Guest guest Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 Fred, Opening page on the site: " Right now although we do have the 'log-in' feature you do not need it to navigate the site. As the site develops the 'log-in' feature will allow you to edit your profile, pay membership and conference registration fees and give you access to members-only areas like the *LPA Today*-online version. " Also, on the bottom of the page, click on " contact administrator. " This will take you straight to Joanna, who is handling the web transition. Bill On 5/24/07, FRED <mail@...> wrote: > > Sorry to ask here, but to use a well known phrase " I don't know who I > can turn to. " > > Meaning, the LPA website has me totally confused now. I thought I was > clever (shush!), but I find it is getting harder and harder to get around > and find what one is looking for. > > The section I was looking for was a) hidden under " Support/Library/Essays > and articles about Dwarfism " and has a fault on it stopping access! > > Add to that, the need now for a user name and Password and I'm floundering > like a beached whale! I thought the whole idea of the website was for the > use of the whole community? > > I checked in the " contact us " section and got the info@...<info%40lpaonline.org>but does that go to LPA or the web organiser? > > Help! > > Fred with a headache > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 24, 2007 Report Share Posted May 24, 2007 As the former editor of LPA Online, I don't think it's appropriate of me to comment on the site itself. (Although I will say that the Links page was certainly not out of date as of July 2006, when I stepped aside.) However, I can certainly comment on policy. I've been trying to make the case for probably 10 years now that putting LPA Today online would be a terrific promotional vehicle, and would result in more members for LPA, not fewer. By restricting content, and by setting up a username/password scheme, you are only going to be turning people off. I hope that folks who agree will make their feelings known. Lee Kitchens once told me that the mere fact that LPA had a website was probably responsible for a significant membership increase. Think of how much more benefit we would get by letting the world see what we're up to. Dan Kennedy On 5/24/07, lpaofficeca <jjjhcampbell@...> wrote: > > Fred, > > The links page will be active soon. The old links page was so huge > and outdated that we wanted a chance to check each link before we put > it on the new site. It will happen in the next month or two. > > And as Bill stated, you do not need a log-in at this point. However, > in the future past issues of LPA Today will be on-line, but as > receiving the LPA Today is a benefit of LPA membership, they will only > be available to current paid members. Only current paid members are > eligible/will have a have a log-in. > > Joanna > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Dan, I agree with you -- partially. The two significant benefits of membership in LPA is the newsletter and conferences. I think a free-of-charge online edition would diminish people's desire to renew membership. However, it is great recruiting tool. A middle-of-the-road approach could be taken. I belong to other non-profits that have both an online and a hard copy edition of their newsletter. The online version has less content, but does contain the most interesting highlights of the hard copy version. It seems to work just fine. I think your opinion that usernames and password schemes will turn people off is incorrect. Also, Lee Kitchens, BTW, did not advocate handing out the newsletter for free. As far as the new site goes, I think Joanna and her team are doing a good job and the design looks great. Some of the links are broken, but that comes with any transition to a new hosted site. They will be repaired soon. The old site was fantastic and you are to be applauded for all the work and effort you put into it (free of charge, I might add). The new site reflects the direction that the internet has gone in recent years, and will (once all the bells and whistles are installed) provide much more interactivity. I wish you could have stayed on to supervise the content. But I understand your reasons for moving on. Bill Bradford On 5/24/07, Dan Kennedy <dan@...> wrote: > > As the former editor of LPA Online, I don't think it's appropriate of me > to > comment on the site itself. (Although I will say that the Links page was > certainly not out of date as of July 2006, when I stepped aside.) However, > I > can certainly comment on policy. > > I've been trying to make the case for probably 10 years now that putting > LPA > Today online would be a terrific promotional vehicle, and would result in > more members for LPA, not fewer. By restricting content, and by setting up > a > username/password scheme, you are only going to be turning people off. I > hope that folks who agree will make their feelings known. > > Lee Kitchens once told me that the mere fact that LPA had a website was > probably responsible for a significant membership increase. Think of how > much more benefit we would get by letting the world see what we're up to. > > Dan Kennedy > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Fred: It seems that links to another LPA online created document do not work right now, but all links to external documents and sites work fine. That's why you can still access your garden story, but the occupations page is unavailable. I noticed the same thing regarding the ELL section a month or so ago. Also, regarding access to LPA Today, why not post one or two recent issues online for all to see? That way people can get an idea of what goes on, but access to current issues would be available only to paid members. Gillian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Bill -- No, I didn't mean to suggest that Lee Kitchens wanted to put LPA Today online, and I'm sorry if I implied that. But downloading a big PDF is enough of a pain that I can't imagine it would dissuade anyone from joining LPA and getting hard copy mailed to them. Meanwhile, people could get a look at what we're up to, which would serve as an additional recruiting tool. I think my belief that usernames and passwords will turn people off is simple common sense. But I guess we'll find out. Dan On 5/25/07, Bill Bradford <tslug1@...