Russ

That's the plan. The hope is to include the digital issue with your membership, leaving the print edition as an option for those who want it. 

Just a mock-up

Don't judge the digital version of the NMRA Magazine by what you saw for the survey. Just a quick mock-up to demonstrate what it would look like. I found the navigation to be very clunky, but that may be an issue at their end.

I would prefer a downloadable edition. They should do another demo if that becomes an option, and ask opinions on text sizes, etc., to ensure maximum readability.

I edit my division's newsletter, one change early on was reformat to landscape mode, as most never print it, just read it on their computer. One reader asked if I could alter the body text, as it was hard to read on his 27" monitor. No problem, increase the font by two points in the format template for the next issue.

Surprisingly when it went to landscape format, no one complained!

Error!

A quick mock-up is a lousy way to promote the wonderful magazine you intend to deliver later.  I really like the horizontal format but I'm also among the minority who read on a small laptop.

Adoptable is best

PDFs

eZines have to be PDFs. I enjoy reading MRH on my iPad with Adobe Reader, I have it Landscape mode so that everything is larger and easy to read. I don't mind scrolling a bit. But if you want to scroll less, there are a variety of other ways to view it.

AP "Authoring" cert --> feeder to NMRA magazine?

Dear MRHers,

I've wondered for a while, is the AP "Authoring" cert a form of feeder/article-generator/content-source for the Magazine?

...or maybe said in-inverse, is the Magazine a "go to" acceptor of member-written articles, which by cute by-product, facilitates earning of "AP Authoring cert" points?

Happy Modelling,
Aiming to Improve, 
Prof Klyzlr

Prof, I suspect you are

Prof, I suspect you are correct about that.

Horrible

That web reader interface is terrible. It should not be slow as molasses on an 8-core i7. If an eZine is going to be successful, it should be in a PDF format and downloadable. And yes, they are going to have to give up on stupid and shortsighted DRM, and realize that some unauthorized copies are going to be shared, and be OK with using that as a recruitment tool for the NMRA membership.

DRM

Some actual information

I think I've seen more positive change in the NMRA in the last few months than I have seen in years.

The fact that they went from an attitude of "we can't do it" to "we are already testing something and want your feedback" in just a few weeks is amazing.

While the test version leaves a few things to be desired, it's at least barely "good enough" to get a start on some testing.

I would say this - if you have some constructive feedback, send it in.  If you just want to whine about something that happened to you 20 years ago you're welcome, but it doesn't help anyone and just adds to the noise, not the signal.

Here's a partial quote from the NMRA eBulletin (sent to every member in email) referring to the test of the electronic version of the magazine -

--- start of partial quote ---

Please remember this is a prototype so we have restricted the ability to download it, however this could be an option in the future. We feel that we need to move forward to offer more digital content alongside our print publications. We won’t be taking away the print option for our magazine so this isn’t a one or the other situation.

The project is now at the stage that we want to hear your views on the prototype, the concept, and how we offer this member benefit. Offering digital publications allows us to offer more than just the magazine in a socially responsible way. What we can already say is that if you are a print subscriber, and you choose to go digital instead, then the overall cost of your membership with the digital magazine would be reduced compared to your current membership with its added print subscription cost.

--- end of partial quote ---

GS

DRM and feedback

100% correct and I hope that the NMRA realizes this.

Do you know where to send feedback? I feel like they should know what they need to do format wise as they have contact with MRH. It could help to hear it more from people.

Yes, be kind and give them lots of kudos

Emailing the NMRA

You can always send your emails to hq@nmra.org and they'll route them to the correct people. 

Feedback to NMRA

I took the survey then emailed my thoughts to the vice president and secretary, you can reach them at vpresident@nmra.com and secy@nrma.com.  It would stand to reason that the prez, Gordy, is president@nmra.org.

Here is what I sent them.  I was a bit forceful but the previous administration just stonewalled myself and others regarding moving this issue forward and hid the details of the paper magazine deal in executive session(s). 

"....

I just did the survey, a few observations:


Regarding the question on what we would be willing to pay, it was

interesting that there was no selection for "Free - part of your

membership", so I selected the $5-10 selection.   Why is it national

thinks we should pay for a digital magazine, the cost to produce it

would be minimal if your magazine production workflows were set up to

"write once, edit once, publish many".   If the regions and divisions

can produce a magazine for no cost using volunteers why can't national?


Regarding the "Digital Trial", if national believes that providing the

content in some type of proprietary reader is the way to go this will

just dis incentivize the membership from reading it.   Just produce the

PDF and distribute it, if Model Railroad Hobbyist can do it, why can't

national?  Why should the members getting the digital version be

disadvantaged from easy retrieval, offline reading, etc?


