[quote="Randy Bauer"][quote="samsloan"]In BINFO 200802923 Bill
Goichberg states:
"If costs would rise more than I expect, we might add a little bit on
to the Premium dues.
"Bill Goichberg"
Bill just does not get it. The question asked was: If Chess Life
magazine becomes optional and there are not enough subscribers to
sup****t the editorial costs, what will the USCF do?
Goichberg's answer is simple: Simply raise the dues that the Premium
Members, those being the members who receive Chess Life, have to
pay !!??!!
That will really solve the problem.
Sam Sloan[/quote]
In reality, it is Sam Sloan who doesn't "get it." There is a reason
that the business sector with the worst longterm credit outlook is
print media - that is not the way that many - if not most - people
wish to receive their news any more. It's fine to chant the rant
about the need to continue to impose a fossilized business model upon
your customers, but ultimately it is better to adjust.
A large part of the USCF target audience doesn't fully appreciate the
value of Chess Life. They want other choices. Bill's proposal, while
not perfect, is the first major proposal to provide what many have
been asking for, here and in other forums - real CHOICE about the
content members receive and the price they pay for it.
Sam Sloan wishes to claim that we need to focus on cutting costs, but
he is squeezing a very small part of the operation that is already
doing so - during this fiscal year, the actual expense for personnel
is below the budgeted amount. In fact, we need to focus on larger
expenses, such as preparing, printing and mailing Chess Life - often
to an audience that doesn't really care that much about that method of
contact.
As the father of teenagers, I fully believe that lots will choose a
lower overall member****p cost with access to information through the
Web. Ultimately, this will reduce our costs more than the reduction
in dues - a win win.
If that means that others might ultimately have to more fully sup****t
the services that they value - such as Chess Life - that is
economically efficient, right? Isn't that what we, as officers of a
member-driven organization, should be seeking to accomplish? I think
so.
Randy Bauer [/quote]
Sorry, but it is you, Randy Bauer, who does not get it. Yes, it is
true that the publi****ng and magazine business has gone way down and
people are getting their news and content over the Internet.
However, the point that evades you is that people who read the
Internet want their content for free. Nobody is going to pay anything
at all for an online magazine.
So, you have a choice, providing a paper print magazine for $41 per
year or giving them an online Chess Life free of charge. Which will
they prefer? Of course, the online free one. Which one do you suppose
is better for the USCF?
I know because I am now a book publisher. I sell several printed books
every day online. I also sell ebooks. However, sales of ebooks are few
and far between. I am lucky to sell one a month, even though many
buyers are overseas and the additional cost of ****pping printed books
is considerable.
It is to be recalled that it was you, Randy Bauer, who said on this
forum that the USCF would save $90,000 per year in costs by moving to
Crossville. We can see how that turned out. Now you are leading us to
another disaster.
Sam Sloan
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