Sending out handbooks to new members

Mar 27 09:33 UTC 1997

As you may remember, Misti (mta) has written a nice little handbook for Grex.
They cost about $1 each to produce, and a supply of them currently exists.
Officially I think we've had a policy for a while now that anyone can buy one
for $1, but not many people have ordered them, probably because we haven't
advertised them much and because it seems like a lot of trouble to send in
money for something that only costs a dollar.  (Of course, the value is much
more than a dollar, because Misti put a lot of work into it.)

Over the past year and a quarter I have received a couple of requests for
handbooks from people who have just become members.  (What I mean is, people
say they wish there were something on paper they could look at to help them
with Grex, and I direct them to the handbook.)

Last year we tried an experiment, and sent out a handbook to anyone who
became a member in February.  We did get a few new members who said they
were doing it specifically so they could get a handbook.

What I'm proposing here is that we make it policy to send out a handbook
to anyone who becomes a member with an initial payment of at least $18.
It would cost us about $1.50 per person to do it, but I think it would be
a nice incentive, especially to people who would like to support Grex but
could use some help with the technology.

response 2 of 21:

Mar 27 16:01 UTC 1997

I think that is a good idea, Mark. Just the board needs to approve the
expenditure. Gosh, when my time comes to renew, maybe I'll *rejoin* instead.

response 4 of 21:

Mar 27 17:14 UTC 1997

Re #1:  I think that would be valuable too, Klaus (and someone who knows more
than I can detail what exactly is available now).  But there are a lot of
people who take comfort in a paper manual, especially when the delivery system
for the electronic manual is something as slow as Grex.  (I'm one of those
people, but I think the ones who will benefit the most are those who are just
getting comforatable with online activity.  In their case, reading an online
manual is just another hurdle.)

response 6 of 21:

Mar 27 20:57 UTC 1997

r.e. #4:  I was just thinking that you could reduce the expense of paper
and stamps by providing a copy users could download and print out at
home.  The thought of an on-line version was not what I had in mind.

response 8 of 21:

Mar 27 22:07 UTC 1997

Well sure, but again, downloading is a hurdle if you're not terribly computer
savvy.

response 12 of 21:

Mar 28 15:59 UTC 1997

Many of us could barely find Misti's manual right now, after 6 months of
Grexing.  I would have been grateful for something to keep beside me on the
desk while I viewed the screen.  It is that first month or so, when you have
no idea what Grex is doing, that hard-copy is most useful.  

response 14 of 21:

Mar 28 21:11 UTC 1997

I like the idea in #0 that a member gets a manual if s/he pays at least
$18.  It's *really* important to have "medium-level" documentation
available in hard-copy.  
        M-Net does the same thing.  We give any member/patron our
81-page manual if they pay us at least $30.  I gather Misti's isn't
quite that large.

response 16 of 21:

Mar 28 22:33 UTC 1997

        As I recall, Mnet has so many manuals left, they don't know what
        to do with them, let alone sell them..

response 18 of 21:

Mar 30 19:30 UTC 1997

GREX has offered beginners level documentation on paper for several years now
-- the problem has been identifying the people who want it and distributing
it to them.  If we were to automatically send it wehn a new member joined we
might send it to some people who wouldn't find it useful -- but we would
certainly get it into the hands of some folks who *would* find it useful
and also get the word out that such a document does exist.

As to the store, Jan and I have discussed sending out a booklet with each
order.

response 20 of 21:

Apr 9 19:12 UTC 1997

If no one has any serious objection, I'll ask that the proposal in #0 be
on the agenda at the April board meeting.