Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

[Paul C.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

The number of "YOUNG" people (you define this anyway you want) who have email addresses is very, very high. I like getting the paper Driveline but it is easy to put it online for anyone who wants to access it. NCRS must get a seller/buyer site for cars and parts--they are really missing the boat on this one. This should be about the future of NCRS and that means computer based/email/web sites. I teach in college and have two college age children and you will never get these individuals into your organization if it is not highly technology linked. Yes maybe some/many old members don't have or use computers but they are the past and not the future of the organization. Just my 2 cents worth.
Paul

[Bill C.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

Why not just put the darn Parts area on the forum and be done with it!

if it works - hooray!

if it fails miserably - then dump it.


I have honestly never seen so much time wasted over such a simple thing.


Put the paying advertisers from the drive-line in the forum as sponsers,
let people try selling their parts how they want to. Maybe the SELLERS will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly they can seel their parts.

I hope you guys know that there are A LOT of good Vette parts that NEVER make it to the Drive-line becuase we advertise our stuff on the Corvette Forum, FleeBay or other internet forums.

Secondly -
If us adults OPT to have our information sent to us electronically and we don't keep our email address current - then it is our bad and we can only blame ourselves.
I download the "paper products" each month and save the PDF - works great for me.

I AGREE that items such as membership renewal or any type of financial data should be a mailed hardcopy. It will then have a significantly greater arrival rate.

Mt 2 cents ---

[Patrick H.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

Why not just put the darn Parts area on the forum and be done with it!

if it works - hooray!

if it fails miserably - then dump it.


I have honestly never seen so much time wasted over such a simple thing.


Put the paying advertisers from the drive-line in the forum as sponsers,
let people try selling their parts how they want to. Maybe the SELLERS will be pleasantly surprised at how quickly they can seel their parts.

I hope you guys know that there are A LOT of good Vette parts that NEVER make it to the Drive-line becuase we advertise our stuff on the Corvette Forum, FleeBay or other internet forums.

Secondly -
If us adults OPT to have our information sent to us electronically and we don't keep our email address current - then it is our bad and we can only blame ourselves.
I download the "paper products" each month and save the PDF - works great for me.

I AGREE that items such as membership renewal or any type of financial data should be a mailed hardcopy. It will then have a significantly greater arrival rate.

Mt 2 cents ---

Amen.
Great summary.

The problem is that the NCRS makes money from the advertisers - not from the member ads.
Until all of the BoD members agree on how to transition from one medium to another (print to computer) I don't foresee a change.
And, since so few of the BoD members even visit this discussion area, don't hold your breath on them embracing anything on the computer.
My prediction is that we'll be on the next thing beyond the internet before they agree to transition the Driveline to a dual format or add any type of online sales.

Patrick

[Harmon C.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

We all know the number of members who go to meets and the national is lots less than the paid memberships. I know that people who buy my parts are interested in getting their car judged most of the time. The complete 15,000 membership is not interested in buying parts just the few who are restoring their car. Most of the buyers shop E-Bay all the time and have the internet service. Put the driveline ads on line the day they are mailed. The people who don't have E-mail won't know that the Driveline has been on line for a week before they get their copy unless someone tells them by snail mail.
If they want to complaint they need to write a letter or make a phone call.If they E-Mail their complaint throw it out as they have no reason to complain they could have looked on line the day it came out. My guess is less than 25 people will complain during a three month trial. I also will not need to put up with that dumb post every month about I got my DRIVELINE today which I never look at any more.

[Mark W.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

I have found this post to be very interesting to say the least, but not one person has brought up the cost to mail 15,000 hard copies of the driveline 6 times a year for a total of 90,000 individual mailings. This must be a pretty substantial cost to NCRS and us dues paying members. I belong to several other organizations (fly fishing, photography, etc) and most have gone to primarily electronic posting of newsletters on their websites (not e-mail distribution). All of these clubs still snail mail to those members that prefer that method, but the vast majority of members of these other clubs I am a member (reading this thread, it appears some NCRS clubs also appear to follow this trend) choose to read the newsletters on line and save their local club the added cost of mailing them. All the NCRS would need to do to implement this is to add a single check box to the annual renewal form asking whether the member wanted to receive hard copy via snail mail or not. Membership dues should remain the same for both options, but Driveline should be posted the same day hard copies are mailed. My guess is NCRS would substanitally cut their mailing costs the first year and every year after that. Pretty simple solution; no e-mail lists to maintain, all members choose their method of delivery and NCRS saves money. Whats the down side?

[Terry M.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

I have found this post to be very interesting to say the least, but not one person has brought up the cost to mail 15,000 hard copies of the driveline 6 times a year for a total of 90,000 individual mailings. This must be a pretty substantial cost to NCRS and us dues paying members. I belong to several other organizations (fly fishing, photography, etc) and most have gone to primarily electronic posting of newsletters on their websites (not e-mail distribution). All of these clubs still snail mail to those members that prefer that method, but the vast majority of members of these other clubs I am a member (reading this thread, it appears some NCRS clubs also appear to follow this trend) choose to read the newsletters on line and save their local club the added cost of mailing them. All the NCRS would need to do to implement this is to add a single check box to the annual renewal form asking whether the member wanted to receive hard copy via snail mail or not. Membership dues should remain the same for both options, but Driveline should be posted the same day hard copies are mailed. My guess is NCRS would substanitally cut their mailing costs the first year and every year after that. Pretty simple solution; no e-mail lists to maintain, all members choose their method of delivery and NCRS saves money. Whats the down side?

