SSA web site

[Roger]

I wonder what is so important behind the members only part of the SSA
web site?

[Marc Ramsey]

Roger wrote:
> I wonder what is so important behind the members only part of the SSA
> web site?
>

If you join the SSA, you'll find out...

[Terry]

Board of Directors and executive committe reports posted long after the
meetings, a (mostly) weekly electronic newsletter, contest score
results, member locator function, and some news of interest to soaring
pilots that you did not see here previously.

If you join you also get a magazine that is slowly improving. A side
benefit is FAI membership if you have a Steve Fosset type itch to post
some records, or otherwise participate in contests.

Terry Claussen
SSA member

Roger wrote:
> I wonder what is so important behind the members only part of the SSA
> web site?

[Eric Greenwell]

Roger wrote:

> I wonder what is so important behind the members only part of the SSA
> web site?

The things that are important to me are:

* member locator (addresses and phone numbers)
* badge and record rules and forms
* Bylaws, Directors listing, Board of Director reports
* Dick Johnson's flight test articles
* News page

Perhaps your question is "Why are these so important that they have to
be protected by a password?" The SSA Directors believe these are
important membership benefits, and rightfully should be available only
to members. I tend to agree.


--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[Bob Fidler]

Membership locator has always been protected with a password. However, I
feel the remaining rather feable content of the website should be available
to all that wish to view. A philosophy of offering to share information
about soaring with interested parties may actually translate to a growing
membership rather than a CURRENT DECLINING ONE.

Bob Fidler
"Eric Greenwell" > wrote in message
...
> Roger wrote:
>
>> I wonder what is so important behind the members only part of the SSA
>> web site?
>
> The things that are important to me are:
>
> * member locator (addresses and phone numbers)
> * badge and record rules and forms
> * Bylaws, Directors listing, Board of Director reports
> * Dick Johnson's flight test articles
> * News page
>
> Perhaps your question is "Why are these so important that they have to be
> protected by a password?" The SSA Directors believe these are important
> membership benefits, and rightfully should be available only to members. I
> tend to agree.
>
>
> --
> Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly
>
> Eric Greenwell
> Washington State
> USA

[Willie]

Bob Fidler wrote:
> Membership locator has always been protected with a password.
However, I
> feel the remaining rather feable content of the website should be
available
> to all that wish to view.

I think that the stuff that is protected gives added value to the
paying membership. There is plenty of information available
on the website for someone who is merely curious about soaring.

I really do miss the "photos" section. While being chained to a desk
all winter, it used to be nice to see pictures of other people
enjoying themselves. I hope they bring it back.

Willie

[Eric Greenwell]

Bob Fidler wrote:
> Membership locator has always been protected with a password. However, I
> feel the remaining rather feable content of the website should be available
> to all that wish to view. A philosophy of offering to share information
> about soaring with interested parties may actually translate to a growing
> membership rather than a CURRENT DECLINING ONE.

We used to have it freely available. How did that work out? We had
declining membership. I think the philosophy is generous but doesn't
help. The kinds of things behind the password are things that are
unlikely to attract NEW people to soaring, but are things of value to
people already in soaring. I think the current policy is more likely to
encourage these "already" soaring people to join the SSA than one that
gives them what they want for free.

After all, it takes money and effort to produce and deliver these
things. If they have value to non-members, they should seriously
consider supporting the costs and efforts by becoming members. This
would enable the Society to do even more.

--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[snoop]

Checked the SSA Photo Gallery today, and there are actually a few
pictures in the gallery!

Willie wrote:
> Bob Fidler wrote:
> > Membership locator has always been protected with a password.
> However, I
> > feel the remaining rather feable content of the website should be
> available
> > to all that wish to view.
>
> I think that the stuff that is protected gives added value to the
> paying membership. There is plenty of information available
> on the website for someone who is merely curious about soaring.
>
> I really do miss the "photos" section. While being chained to a desk
> all winter, it used to be nice to see pictures of other people
> enjoying themselves. I hope they bring it back.
>
> Willie

[Eric Greenwell]

Asbjorn Hojmark wrote:

>>> I wonder what is so important behind the members only part of the
>>> SSA web site?
>
>
>> If you join the SSA, you'll find out...
>
>
> But maybe, if you don't know in advance what you'll get for your
> money, you won't join....

