CLUE-Newsletter [was Re: [CLUE-Adm] New email list]

[Lynn Danielson]

Jeffery Cann wrote:
> 
> In addition,  I would like to remove the CLUE-Newsletter list.  Grant is 
> aware of this change.  Here are the reasons:
> 
> + We as the group of admins have not produced content for the newsletters.  
> Grant is only the editor, not the writer.  We were supposed to contribute to 
> it!.  I don't think this trend will change soon.  For example, I personally 
> wrote one article for it in 1998 and nothing since.
> + The email list has no archives and no traffic.  
> + We have three newsletters posted to the web site over the past 4 years.
> + Most of the CLUE news get distributed on the home page.
> + If some motivated volunteer wants to start writing newsletters, by all 
> means let me know ASAP and we will keep the list!

It's up to you, but why delete this list if it might get used again?
Is it bugging you that we have a newletter list that's going unused?
Maybe that's a good thing.  Once we get rid of the list, there's even
less incentive for producing a newsletter.

I realize that Grant is only the editor and that he made it clear from
the start that he didn't want to be the primary writer.  The newsletter
has always been a difficult position and it can be an easy one to burn
out on, so, I supported Grants attitude on this.  However, it would be
nice to see something go out every month.  Even if it regurgitates basic
information from our website, e.g., this month's meeting topics, next
month's presentations, special events and announcements.  Once a template
was set up, it wouldn't be difficult or time consuming to update it every
month.  It would be great to see additional info: notes from the meeting,
a few words from the president, columns from our members or something
technical off the web that we can get away with reproducing, perhaps a
synopsis of a well answered thread (Best of CLUE-Tech).  We could include
a sponsors section which could list benefits to CLUE members, such as the
O'Reilly 20% discount code.

Having said this, I'm not interested in taking over the job.  But I
would be willing to contribute something on a monthly basis.  If we
can find one or two other people to do the same thing we might have a
substantial newsletter.  I think that even a minimal newsletter is
better than nothing.  I know that Wayde got kudo's for writing a few
sentences about the BLUG meetings and posting them in a couple of places.
I know that our O'Reilly would like to receive our monthly newsletter.
According to one of the LUG HOW-TO's, newsletters are one of the methods
that help maintain a healthy LUG.  It's one of the few thing's they
recommend which we don't bother to do.  If we had somekind of a monthly
newsletter, even a bare bones minimilist one, I might have some incentive
to try to improve it.  If we never put one out it's hard for anyone to
get motivated about it.

So, I'm against deleting the newsletter list.  And if Grant has a
template or is willing to put one together, I'll help out.

Lynn