NAMBA - Propwash

[David Santistevan]

Exactly, it's not making sense to me in that context.

D

 

[Jay Stone]

Give the option to pay more annually for a hardcopy as many other organizations do. I understand what a pain it all can be. I do a full printed race program each year for my race and I also do the newsletter for my district. I can't imagine what Al goes through to get these out to us. I for one, sincerely appreciate it and always look forward to the propwash.

I remember a time as a young APBA member that we'd receive a newsletter from our club and one from the district. I always looked forward to it and the articles. It was also the way we kept up to date on the points for the district championships. Times have changed. But I guess in some fashion, I always enjoy having something in hand that is exclusive to your membership and not just looking at a publicly listed document that is available to anyone on the web.

I am fine either way, but prefer a hard copy. No matter, I'll always try to contribute articles and encourage others to do so as well.

 

[lohring]

I'm a little divided on hard copy vs online. One of my favorite magazines, Model Engine Builder, just went online only at the same subscription cost. The online version offers things that the paper copy doesn't, just like the online Propwash has higher quality color pictures than the printed version. These days I read thev Propwash online and file the printed version. However, paper lasts a very long time while web sites come and go. I once used the Nationals information on the NAMBA web site as a valuable reference. However, over the years data was lost and pictures from the older races aren't posted any longer. I'm afraid similar things could happen to older versions of the Propwash.

On the other hand, NAMBA seems to be headed for a new, more modern era. The day is coming soon when voting, proposals, registration, Nationals, and all other information will be on line. If managed properly, this will make everything a lot more accessible to more of the membership. I believe we have the people involved that will make this happen successfully.

Lohring Miller

 

[Al Waters]

Don and David,

thanks for the explanation. I really messed that one up. Sorry about that. I guess using downfall would have been a better term. The way I look at it and the question is ..does the money spent justify what it could cost us if there is a major catastrophe? Is the money we are spending on the hard copy preventing just one accident/litigation/lawsuit?

I can understand the many view points posted out here for and against. They do make sense. I don't look at the Propwash as purely entertainment reading. And I also don't look at it as solely a tool to prevent accidents. I try and put it together so it is both. And I thank people like Jay and Lohring who are major players in doing this.

I have been in the Secretary's position for 6 months. A lot of boaters come and go. Two to three hundred. Many are first timers and some who boated 10-20 years a go. I remember a time when it was common place for a retrieve boat to go out on the water to stop a boat slowly going in a circle that had lost radio. Or off in the far distance there were fishermen. Times have really changed and we don't do those kinds of things any more. We want quieter boats, safer ponds for the boaters and spectators, and we see more fencing. Our mindset has changed because it is difficult to hang on to ponds.

We need to be sure that we reach out to the membership.

Expecting the entire membership to go to the web site for that information will not have the same impact as mailing the hard copy. If people read it, they read it. If they dont, they dont. But no one can say that we didnt reach out to them and provide them the information.

Thanks, Al Waters

 

[David Santistevan]

Al, I agree with a lot of things you said but let me put this in a little different framing. Content on a website can be much more dynamic that printed material. This is a not a NAMBA thing but a reality of the current state of technology. If a website is fresh, relevent and has value you can count on people coming to it for information regularly. So how do we go about creating such a site?

 

Alright, lets think outside the box for a moment, completely hypothetically; IW is a great example of a much much better tool for these types of communications. Once again let’s say that would could convince Tom to create a top level category called NAMBA, NAMBA News or even PropWash (we can choose to publish the Propwash in the way that best serves our community). We provide links from out current webpage and information in the membership packet about the site and abbra cadabbra we have a dynamic information source for our membership where they can get up to date information about NAMBA and racing. NAMBA could control the content through moderation of the topics to shape the section to be a living breathing PropWash, You could have section for each district where each district could have their own posts about what is going on in their district. A section for rules and rulings, sections for the NAT and other National races.

 

Now maybe IW is not the tool of choice but it represents what I am talking about. Go down the list of people who have contributed to just his thread, some who have claimed to be "dyed in the wool" hard copy folks yet they come to IW if not every day or very frequently to get new information about the hobby. IW has its own niche, but think of a section on IW or even our own site that is set up using the same IP Board software where the content is shaped specifically for NAMBA happenings and information. Instead of always having to have formal articles, which seems like pulling teeth to get, DDs or the Board could create important posts that are concise and easily written.

 

My whole career has been about improving information flow and improving workflow efficiency through the use of technology tools. I can tell you that the absolute most difficult thing about improving these processes are the cultural aspects. People generally do not like change when given the choice regardless if the change results directly in substantial benefits to them. I think this is where leadership makes the difference, good leadership can be filled with vision and can see where the benefits outweigh the risks and can see past the pull of being comfortable where we are. If anything this is a quantum leap in getting information out to the membership. If a safety post needs to be written it is written, a moderator approves the content and it is INSTANTLY posted with flags marking it as new information? District Directors could choose to monitor a thread so that if any new SAFETY information it posted they immediately receive and email or text to their phone.

D

 

[lohring]

I find myself looking at the same issues over and over on web sites like IW. An article allows a more carefully thought out and organized presentation on a subject. A magazine also provides a valuable archive of ideas. I continuously refer people with particular questions to a Propwash article on the subject. The idea of an online magazines is relatively new, but offers a lot of cost advantages. Instant feedback, continuous publication, and other ideas need to be explored. However, there's no substitute for the filtering provided by an editor and the formal structure of conventional publications.

Lohring Miller

 

[DON MAHER]

David, Great post!

Don

 

[David Santistevan]

Lohring,

Thanks for the insight, as usually you are pretty thoughtful, on a subject. I agree and like your thinking. That is why it would be not just a forum although there would/could be elements of that but we could also have a moderated area formal articles. Now here is the fun part. Because they are now digital they can be searched to find all relevant information on a subject. I have scanners that can convert every issue of the Propwash in known to mortal man into digital articles that can be indexed and searched. ... .. .. fun to think about eh? Thanks Don!

D

 

[lohring]

Lohring,

Thanks for the insight, as usually you are pretty thoughtful, on a subject. I agree and like your thinking. That is why it would be not just a forum although there would/could be elements of that but we could also have a moderated area formal articles. Now here is the fun part. Because they are now digital they can be searched to find all relevant information on a subject. I have scanners that can convert every issue of the Propwash in known to mortal man into digital articles that can be indexed and searched. ... .. .. fun to think about eh? Thanks Don!

D

Thanks. For starters an index of all the current online editions would be really helpful.

Lohring Miller

 

[ron upton]

hey Al...I am confused.....the way I read the insurance article it basically said if the pond isn't registered as a namba insured pond then you have no insurance...then u said in a thread a ways back that a guy that wants to go to the local pond needs namba insurance because the city needs it to let him run there...so does he have insurance or not? I am sure the one local guy isn't going to pay to insure the local pond like it was a club pond etc....hope this makes sence...hope u can explane it to me a little better etc thanks..oh ya id just as soon have the propwash only on the net....

 

[Mike Whitney]

Maybe a better approach is to include an insurance rules, coverage and update hard copy in the mailing that people get when they renew and receive their membership card yearly.

Then move the rest of the the Propwash online. That way you get the important insurance info out as needed and improve the publishing quality of the Propwash (i.e. color pictures, colored graphs, better graphics/logos, etc.), being online it would also make it much easier to keep certain info updated and timely, because I know that there is probably a pretty long lag time from inception to actual publication. Online would also make last minute changes much easier to make.

Also if this was online, you could attach an e-mail response or question forum to it and be able to answer questions from people directly and in a timely manner.

Just some thoughts.