Asbjorn makes a good point, so I've sent the following email to my
director and the SSA Excutive Director:

> Hi Dennis, Steve,
>
> A recent thread on rec.aviation.soaring is/was "what's in the Member
> only section". Checking the "Society/Benefits of Membership" section
> doesn't reveal the answer, either, and it doesn't even mention the
> web site. Since the web site a major benefit, it should be added to
> the list, and include some details of the "membership only" section,
> so as to attract people to the Society. Right now, they can't know
> all the good stuff they'd get by joining.
>
> Eric




--
Change "netto" to "net" to email me directly

Eric Greenwell
Washington State
USA

[F.L. Whiteley]

Looks like the new webmaster is getting going.

Frank

"snoop" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> Checked the SSA Photo Gallery today, and there are actually a few
> pictures in the gallery!
>
> Willie wrote:
> > Bob Fidler wrote:
> > > Membership locator has always been protected with a password.
> > However, I
> > > feel the remaining rather feable content of the website should be
> > available
> > > to all that wish to view.
> >
> > I think that the stuff that is protected gives added value to the
> > paying membership. There is plenty of information available
> > on the website for someone who is merely curious about soaring.
> >
> > I really do miss the "photos" section. While being chained to a desk
> > all winter, it used to be nice to see pictures of other people
> > enjoying themselves. I hope they bring it back.
> >
> > Willie
>

[F.L. Whiteley]

no sooner looked than it's unreachable for the moment, noticed the menuing
had an issue just before that

Frank

"F.L. Whiteley" > wrote in message
...
> Looks like the new webmaster is getting going.
>
> Frank
>
> "snoop" > wrote in message
> ups.com...
> > Checked the SSA Photo Gallery today, and there are actually a few
> > pictures in the gallery!
> >
> > Willie wrote:
> > > Bob Fidler wrote:
> > > > Membership locator has always been protected with a password.
> > > However, I
> > > > feel the remaining rather feable content of the website should be
> > > available
> > > > to all that wish to view.
> > >
> > > I think that the stuff that is protected gives added value to the
> > > paying membership. There is plenty of information available
> > > on the website for someone who is merely curious about soaring.
> > >
> > > I really do miss the "photos" section. While being chained to a desk
> > > all winter, it used to be nice to see pictures of other people
> > > enjoying themselves. I hope they bring it back.
> > >
> > > Willie
> >
>
>

[Mike]

First, I'd like to commend the new SSA leadership and its webmaster for
the improved website makeover. Second, in a sport which is in great
need of increased visibility in the face of decreasing membership, I'd
prefer to not lock out anyone that's making an attempt to find out more
information about soaring as his/her potential hobby. If we can get a
potential member to our doorstep, let's not make any obsticles for him
or her. For those things which need more security, such as personal
member information, a password entry is just fine. We just can't
afford to turn people off by an unwarrented exclusivity.

Mike


Roger wrote:
> I wonder what is so important behind the members only part of the SSA
> web site?

[Nyal Williams]

I'd bet that the lockout was not aimed at newcomers
and potential glider pilots; it is probably directed
at those who fly gliders but won't join SSA.

At 18:30 02 April 2005, Mike wrote:
>First, I'd like to commend the new SSA leadership and
>its webmaster for
>the improved website makeover. Second, in a sport
>which is in great
>need of increased visibility in the face of decreasing
>membership, I'd
>prefer to not lock out anyone that's making an attempt
>to find out more
>information about soaring as his/her potential hobby.
> If we can get a
>potential member to our doorstep, let's not make any
>obsticles for him
>or her. For those things which need more security,
>such as personal
>member information, a password entry is just fine.
> We just can't
>afford to turn people off by an unwarrented exclusivity.
>
>Mike
>
>
>Roger wrote:
>> I wonder what is so important behind the members only
>>part of the SSA
>> web site?
>
>

[F.L. Whiteley]

A lot of industry, media, and organizational web sites have member areas (or
at least registrant areas). NY Times, Washington Post, LA Times require
registration. WSJ requires subscription. Gliderforum.com requires basic
registration. EAA requires membership. DrJack requires subscription for
full access.

