In a message dated 16/11/2004 20:19:27 GMT Standard Time, dent freesurf.ch writes:
How about testing if a £10 subscription would bring in new members by launching a special offer for new subscribers at £10 ? Jon. A good idea, but I think the main problem with attracting new members is that they do not see any sort of return for their subscription. It does serve one important function, in that it appears that many Quanta members still have original QLs and very little else... What do people actually want from Quanta - at the moment, all I see is - A library which has very few programs post 1995 - Quanta could take over the Public Domain software function (not sure if Dilwyn would mind) - providing it for free to members, or maybe small cost to non-members, equivalent to what Dilwyn currently charges. Problem is that no-one in Quanta seems willing / able / to have the expertise to run such a service and ensure that it is kept up to date - A magazine which is published infrequently and has few articles. The problem is that most of its membership do not seem interested in new QL technology and therefore articles in QL Today are beyond them or of no interest. On the other hand, all the basic functions of the QL have been done to death. -- No real support for members - instead the members tend to turn to traders. Quanta has access to quite a lot of second hand hardware and software (some of which I have) and I have suggested to John Gilpin that they should actually advertise this in their magazine themselves - especially low cost ways of upgrading standard QLs to give them more memory and disk drive access - A website which has very little information - it needs an overhaul, with links to current QL traders, some of the older articles, such as upgrade options, and above all, a means of applying to become a member - Shows - now Quanta has a long record of organising shows - however, they seem to have run out of steam and / or the incentive to organise these and it is now left mainly to the traders to organise and promote. I cannot see QL2005 happening if left to Quanta at the moment... - A stash of money which is sat there - it should be used towards the development and promotion of the QL. At the moment, it is sitting there and the longer it is left, the harder it is going to be to find a project to spend it on.... --- Rich Mellor RWAP Services 26 Oak Road, Shelfield, Walsall, West Midlands WS4 1RQ TEL: 01922 691607 Visit our website at URL:http://www.rwapsoftware.co.uk Stuck with ordinary dial up internet connection ?? Read our review of internet accelerators and broadband at: URL: http://www.rwapadventures.com/Services/reviews.html _______________________________________________ QL-Users Mailing List http://www.quanta.org.uk/mailing.htm
