Pagoda Newsletter

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by Dick M

Half my copy of the Pagoda Group newsletter arrivied today...

Download Attachment: Pagoda Newsletter.jpg
83.46 KB

Dick,

I was going to post a picture of mine as well, but at least it came 95% intact!  Maybe we'll have to consider a better packaging method?  Anyone else have torn up newsletters?

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Cees Klumper]

There have been several reports of destroyed letters - probably a result of sorting machines. Maybe we can use heavier stock paper next time. I still have to mail out the 'rest of world' ones, will try to get it done today.

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[Douglas]

quote:Originally posted by cees klumper

There have been several reports of destroyed letters - probably a result of sorting machines. Maybe we can use heavier stock paper next time. I still have to mail out the 'rest of world' ones, will try to get it done today.

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

Try two wafer seals instead of one. That will help.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[PnHi]

quote:Originally posted by Dick M

Half my copy of the Pagoda Group newsletter arrivied today...


Download Attachment: Pagoda Newsletter.jpg
83.46 KB

Dick M
1970 280SL

Same here, but readable.

[J. Huber]

Well, mine was essentially perfect. Although Dick and I are only a few miles apart -- our post offices are different (I'm Cedar Ridge, Dick I assume is Nev. City)...

James
63 230SL

[Mike Hughes]

Mine was a bit the worse for wear, too.  Thicker paper and two seals will make a great deal of difference.  Folding it twice like a letter will make it more the size of a standard envelope and thus more "sorting machine friendly."

- Mike Hughes  -ô¿ô-
  1966 230SL Auto P/S
  Havanna Brown (408)
  Light Beige (181)
  Cream M-B Tex (121)

[Dick M]

quote:Originally posted by J. Huber

Well, mine was essentially perfect. Although Dick and I are only a few miles apart -- our post offices are different (I'm Cedar Ridge, Dick I assume is Nev. City)...

James
63 230SL

Jame..
At least you could offer to send me the other half of the newsletter

Dick M
1970 280SL

[waltklatt]

Whew, so it seems quite a few of us have a pagoda paper munching system at our local post offices.  
Mine arrived yesterday all tangled, ripped and crumpled up.  Looked as if it went through a shredder.  
So Mike Hughes idea of folding the paper like a letter might help make it better.  Or a volunteer could email a pdf format to those who wish for an electronic copy and can print at their own leisure.  Those who prefer a hard copy mailed to their mailbox is fine too.  
Walter
1967 220SL-diesel, currently staying away from the post office.

[J. Huber]

quote:Originally posted by Dick M

quote:Originally posted by J. Huber

Well, mine was essentially perfect. Although Dick and I are only a few miles apart -- our post offices are different (I'm Cedar Ridge, Dick I assume is Nev. City)...

James
63 230SL

James..
At least you could offer to send me the other half of the newsletter

Dick M
1970 280SL

Well Dick, the problem is, with three little doodlers running this place, the condition of said newsletter once its here is another story! I'll look around for it...

James
63 230SL

[Jonny B]

We sure do appreciate  hearing about the problems that have come up, and will be working to correct them as we continue forward.

Also, as mentioned earlier, if you have any ideas about items for the newsletter, please post those here as well.
Thanks,

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[norton]

If it would help the club save what must have been a lot of money spent on postage I would gladly not receive the news letter in the mail. I would wecome an electronic copy e-mailed to me or better yet just post it on this site for down load, that would hold me over just fine until the next Pogoda world arives.

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by norton

If it would help the club save what must have been a lot of money spent on postage I would gladly not receive the news letter in the mail. I would wecome an electronic copy e-mailed to me or better yet just post it on this site for down load, that would hold me over just fine until the next Pogoda world arives.

Mike,

We (the Board Members discussing the Newsletter) debated on electronic delivery and decided against it.

1.  Many people (but not all) really appreciate hard copy material.
2.  As a Board, we want to provide all benefits of a "traditional" car club, including printed material.
3.  We were concerned about the simplicity with which non-Full Members could acquire the material if it were available electronically.  That is, we wanted to ensure that only people paying for membership recieved the product.

We realize that no single solution will make everyone happy, so we did the best we could.

Thanks,

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Douglas]

Perhaps this would be a good time to give the "official mission" of the newsletter to help people appreciate its content and how it differs from Pagoda World. I can see there's room for confusion if, for example, you're planning to run articles on car care from Bob Geco in both publications.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

Perhaps this would be a good time to give the "official mission" of the newsletter to help people appreciate its content and how it differs from Pagoda World. I can see there's room for confusion if, for example, you're planning to run articles on car care from Bob Geco in both publications.