If you've been following RAS for a while, you've found that throughput still
costs money. It can amount serious money for some media formats. Those
using their corporate or broadband access to download soaring videos and
images may have occassionally found the path blocked. Tells you something.

Now I don't know what arrangements the SSA's made for bandwidth and
throughput, whether it's metered or not. It's probably not free or
unlimited. In Colorado, about 1590 pilots have glider ratings.
Approximately 530 are SSA members. I can't make any assumptions about the
1060 non-SSA rated pilots' activity, interest or whether they have a pulse.
I do know 6-7 with the rating that are not currently active in gliders for
the comtemporary reasons of family and unemployment.

So you make an interesting point. It might be good to allow people to
'verifiably' register for access to an expanded area (either permanently or
for some term). This would allow the SSA appropriate leverage also.

Frank

"Mike" > wrote in message
ups.com...
> First, I'd like to commend the new SSA leadership and its webmaster for
> the improved website makeover. Second, in a sport which is in great
> need of increased visibility in the face of decreasing membership, I'd
> prefer to not lock out anyone that's making an attempt to find out more
> information about soaring as his/her potential hobby. If we can get a
> potential member to our doorstep, let's not make any obsticles for him
> or her. For those things which need more security, such as personal
> member information, a password entry is just fine. We just can't
> afford to turn people off by an unwarrented exclusivity.
>
> Mike
>
>
> Roger wrote:
> > I wonder what is so important behind the members only part of the SSA
> > web site?
>

[Papa3]

F.L. Whiteley wrote:
>
> So you make an interesting point. It might be good to allow people
to
> 'verifiably' register for access to an expanded area (either
permanently or
> for some term). This would allow the SSA appropriate leverage also.
>
> Frank
>
Second, in a sport which is in great
> > need of increased visibility in the face of decreasing membership,
I'd
> > prefer to not lock out anyone that's making an attempt to find out
more
> > information about soaring as his/her potential hobby.

At some point, this becomes a business decision - a classic demand
elasticity exercise. If we charge for content, and that content has
value, will some people be willing to pay for it? Conversely, will some
people be so offended by the concept as to avoid joining the SSA? I
don't know the answer, though it is potentially knowable (with the
right type of marketing and survey). On the other hand, I wonder if
it's the MOST important issue right now. Seems like the SSA has made
a calculated decision, and maybe it would make sense to see if there is
any noticeable behavior change.

Just a thought...

Erik Mann

[F.L. Whiteley]

"Papa3" > wrote in message
ups.com...
>
> F.L. Whiteley wrote:
> >
> > So you make an interesting point. It might be good to allow people
> to
> > 'verifiably' register for access to an expanded area (either
> permanently or
> > for some term). This would allow the SSA appropriate leverage also.
> >
> > Frank
> >
> Second, in a sport which is in great
> > > need of increased visibility in the face of decreasing membership,
> I'd
> > > prefer to not lock out anyone that's making an attempt to find out
> more
> > > information about soaring as his/her potential hobby.
>
> At some point, this becomes a business decision - a classic demand
> elasticity exercise. If we charge for content, and that content has
> value, will some people be willing to pay for it? Conversely, will some
> people be so offended by the concept as to avoid joining the SSA? I
> don't know the answer, though it is potentially knowable (with the
> right type of marketing and survey). On the other hand, I wonder if
> it's the MOST important issue right now. Seems like the SSA has made
> a calculated decision, and maybe it would make sense to see if there is
> any noticeable behavior change.
>
> Just a thought...
>
> Erik Mann
>
Hi Erik,

It seems there might be a missing component, that is, finding those
interested enough to register, but not yet committed to membership. Not
unlike the one or three flight trial lesson offerings discussion. EAA have
options inside the membership, with additional specialty magazines, offered
at a cost plus pricing. I can think of one significant missed opportunity,
and at least one or two potential items. Committees tend to distill things
down to black and white options. Once that's done, we either have those
that buy-in or those that don't and no visible choices in-between. We don't
gain any knowledge about why not from those that don't, so any future
decisions remain shots in the dark. Survey? Who are we going to survey?
We need to consider building in a mechanism of discovery. That's what I'm
suggesting.

Frank Whiteley