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Does anyone agree with me that the CFC newsletter should be posted for public access on the home page of the chess.ca website? I've taken a look at the issues posted online and there is some decent content. Wouldn't it do more to promote chess in Canada if this content was available to anyone who was interested in chess?
What's the point of a members' only service anyway? I guarantee you that this newsletter is not a factor in anyone's decision to renew their CFC membership. And maybe with a website containing high-quality content (along with tournament announcements), you would generate interest in chess and perhaps attract more paying members. How many members are you attracting with a members-only newsletter that is only received by half the CFC members? If anything you are discouraging people to renew their membership because it makes your organization look unprofessional.
I would also note that we recently hosted one of the top players in the world right here in Canada and there is no mention of this on the CFC website. What's up with that? Is it any wonder our national chess federation has gone down the tubes?
Okay, all the problems aren't going to be solved in a day, but I think a good step would be posting the CFC newsletter publicly at chess.ca. Let's get some momentum going on this.
yes, I agree. Lets see, if the information is emailed to anyone who asks:
1) the CFC is promoting chess to all
2) tournament advertisements in the mag are sent to everyone who might show up. As we all know, tournament attendence is the real revenue driver for the CFC.
3) Staff time is not spent checking the email list for expired members. (~1800 members = about 10 people every day whose email needs to be checked for removal and/or addition)
The opposing arguement I suppose is that it is necessary to restrict it to members otherwise people won't join - or perhaps feel that since they get their mag free what's the benefit of paying a membership fee. Personally, I can deal with paying a membership knowing it supports a mag that is given out for free that supports and widens the chess community.
However, the executive already knows this presumably. At the time of creation, they had two models in front of them, the BCCF model which is free and archived on the BCCF site and Jean Hebert's newsletter. And they decided not to make it free.
CFC members have been complaining for some time now that they don't get much for their membership dues. Well, now they get a quality newsletter. Something more tangible than just that warm feeling knowing that you are supporting the national organization.
It costs money to produce the newsletter, paid for by membership dues. Stop expecting to get everything for free. You want the newsletter, renew your membership.
Number 1: I am a CFC member and I've never received this newsletter. Roger said in a previous post that it is received by only about half of the active CFC members. This just makes the CFC look unprofessional.
Number 2: This members only newsletter is not worth $42 a year. No one's going to sign up for the CFC to receive a newsletter.
Number 3: Making it publicly available would promote Canadian chess, which should be the mandate of the CFC. The existence of a newsletter does not affect my decision to join the CFC, but if the CFC had a good-quality public site that promotes chess, it would probably make me more willing to pay my membership dues.
CFC members have been complaining for some time now that they don't get much for their membership dues. Well, now they get a quality newsletter. Something more tangible than just that warm feeling knowing that you are supporting the national organization.
It costs money to produce the newsletter, paid for by membership dues. Stop expecting to get everything for free. You want the newsletter, renew your membership.
Valid points, but it might be wiser to consider some form of limited access. Certain articles could be made available to all while others could require membership in order to view them.
This would provide some content to attract visitors and would also be a vehicle for content that should properly have a wider distribution. An example would be an article on GM's participating in the Canadian Open. It would be in the CFC's interest for some articles to reach as many people as possible.
Plus, I think people have to know what they are missing before they can miss it!
A final thought ... I always felt that the chessbase.com model was the way to go. Instead of once a month, articles could appear as they were available or as judged fit. This lets you be timely, if it's appropriate, and encourages folks to visit more often.
Valid points, but it might be wiser to consider some form of limited access.....
Plus, I think people have to know what they are missing before they can miss it!
Yes, I agree. And somebody at the CFC did have the same thought, you will see that the 1st issue (Sept 2009) is available to the public on the website. The next issue, March 2010, will also be available on the website to all. :)
Number 1: I am a CFC member and I've never received this newsletter. Roger said in a previous post that it is received by only about half of the active CFC members. This just makes the CFC look unprofessional.