Douglas,

Yes, we've talked about a variety of things in this thread, so here's my thoughts regarding our publications.  Keep in mind, the Newsletter is new and will continue to develop.

Pagoda World is to:
- Be published two or three per year (we never made our goal of four).
- Announce upcoming Pagoda SL Group events.
- Report on past Pagoda SL Group events.
- Publish detailed "how to" articles.
- Publish Pagoda-relavent historical articles.
- Publish articles to establish facts regarding detailed Pagoda information.
- Provide a method for Membership participation in Group functions (i.e., voting).
- Provide full color photos (new).
- Provide globally pertinent advertising.
- Basically, anything large, detailed, or requiring color, or any official Group business information, will be published here.

Pagoda Newsletter is to (or could):
- Announce upcoming regional Pagoda SL Group events and other regional events of interest.
- Provide regionally pertinent advertising.
- Provide small articles ("how to", historical, informational, etc....) that better fit this format.
- Provide information on or personal experineces with regional parts & service suppliers.


You chimed in yourself earler in the thread:

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

I can answer that, at least as it relates to the original concept. The newsletter was one of my parting suggestions at the end of my tenure as Pagoda World editor.

The idea was:

1. To create a publication that could be easily produced and disseminated to Full Members regularly and with more ease than Pagoda World, which was turning into more of a  magazine. The newsletter would act as a "bridge" between PW issues, which were not coming out as often as hoped.

2. To share Pagoda-related information with Full Members who aren't on the Web and do not benefit from the very rich exchange of info in the forums.

3. To share club info that would be appropriate for a newsletter -- meetings, get-togethers, etc.

At least that's how I presented the concept.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

Jonny has stated:

quote:Originally posted by Jonny B

After our last board of directors meeting, we decided to put out a Pagoda Group newsletter as a supplement to Pagoda World. This will be black and white, relatively short (four pages this time) letter, with the intent of a new one every two months. We will pull information from the site, from experience, other stories sent etc. We are establishing this thread to capture the comments from the group. The USA version has been mailed today (16 Feb 07) and we would like your comments along with when you received the letter, so we can judge the delivery time.
Thanks in advance!
The Editor-in-Chief (newsletter that is)

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

And I dropped this one in earlier my self.

quote:Originally posted by rwmastel

2.  "...differences between Cees' rest-of-world version..."
- I believe that in this first issue there will be no differences in content.  This is expected to change as the newsletter matures.  We expect to cover more region-specific material in different versions.  That way, we can load up the European newsletter with info on European events, maybe include reviews of parts/service suppliers from the local region, use advertisers from that region, and who knows what else.
- Europe's typical paper size is A4, where it's Letter in the USA, so Cees may decide to print in that other paper size?  What paper size is used in Asia?  Australia?
- Mailing to Europe, Asia, and Australia is less expensive from Amsterdam than here in the USA.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[rwmastel]

Keep in mind, we prefer the material for these publications come from within the membership (you!).  We have quite a few experts in different fields, but you don't event need think of yourself as that to help with a contribution.  Many of us struggle with the same problems or questions, so if you've recently done something to or with your car then it's a good bet that others will benefit from reading it.  Just write to us and ask if we can help bring your idea, story, or information to print.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Jonny B]

Great discussion on a new, for us, implementation. As much as I like using the web/computer for information, I also appreciate having the easy look up and access of hard copy.

Rodd captured very nicely what we are trying to do here, so just keep the comments coming. Some we will implement, some we will not, but we will listen and consider them all.

Jonny B
1967 250SL Auto

[waltklatt]

Also i'm sure all of us collectively, have the greatest collection of literature and information on these W113's than any other source.
I'm also an avid fan of rereading the old info again and again.  Maybe we could try to compile a few select articles from the collections so we can spread the word on them, I'm sure they would be beneficial to all.  But the problem is the copyright.  How do we get around that?
Walter
1967 220SL-diesel

[Douglas]

Rodd,

Sounds like you're saying the newsletter is more regional and has shorter articles, correct?

Personally, I think the shelf life of each publication should be considered. A magazine is something people should look at over and over, whereas a newsletter generally has more content with more short-term value. Think of Frank Mallory's "Mercedes Collector" and how relevant it still is today. Then compare that to your local MBCA newsletter.

In this way, I believe articles about local gatherings are better suited to the newsletter. With the possible exception of a really significant gathering, they're all pretty much the same. ("A good time was had by all.") You're probably not going to re-read that kind of article years later unless you have some personal connection to the event.

Also, in my humble opinion, I think the Full (i.e., paying) Members would respect the Group's wishes if they were explicitly asked not to distribute a pdf of the newsletter to other Basic (i.e., non-paying) Members. Mind you, I'm not saying a pdf is the preferable format for the newsletter -- I'm just saying that any mistrust towards Full Members in this regard is probably undeserved.

