Outdated ways of thinking about digital content

[son_of_flubber]

I'm a member of SSA, OSTIV and NSM (Soaring museum at Harris Hill).

SSA puts digital versions of Soaring magazine behind a pay wall (only available to members).

OSTIV puts archives and current publications behind a paywall.

Now NSM is trying to raise $15-20000 to digitize historical soaring films but only to put them behind a paywall.

Other historical soaring films are moldering on old film stock, VHS tapes, and DVDs.

Limiting access to the content that promotes your sport is an outdated approach to marketing.

[Tony[_5_]]

giving away member benefits is not a good business model...

[Bill D]

On Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 1:49:26 PM UTC-6, Tony wrote:
> giving away member benefits is not a good business model...

It depends on how "member benefit" is defined. Soaring Magazine and the other media mentioned by the OP should be primary marketing tools for the SSA and the sport. I suspect more "benefits" would accrue if the pay wall was removed.

It reminds me of a CFO who demanded that sales people stop giving away company product brochures because they were 'costly'. He seemed immune to the argument that the most costly brochure ever made was the one which sat in the storage room gathering dust rather than in the hands of a prospective customer potentially developing more business.

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 3:49:26 PM UTC-4, Tony wrote:
> giving away member benefits is not a good business model...

Just remember this: last member remaining has to turn out the lights.

[[email protected]]

On Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 2:38:45 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
> I'm a member of SSA, OSTIV and NSM (Soaring museum at Harris Hill).
>
> SSA puts digital versions of Soaring magazine behind a pay wall (only available to members).
>
> OSTIV puts archives and current publications behind a paywall.
>
> Now NSM is trying to raise $15-20000 to digitize historical soaring films but only to put them behind a paywall.
>
> Other historical soaring films are moldering on old film stock, VHS tapes, and DVDs.
>
> Limiting access to the content that promotes your sport is an outdated approach to marketing.

If being a member is putting it behind a pay wall, the cost of viewing is pretty small.
Anyone really interested in glider history wouldn't think NSM dues at $35/year is onerous.
I've made my contribution to NSM for the year- have you?
UH

[son_of_flubber]

Thinking of the contents of Soaring Magazine as all or nothing is outdated.

Some of the articles/features portray the sport in a positive light. Why not put those individual articles on the public SSA website? Links to the articles could be more broadly shared.

The majority of people over 60 would agree with the current policy. The majority of people under 40 would disagree.

[[email protected]]

On Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 10:54:51 AM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
> Thinking of the contents of Soaring Magazine as all or nothing is outdated.
>
> Some of the articles/features portray the sport in a positive light. Why not put those individual articles on the public SSA website? Links to the articles could be more broadly shared.
>
> The majority of people over 60 would agree with the current policy. The majority of people under 40 would disagree.

Some interesting articles are and have been available on the web page, as well as videos and links to many videos. I noted well over 200. It seems to me that there is plenty available for someone that wants to learn about our sport.
Or is what you are saying is that reading from print is not a good thing and that the only relevant means of communication is on the internet?

UH

[son_of_flubber]

On Thursday, May 7, 2015 at 2:32:03 PM UTC-4, wrote:

> Some interesting articles are and have been available on the web page

On www.ssa.org the link to 'selected articles' from the 'current issue' of Soaring magazine goes to a page for the February 2013 issue and the links to the articles are broken.

I tried it on Chrome and Firefox browsers on two different computers without being logged in with my SSA credentials.

A lot of effort goes into writing the quality articles found in Soaring, but then we limit the distribution of those articles to SSA members. Besides curious pilots and potential glider pilots, we also exclude international glider pilots (many of whom read English).

[Surge]

On Friday, 8 May 2015 05:43:14 UTC+2, son_of_flubber wrote:
> Besides curious pilots and potential glider pilots, we also exclude international glider pilots (many of whom read English).

I disagree.
I'm a South African glider pilot and I had no issue purchasing a one year SSA subscription in order to gain access to the Soaring magazine archives (for a Dick Johnson flight test report). SSA membership is not limited to residents of the USA so even though I don't reside in the USA, I consider it as a donation towards a good cause with spin-off benefits that I receive indirectly.

Example benefit:
By purchasing a SSA subscription I support the soaring community in the USA.. The sport is promoted in the USA and US glider pilots keep purchasing new gliders from Germany. This keeps the manufacturer of my German glider in business which helps with spare parts availability or the option of a new glider.

Free is nice but not everything in life can be free.

[son_of_flubber]

On Friday, May 8, 2015 at 2:38:07 AM UTC-4, Surge wrote:
> On Friday, 8 May 2015 05:43:14 UTC+2, son_of_flubber wrote:
> > Besides curious pilots and potential glider pilots, we also exclude international glider pilots (many of whom read English).
>
> I disagree.
> I'm a South African glider pilot and I had no issue purchasing a one year SSA subscription in order to gain access to the Soaring magazine archives (for a Dick Johnson flight test report).

Making the digital assets (articles) freely available does not preclude financial support from those in the position to make contributions. The current policy puts the articles out of reach of people who are not currently in the position to make contribution and those (the curious) who find minimal value in the material.

Look at how this works with music. High school kids pirate music that they cannot afford. They listen broadly and develop a taste for music that they might otherwise never come across. When they mature and have disposable income, they see the point of supporting artists with their dollars. Pirating creates future consumers. (I realize that there is a generational divide on the issue of pirating.) Net result is more paying consumers for music..

Another less controversial example. I listen to a lot of 'free' podcasts. I make cash donations to a few podcasters that I think are especially worthwhile. The result is that the number of podcasters and podcaster listeners is growing exponentially.

With few exceptions (newspapers maybe?) the paywall and pay-as-you-go model is outdated. www.soaringcafe.com is an example of how this approach might work in the soaring world and it would work even better if more content was made freely available.

As demographics change over time, the digital assets of SSA will eventually be made freely available... it's just a matter of when. The open question is how many people will be interested in reading about soaring in that future.

[Charlie Papa[_2_]]

On Wednesday, May 6, 2015 at 2:38:45 PM UTC-4, son_of_flubber wrote:
> I'm a member of SSA, OSTIV and NSM (Soaring museum at Harris Hill).
>
> SSA puts digital versions of Soaring magazine behind a pay wall (only available to members).
>
> OSTIV puts archives and current publications behind a paywall.
>
> Now NSM is trying to raise $15-20000 to digitize historical soaring films but only to put them behind a paywall.
>
> Other historical soaring films are moldering on old film stock, VHS tapes, and DVDs.
>
> Limiting access to the content that promotes your sport is an outdated approach to marketing.

A complete archive of past and the current issue of the Soaring Association of Canada's journal, FREE FLIGHT is available to non-members.

See http://www.sac.ca/website/index.php/en/free-flight-magazine-2

If we can do something to power pilots, getting weary of the same old same old, to pique their curiosity to learn more, then: DUH-OHH

SSA is so much more than just a magazine subscription!

[son_of_flubber]

I leave my Soaring Magazine in my dentist's office and the next time I come back the pages are dog-eared.

[[email protected]]

Also the Italian gliding magazine Volo a Vela gives free access to the digital archive of nearly 70 years of the national publication, with the exception of the most recent 6-10 issues.
We accept subscribers from anywhere in the world. The magazine is only published in Italian language.

Aldo Cernezzi (editor)
www.voloavela.it