decision is final".

[Steve Facknell]

All of the society's I have belonged to over some 50 years have a News section and I cannot recall this being complained about.

Maybe posters who are against news could provide articles to cover the resultant space?

Posting in bold type doesn't re-enforce ones argument it is shouting!

Keep up the good work Chris-
Steve

https://dorsetrailwaymodelling.blogspot.com/