(Obviously, all of these are decisions for the Board and the specific editors, but I know you're looking for our feedback.)

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by waltklatt

But the problem is the copyright.  How do we get around that?

Written permission from the publisher and author.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

Sounds like you're saying the newsletter is more regional and has shorter articles, correct?

Yes, that's the idea for future issues.  At least we're hoping it evolves that way.

quote:Personally, I think the shelf life of each publication should be considered. A magazine is something people should look at over and over, whereas a newsletter generally has more content with more short-term value. Think of Frank Mallory's "Mercedes Collector" and how relevant it still is today. Then compare that to your local MBCA newsletter.

In this way, I believe articles about local gatherings are better suited to the newsletter. With the possible exception of a really significant gathering, they're all pretty much the same. ("A good time was had by all.") You're probably not going to re-read that kind of article years later unless you have some personal connection to the event.

That's a good point.  Bigger events held by our group (as apposed to us attending events organized by others) could be in PW, while the smaller Group events or "joint" events could be in the newsletter.  These decisions are something we'll get better at over time.

quote:Also, in my humble opinion, I think the Full (i.e., paying) Members would respect the Group's wishes if they were explicitly asked not to distribute a pdf of the newsletter to other Basic (i.e., non-paying) Members. Mind you, I'm not saying a pdf is the preferable format for the newsletter -- I'm just saying that any mistrust towards Full Members in this regard is probably undeserved.

We're not trying to show any mistrust and I hope nobody takes these statements that way.  I'm not very "politically correct", so let me think about an appropriate way to respond and get back to this later.

quote:Obviously, all of these are decisions for the Board and the specific editors, but I know you're looking for our feedback.

And thank you very much for the feedback.  The more the better.  It's the Group Members who provide feedback who shape this Group for the better.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[Cees Klumper]

Well, finally got to drop the 70+ "rest-of-world" copies off at the post office this morning, so they're on their way, to some 25 different countries. I folded them twice, with two seals for sturdiness; I would be surprised if they get damaged, but I suppose with the North American experience in mind, we can only hope!
Total cost of printing plus postage was only $100 for these 70 copies BTW.

Cees ("Case") Klumper in Amsterdam
'69 white 280 SL automatic

[waqas]

Got mine today, and looks nicely chewed-up (complete with USPS first-aid envelope). Nice idea, and I look forward to future issues.

Can one request a duplicate? (in case the original is lost, etc) If not, may I suggest you provide this service?

Regardless, I would much rather receive a PDF (less clutter at home, easier to find for me) and print if desired. Perhaps full members can select between hardcopy/softcopy in the personal information/preferences section of the site? (default=hardcopy)

I completely agree with Douglas: full-members can be trusted not to share with non-full-members (or with anyone). I know we can all afford the very reasonable full-member dues (if you own the car, then...) and if you provide the duplicate replacement service, then members never have a reason to request duplicates from each other ("I lost my copy ...")

WAQAS in Austin, Texas

[Douglas]

quote:I completely agree with Douglas: full-members can be trusted not to share with non-full-members (or with anyone). I know we can all afford the very reasonable full-member dues (if you own the car, then...) and if you provide the duplicate replacement service, then members never have a reason to request duplicates from each other ("I lost my copy ...")

WAQAS in Austin, Texas

I'll go one step further -- I wouldn't be so sure that a pdf of the newsletter circulating among non-members is a bad thing. In fact, it may end up boosting membership in the long run. I can see guarding Pagoda World and trying to control its circulation, but my gut tells me the more people who see the newsletter, the better. The message would be: Isn't this great? Look what you're missing.

The thinking behind my suggestion of a newsletter about a year ago was to compensate for the dearth of Pagoda Worlds being published. I figured people should get something tangible for their dues, but I now see that the newsletter could also be a strong recruiting tool.

Douglas Kim
New York
USA

[rwmastel]

quote:Originally posted by Douglas

The message would be: Isn't this great? Look what you're missing.

But they're not missing anything if they have it in their hands, or have a .pdf sent to them, or read it on-line.

Rodd
Powell, Ohio, USA
1966 230SL, Euro, Auto, Leather, both  tops
1994 E420

[norton]

With my current travel schedule (away more than home) I too would like to be able to down load a copy from the members section of the web site and print it myself so I could enjoy it wile on the road.  Was the news letter in general and how it would be distributed discussed with the membership at some point?

Mike Halleck
Chesterfield Mi
71 280SL
68 250SL (parts car)
94 E320 Coupe