2002-04-04 You can still make it available to those who pay dues. They can download it in doc or pdf format via a password. A password available only to those that are paid members. Or you can set it up to be emailed to dues paying members. This way everybody gets it in a timely manner and there is no postage charges to the USMA. Plus, if the newsletter can be done entirely electronically, there would be no printing charges. That would be a cost savings and maybe a savings in officers time spent on handling the newsletters. No?
John ----- Original Message ----- From: "Hillger, Don" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "U.S. Metric Association" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Thursday, 2002-04-04 17:28 Subject: [USMA:19230] RE: Back to Metric? Ezra and others: For those of you who don't receive Metric Today, the cover story for the last issue was about labeling. It would be nice if we could do an electronic newsletter and make it available to all, but then who would pay dues? You are missing out if you don't get the newsletter. I'm not begging for your dues, that's just the fact. I started this listserver and did not promise that it would have the latest metric information. Unfortunately I don't have enough time to read all the list messages, let alone reply to them, nor do the other USMA officers who already work hard and long for this cause. Most volunteer a large fraction of their time to the cause, and they do a lot of good. I don't think it would do that much good to debate the issues on the listserver. We can talk without end about some of these issues, but it's what's done for the cause that is important. I have a personal gripe with people who think they are promoting the cause by debating the minutia of SI. I would much rather see stories about what they have actually done to convince or convert anyone or anything. Although USMA is on top of the issues you bring up, we don't think it's prudent to state all the details in open documentation. Government works slowly and strangely and USMA has had many success stories, if not pro-metric, then at least at keeping at bay the anti-metric forces, although not completely as we all know. We are working against an apathetic and conservative public. I can't even convince my scientific colleagues that metric for the country as a whole is worthwhile. They are just not willing to do anything for the cause. I expect the same is true for many of you as well. Regardless, do what you can. There is no paid staff at USMA, only volunteers and I think their time is well spent and documented in the newsletter. I don't plan to debate this issue, just stating my opinion. Don Hillger USMA list owner -----Original Message----- From: Ezra Steinberg [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Thursday, 2002 April 04 11:03 To: U.S. Metric Association Subject: [USMA:19226] Back to Metric? Sure, Don, getting back to metric would be nice. So, here goes ... Is anybody (including -- and maybe especially -- the USMA leadership) pushing a legislative agenda to promote metric? It seems that the two agenda items currently in the forefront are amending the FPLA and getting the non-automatic states to adopt the latest NPLR. I've seen nothing I can remember giving any concrete information about either of these. Maybe we see this list go adrift into other topics sometimes because we're not hearing from the official leadership regarding updates and discussion of a focused agenda and progress and obstacles on the road to meeting that agenda. (I'd love to get regular updates on this list from *them* on what they're doing, for example.) Takes more than moralistic admonitions to fight entropy in my experience ... Regards, Ezra
