Robert Hart wrote:
> What I now see within the GFA management (I have been a part of this now
> for 12 months as Qld board representative) is a recognition amongst a
> growing number of the GFA management that electronic communications
> offer significant potential to assist the GFA
And so I say to the GFA management, "Welcome to 1993."
> This brings up a couple of interesting points that I would like to hear
> from Aus Soaring about...
>
> 1. Moving to electronic communications has a potentially significant
> downside as I am certain that not all GFA members have an email
> address.
Stuff 'em. Really. Ten years ago you could say that there were cost and
technical aptitude issues which would prevent people from using email, and
it was consequently unreasonable to expect that everyone could communicate
electronically. But not in 2007.
Out of the entire circle of people I communicate with on a first-name basis,
including the entire membership of my gliding club, the only one who doesn't
have an email address is my partner's 72 year old mother. And even she can
use the web.
> Whilst the move to electronic communications will
> certainly not be 100% in the foreseeable future (eg the magazine
> will remain hardcopy although articles will probably appear on the
> web site some time after publication),
Why delay? I'd love to tick a box somewhere that enabled me to receive
the mag as an emailed PDF. Or, better, as a website. It wouldn't take
that much to have the typesetting proofs rendered as PDF and stuck up
on www.gfa.org.au in the same way that CASA publishes FSA electronically,
would it?
> what do we do about members
> who do not have Internet access? In one conversation it was
> suggested to me that everyone can get an email address (gmail,
> yahoo etc.) and Internet access is readily available through
> public libraries, so I should not worry about this - but I do.
Don't. The members who don't have email access will have died of old
age by the time the GFA has finished the transition. It simply isn't
worth planning policy around the existence of these people. If they
feel left out when they don't get mailouts from GFA anymore, they can
sign up for gmail.com just like everyone else. They'd only need to
check their email once per month to be no less informed and up to date
than they are now...!
> 2. One of the reasons we are switching the GFA web site to a content
> management system is that it allows us (fairly easily) to add new
> capability such as web fora. This would allow the web site to host
> a range of discussions aimed at serving the general membership as
> well as specialised groups (such as instructors, coaches, club
> development officers etc.). I am interested in what people here
> think of this? For example, would a general membership disscussion
> group replace Aus Soaring - and if it does where would that leave
> our non GFA aus soaring contributors? What do people feel about
> specialised discussion groups - and what would be the benefits and
> problems of such groups?
Build it and see if they come. No great loss if it doesn't work out.
- mark
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I tried an internal modem, [EMAIL PROTECTED]
but it hurt when I walked. Mark Newton
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