Retired Caver Abroad Wishes Digital NSS NEWS

[Mike Warshauer]

I was a member of the NSS from 1957 to about 2005. I retired from active caving about 10 years before in 2007 when I moved to west-central Mexico. I kept my membership because I like to keep up on what's going on. The cost of the extra postage was tolerable. The NEWS arrived tardy, because of the slow post office system here, but in satisfactory condition. It was a delight to open our post office box and take out last month's NEWS.

At my last renewal date, I got the official notice that the postage would be greatly increased. It was too much for me to justify the cost of continuing.

I've read Grotto newsletters online with great pleasure. I'm wondering why the NSS News caouldn't be made available on line, in PDF format, for example. Of course, one could access it only with a registered user name, NSS number, and a password.

Imagine the savings in paper, ink, handling and postage if the NEWS could be delivered digitally.

[Cheryl Jones]

Hi Mike,

The Board has discussed this over the years, but never embraced the option of posting current issues online. (You can read current and past issues of the Journal on the NSS Web site)
However, the Karst Information Portal and the library at the University of South Florida are in the process right now of scanning back issues of the NSS News to make them freely available on line. They'll be completely searchable, which will make them far more valuable than they are now to anyone researching cave-related topics, cavers, and caves.

The bad news for you and other overseas members is that an issue will need to be five years old before it is posted.
I suggest you write NSS Board members directly, being sure to include the Executive VP, and tell them what you've told us. Contact info here. One speed bump would be setting up a password system so only current members would have access, since the NSS News is an important membership benefit.

In these days of declining membership, online issues of the News could even encourage cavers in other countries to join the NSS, or renew their membership.

Thanks for bringing this up AND your loyalty to the Society.

Cheryl

[Mike Warshauer]

Thank you, Cheryl, for your encouragement.

Best wishes,
Mike

[Ernie Coffman]

Geeezzz, Mike, I haven't seen your name in print in a heck of a long time. Ten years you mentioned...and that's what I'm thinking but I can't recall where/when it was all about. Maybe one of the conventions; trips you were putting together; or even in the Diablo Grotto in California. Do you recall? Maybe I should do this, privately, since I'm definitely

[Dave Bunnell]

Mike,

I actually already passed your comments on to Tom Rea, the EVP, who said he would raise the idea at the Board meeting this fall. These large foreign postage costs offer a compelling reason to revisit the idea, which as Cheryl mentioned, has been discussed before. It wouldn't represent a lot of extra work as I make a PDF of each issue anyway. Potentially I could produce them in full color just for the web as well.

Dave

[Jeff Bartlett]

It wouldn't represent a lot of extra work as I make a PDF of each issue anyway.

Coming from a background in the printing industry, I'm aware that production costs (and paper costs!) are also escalating rapidly. Seems to me that an online version would not only facilitate those overseas, but providing an option for regular domestic members to "opt out" of the print version in favor of the electronic version would be a tidy way for the Society to cut costs a bit.

[Mike Warshauer]

Mike,

I actually already passed your comments on to Tom Rea, the EVP, who said he would raise the idea at the Board meeting this fall. These large foreign postage costs offer a compelling reason to revisit the idea, which as Cheryl mentioned, has been discussed before. It wouldn't represent a lot of extra work as I make a PDF of each issue anyway. Potentially I could produce them in full color just for the web as well.

Dave

Dave, thanks for looking into this possibility. Such a change to (optional?) digital distribution would benefit the Society as whole as well as me. I would definitely re-up if the costs of postage, handling, printing, etc were deducted from my Membership Dues.

This becomes especially compelling with the current economic crisis perhaps causing some members to reevaluate the "necessity" of membership.

Best wishes,
Mike

[Mike Warshauer]

I just saw that the Christian Science Monitor http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/business/media/29paper.html?hpr will suspend publishing a print edition, as a cost-cutting measure.

[grimacethecaver]

I am new to NSS and have only a few issues on my shelf, but I like having a copy that is handy. It can be read when you're tired of staring at a computer all day after work. It can be read upside down in the kitchen if the need should arise. You can even read it in the bathtub. I would hate to see the printed version stopped for environmental, postage or other reasons. I think it's a purty slick publication!

A digital version would be great for people who need or prefer it. It sounds like it would promote international membership.

Downloading the NSS News and its beautiful pictures over dial-up would be slow torture, though.


Tony

[Mike Warshauer]

Grimace; I'd also prefer the print edition of the NSS NEWS, if it were affordable to me. But, barring that, I'd be delighted to read it on my computer. (Another advantage of the PDF format, on my Mac, is that the text is fully searchable.)
Even with our flakey, sometimes slow Internet connection, it's still faster to wait for a PDF to load than the 12 or more days it takes snail mail (and first class, at that!) to get here.

I'm on the Little Rock Grotto mailing list, and through the kindness of the editors, I get an email notification when there's a new newsletter. It only takes a few moments to download. Obviously, such is not as feasible for dial up users, however few (?) of them remain.

Saludos,
Miguel

[grimacethecaver]

Miguel:

Well, "every madman to his specialty!" I agree with you 100%. I was just speaking up in favor of keeping the print version, too. It would be great if we could enjoy both.

I live out in the country where they have not yet blessed us with high-speed internet. For 2 years I had satellite internet, but that cost $600 for the equipment and setup and $99 per month for the first year and $59 per mo. for the second year. I was lucky if I got 400 kbps downloading and it was only 56 kbps on upload. Blah! So, I suffer with AOL's 28 kbps out-in-the-country speed right now. At least it has been reliable.

Beware of the Chupacabras down there!


All the best,
Tony

[Mike Warshauer]

Tony, I also think that a print edition should be maintained. I think there are several reasons for keeping it. (I am not a radical.
Libraries, for instance, might prefer print.

I don't know how long it may take to make the transition to a digital download option, but I believe that it's inevitable. I also have no way of calculating the savings to the Society, but I think that they woould be substantial.
(I hope that I can get back issues that I missed when the concept is implemented.)

No chupacabras seen yet. The coyotes still rule the barrancas.

Saludos,
Miguel

[Jeff Bartlett]

I just saw that the Christian Science Monitor will suspend publishing a print edition, as a cost-cutting measure.

The costs of paper and postage have increased the overhead of print publications so dramatically that everyone is trying to shave the budget. Has anyone noticed the first issue of Rolling Stone at "A" size instead of the iconic "tabloid" size they've used for 41 years? New York Times article here.

[Mike Warshauer]

Hi to all. Any new developments on this subject? Did the Board discuss it?

Saludos,
Mike

[Phil Winkler]

Hi, Mike,

The BOG meeting is Nov 8th and Tom Rea, the EVP, mentions it in his report and he is asking for thoughts and opinions. So, the topic is in the data-gathering mode, I'd say.