The magazine content is not that compelling, MRH and other online model

railroad mags produce basically the same content.   Stop being so

stubborn in national's belief that the NMRA content is that unique and

special that it needs to be locked up with an online reader, it isn't.


I was really hoping for better things from you and Gordy.   Not the

membership's fault that the previous administration locked us into a

pricey contract with White River Productions for the paper version.  

Was it really that bad that you won't share the details with the

membership?  Hiding the transaction behind "Executive Session" is a foul

and your general counsel knows it."

Well said Bob, My beef with

Well said Bob, My beef with the NMRA  is what do we get for the outrages dues? The magazine is second rate to other magazines out there, heck my CORSA ( Corvair Nation club Magazine)  is of better quality  if only half to 3/4 as thick, but then only 3500 members and our dues are half the NMRA. Plus they supply insurance to the member club events ( even speed events). Clubs with the same dues I'm in ( SCCA and AMA (model aviation) have much better magazines fewer members plus have to fight the Fed's all the time) have much better magazines and insure many more events. Plus I never get a letter from them asking for more money for this and that which I can't say for the NMRA. 

So just where does all the NMRA money go?

Do they own the headquarters building? The museum is at the mercy of the California Railroad Museum till they run out of state funding that is.  

rant over 

rich

Email

Thanks! I emailed them the following:

....

I see the Prototype as a huge step in the right direction.

It's funny, they had a survey where 95% of the 1,500 entries responded in favor of an electronic option, of which 85% were over the age of 60, and you STILL have people demanding that the print edition be the only edition.

For Good reason...

Once the electronic edition gets established, the cost of the print edition will be self evident and it will quickly parse back to being vanished altogether.

It's simply not sustainable.

Electronic copy

If they do a good job with the electronic version, and offer it as a downloadable PDF with no DRM and one that looks as nice as MRH/RE, then that's not a problem.

I can't see any situation where someone couldn't use a PDF, as you can get an iPad and blow it up, play around with colors/contrast, etc, so it's probably more accessible for people with vision impairment than a fixed size, fixed contrast paper version.

It looks nice, but...

Since the demo version was a complete edition of a recent issue, the only problem I have is the reader sucks. It may just be the demo nature of the product, but it was way too slow to be of any real use.

Hopefully if this gets the go-ahead, you will be able to download a copy to read offline. Online subscriptions are nice, but they can and do disappear.

With MRH

Keep in mind the reader community. MRH is free, so you have 60,000 backup sources of back issues should you ever need one.

MRH

MRH and RE in pdf form is very nice.  I've got all the issues I've read stashed in a folder on my hard disk (and some scattered around my tablet), so if I want to go reread something I can.  Usually using the MRH TOC Index to find the issue.  And I can print out a page here and there for device free reference.

...

Would you like a cloud and some snowflake sprinkles on top of that sundae, because that's a pretty tall order in some of parts.  And I agree with all of this.  Quality, portability, trust, and respect.  And even the understanding that you may give out a copy of your PDF to your friends, but those free copies can easily turn into new members and new subscriptions once those freeloaders decide they don't want to wait for the second hand anymore. 

There's that one part you didn't mention: Affordability.  If it's not there - for either party - the whole thing doesn't work.

And yet we still have 5% of 1500 people who are against the PDF offering and think the NMRA magazine should stay firmly Print Only.  They don't want anything to do with PDFs in any medium, they want print and print only.  And I do internally believe we are at a point where the choice is If the magazine does not go digital soon, there simply won't BE a magazine at all in another decade.

Same.  And I will also say this: RE has brought me back to reading issues a little closer, whereas before RE I may sometimes look at a cover or quickly flip through it but it was becoming less of an adventure.  My subscription re-upped this month and it will stay re-upping as long as I can abide!

Stubbornness

Some people are just stuck in the past. Electronic distribution is much cheaper than printing and mailing paper copies. 

They use all manner of excuses, such as "I use a computer at work all day, I don't want to come home to one too."

In English: "I am willing to ignore a vast resource at my fingertips because I am stubborn."

Almost like "I won't work for any company that uses Microsoft software." Really limits your options.

NMRA Feedback

Hi! I'm the Marketing Consultant for the NMRA and am glad I got to read all of your comment, both here and via email. Please know that we are absolutely gathering all of the member feedback and considering it as we move forward. I have even included a "Member Feedback" section in my survey analysis, which will be reviewed with Gordy, the VP, Directors and Department Heads. A communication will also go to the Region Presidents for additional input. 

This is a big step for us, so I want to thank you for your comments, both positive and negative. We are listening.

Christina Zambri

marketing@nmra.org