[Mike M.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

I have not looked at the driveline online yet. I'm not looking for any parts. If I was in need of something i would be online for sure. We seem to think everyone needs parts and is restoring there vette. I would think the reverse is true only a small percentage of our 15000 members are looking for parts or selling parts. So only a small percentage are accessing driveline via the internet. I do leaf through the hard copy just to see what the prices people are asking for parts and there cars.

[Kenneth H.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

I've been following this post for the past couple of days and I understand everyone's concerns. I just have a couple of quick questions of a technical nature. How powerful is our WEB server? In it's current form, can it support maybe many hundreds of logins on a specific day of the month when the Driveline is published?

Although that doesn't happen now, it will happen if we post the Driveline prior to delivery. Everybody's going to want to get the first shot at that hard to find part, so we'll all login the minute it's posted. And, oops, we crash teh server. Ive had two instances in the last month where I couldn't log in to the NCRS site because it was "too busy". And that was just because too many members were accessing this board. I guess the question is, if we run into this problem, will we then see a whole bunch of new complaints about getting a new more powerful WEB server?

Thanks.

[Roger S.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

Why is the proven uneven distribution snail mail more 'fair' than a potential uneven internet access time?

Is the Driveline about keep members updated or to collect advertising fees? It may do both but there is a primary reason for it. If it for the members then do internet posting or at least the test as proposed. If it is for advertising dollars then admitted it and move on.

For me I usually get the Driveline a week after most folks mention on here that they have gotten it, so for 'fairness' sake I feel cheated. If I could get it the same day as everyone else then that would be 'fair'. This can be done by placing it on the NCRS site on a specific day and time. Yes, some people may be working or traveling or whatever and can not access it the second it hits the boards, but how is this different than the uneven mailing process.

Remember, nothing in life is 'fair'!

Roger

[Paul C.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

I have been President of several major professional organizations, been on BOD, etc. and understand we sometimes feel like I do all the work and all everyone does is complain--where are all these people when I need help on the x, y or z event, newletter, etc. That is the nature of all organizations/groups. So my comments are just that---comments and not meant to criticize anyone who puts in 100's on hours for the NCRS.

First how many corvette owners are there? I would think alot more than 15K. Someone should ask the question why don't they belong to the NCRS? Answering that question is of utmost importance for the survival of this organization.

I agree that probably a minority of individuals are restoring a corvette to be judged--but how many people are just trying to make there corvette closer to original or need the advice on how to install a part or where can I get that part or what is a fair price for the part or what is a fair price for a XXX vet or just like to talk to fellow corvette owners. I also post on the corvette forum, the digital corvette forum, etc. but there are sooooo many knowledgeable people on the NCRS forum. The only complaint I might have is sometimes the answers sound condescending--poster should realise we are all not GM engineers and maybe what is simple to you is not simple to me.

I think the NCRS forum is very good but as with everything in life it can be made better and must change in order to survive and grow.

Just my 3 cents worth this time.

Paul

[Harmon C.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

Here is one more statistic on e mail. At the recent Tahoe regional we had 143 registrations with 138 giving an e mail address. 96.5%

John

The above information proves that the active members who are bring cars,judging,attending, and restoring cars have E-Mail and should be the people we take care of first.
Why worry about large number of members who could care less if the Driveline is on the internet. The members who get the most out of the membership attend chapter,regional,and national events. I ask is this more or less than 3000 of the 15,000 membership?

[Bill C.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

The problem is that the NCRS makes money from the advertisers - not from the member ads.
Until all of the BoD members agree on how to transition from one medium to another (print to computer) I don't foresee a change.
And, since so few of the BoD members even visit this discussion area, don't hold your breath on them embracing anything on the computer.

Patrick,


There really does not need to a transition from one media to another.
Commercial sponsors can have their advertisements in both venues.

Pay the fee and end up in two places - extra added bonus!

This way, those who wish to receive the hard-copy still can and those who want to use the Internet are handled as well.

I must be missing something, but servicing both venues can't be counter productive.
Members get what they want, and sellers reach out to more individuals.

Win-Win ---

[Mike M.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

Some of use don't have the time or money to travel the country to the chapter , regional or the national events every year. I'm working and my work takes me across the country and the past 3 years I could not attend my chapter meet to help with judging or whatever is needed.The Ontario meet is this weekend and I'm in Alberta. You seem to be saying that members who attend meets and are always there get more from the NCRS. Why is that? Saying that makes me feel like a second rate member. I joined the NCRS when I started to restore my vette. I received tons of help on here. It was great and still is. I learned a lot from members and the books I purchased. I'm still learning and helping when I can. But at this time in my life after being away for 2 weeks working when I come home I would rather spend it with my family cruising in my vette on the weekends.

[Clem Z.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

. The only complaint I might have is sometimes the answers sound condescending--poster should realise we are all not GM engineers and maybe what is simple to you is not simple to me.


not everyone redoing a corvette is chasing points and they are just looking not to make a expensive mistake

[Mark W.]

Re: Random Statistics on NCRS / E-mail usage

I say put it to a vote of all 15,000 NCRS members and not just keep leaving this issue up to the few board members who have been making these decisions for us. The board can put together a list of 3-4 options (with an open period for member input), add a voting page to a future Driveline (which every single member eventually gets) and if any member chooses not to vote, then they shouldn't complain about it later.