Number 2: This members only newsletter is not worth $42 a year. No one's going to sign up for the CFC to receive a newsletter.
Number 3: Making it publicly available would promote Canadian chess, which should be the mandate of the CFC. The existence of a newsletter does not affect my decision to join the CFC, but if the CFC had a good-quality public site that promotes chess, it would probably make me more willing to pay my membership dues.
Number 1: You simply need to send an email to info@chess.ca so that they have your current email address. How difficult is that?
Number 2: The newsletter is only one benefit of membership. You would be surprised how many members renewed their memberships just to get the printed magazine! Some will renew just for the newsletter (and that warm and fuzzy feeling, of course).:)
Number 3: Having a quality newsletter adds value to a CFC membership. That will promote new memberships. Stripping away benefits of membership will have the opposite effect.
It is membership dues that pay for the magazine. Giving it away would be a betrayal of the members who pay for it. Your reasoning that making everything free will promote chess is simply wrong. The CFC can do nothing to promote chess if it is bankrupt.
Last edited by Bob Gillanders; Friday, 26th February, 2010, 11:05 AM.
If you want to have some content public and some members only, fine. But I think at least one article from each issue should be public, and there should be links to the articles directly from the CFC home page.
Yes, I agree. And somebody at the CFC did have the same thought, you will see that the 1st issue (Sept 2009) is available to the public on the website. The next issue, March 2010, will also be available on the website to all. :)
OK, that's good. But, rather than 100% every 6 months, I suggest that a little bit on a regular basis would do more to encourage visitors and whet their interest.
actually I think providing mixed public and private member access violates KISS. Violating KISS tends to be expensive. As well, the webzine site was a miserable experience, not only due to the lack of content.
But really, is the magazine supposed to be a vehicle for promoting chess or is it supposed to be a tangible reward for coughing up the membership fee? The former argues for public access, the latter for private.
I could see archiving the CCN onto the CFC website after 6 months, to allow public access at some time in the future.
Would this give both sides something - members get something unique - only they get the newsletter, not the public; but the public eventually get to read them , only they are 6 months old ( but they would still be read for the great articles ).
I could see archiving the CCN onto the CFC website after 6 months, to allow public access at some time in the future.
Two or three samples are enough to get impression about the publication. There might be a feature, that the new member gets all old e-issues for free :)
I'll renew my membership just to receive the CFC newsletter, as I play 1 or 2 tournaments a year. I'm an USCF member too, only for Chess Life :p
As one chesstalk poster wrote - some people spill more than the CFC membership fee...
actually I think providing mixed public and private member access violates KISS. Violating KISS tends to be expensive. As well, the webzine site was a miserable experience, not only due to the lack of content.
But really, is the magazine supposed to be a vehicle for promoting chess or is it supposed to be a tangible reward for coughing up the membership fee? The former argues for public access, the latter for private.
From what I saw of the September 2009 newsletter, it was just a collection of annotated games (and a few adverts). That's ok, but I'd just like to point out that there are plenty of annotated games available for free on Spraggett's blog, to name one site, and his annotations are first rate!
My point is that from my pov, the newsletter is overrated, but perhaps serious chessplayers are willing to pay for more annotated games "not available anywhere else". It just seems for whatever reason(s), things have really deteriorated from the old En Passant days.
Only the rushing is heard...
Onward flies the bird.
Interesting. What would you say was in the old En Passant issues that is lacking in the current issues? I personally do not see much difference, and I still have my En Passants from the mid-eighties and the nineties. The real change is that 20 years ago all the free content on the internet did not exist!
BTW, I favor putting one issue per year on the website for free access, so people can see and evaluate a benefit from joining the CFC.
Paul, be sure you download the free issue for March 2010 due is a few weeks. The 1st issue (Sept 2009) was well received, and every issue since has been an improvement. Even Dave likes it! :)
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