> wrote: > > Dan, > I agree with you -- partially. The two significant benefits of membership > in LPA is the newsletter and conferences. I think a free-of-charge online > edition would diminish people's desire to renew membership. However, it is > great recruiting tool. A middle-of-the-road approach could be taken. I > belong to other non-profits that have both an online and a hard copy > edition > of their newsletter. The online version has less content, but does contain > the most interesting highlights of the hard copy version. It seems to work > just fine. I think your opinion that usernames and password schemes will > turn people off is incorrect. Also, Lee Kitchens, BTW, did not advocate > handing out the newsletter for free. > > As far as the new site goes, I think Joanna and her team are doing a good > job and the design looks great. Some of the links are broken, but that > comes with any transition to a new hosted site. They will be repaired > soon. > The old site was fantastic and you are to be applauded for all the work > and > effort you put into it (free of charge, I might add). The new site > reflects > the direction that the internet has gone in recent years, and will (once > all > the bells and whistles are installed) provide much more interactivity. I > wish you could have stayed on to supervise the content. But I understand > your reasons for moving on. > > Bill Bradford > > On 5/24/07, Dan Kennedy <dan@... <dan%40dankennedy.net>> wrote: > > > > As the former editor of LPA Online, I don't think it's appropriate of me > > to > > comment on the site itself. (Although I will say that the Links page was > > certainly not out of date as of July 2006, when I stepped aside.) > However, > > I > > can certainly comment on policy. > > > > I've been trying to make the case for probably 10 years now that putting > > LPA > > Today online would be a terrific promotional vehicle, and would result > in > > more members for LPA, not fewer. By restricting content, and by setting > up > > a > > username/password scheme, you are only going to be turning people off. I > > hope that folks who agree will make their feelings known. > > > > Lee Kitchens once told me that the mere fact that LPA had a website was > > probably responsible for a significant membership increase. Think of how > > much more benefit we would get by letting the world see what we're up > to. > > > > Dan Kennedy > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 I would think having at least some version of the LPA Today magazine online unrestricted would be fine. However, if there are any addresses or any possible way that some weirdo could contact someone that's not working for LPA (meaning home phone, etc.), that part shouldn't be on there (LPA's office number is different than so-and-so's home phone number- because home # can be traced to house and you know where I'm going with that part). That said, do I think fewer people would renew if LPA Today was available online? Well, that depends. All most people think paying their dues goes toward is maybe LPA Today and national (if that)...regional perhaps too but that's less likely in their minds. I guess my question is: if LPA's membership renewal main selling point is the newsletter and not the networking ability, I think we have a major marketing problem that goes beyond the website. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Re: LPA Website dwarfism > I would think having at least some version of the LPA Today > magazine online > unrestricted would be fine. I suggest an Online digest for $5 dollars a year But you could only join if you are already a member. I do that with the NY Times. Then if folks want past articlles thet pay for them. Like7.95 per. It's very common to charge for online subscriptions. Tony Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 Some non-profit orgs who also have a paid-subscription magazine have solved the problem in this creative way. The magazine is published out to the paid subcribers. Three months later, that issue is added to the free, unrestricted, online archives. This way, the valuable information gets out to the world, and those who find it really important pay to get it first. --------------------------------- Get the free toolbar and rest assured with the added security of spyware protection. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 -- That sounds like a very creative solution. Dan On 5/25/07, K McClintock <kage_ar@...> wrote: > > Some non-profit orgs who also have a paid-subscription magazine have > solved the problem in this creative way. > > The magazine is published out to the paid subcribers. Three months later, > that issue is added to the free, unrestricted, online archives. This way, > the valuable information gets out to the world, and those who find it really > important pay to get it first. > > > > --------------------------------- > Get the free toolbar and rest assured with the added security of > spyware protection. > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 I agree, that seems a sensible solution to me. (Kudos to Gillian for also suggesting this.) Now as far as Fred's complaint, I happen to agree. I think the old site should have been left up an running for a little longer. But I think that's one of those things we learned in hindsight. The main reason for going to the new web site was to enable online registration and membership renewal. But I must point out, that all the hubbub about logging in and user names and passwords is much ado about nothing. Non-members will still be able to access everything the old site contained. The new site will mainly provide secure connections for e-commerce transactions and updating personal information to the LPA database. Bill On 5/25/07, Dan Kennedy <dan@...> wrote: > > -- > > That sounds like a very creative solution. > > Dan > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 , That's why the newsletter is called a " benefit " to membership. It is NOT the focal point of membership. Think benefit as it applies to work compensation: an add-on and not the main salary. As far as LPA Today online, there will be no confidential info posted. There isn't now in the hard copy edition, so I'm not sure what your worries are. Bill On 5/25/07, Rapert <rrapert@...> wrote: > > I would think having at least some version of the LPA Today magazine > online > unrestricted would be fine. However, if there are any addresses or any > possible way that some weirdo could contact someone that's not working for > LPA (meaning home phone, etc.), that part shouldn't be on there (LPA's > office number is different than so-and-so's home phone number- because > home > # can be traced to house and you know where I'm going with that part). > > That said, do I think fewer people would renew if LPA Today was available > online? Well, that depends. All most people think paying their dues goes > toward is maybe LPA Today and national (if that)...regional perhaps too > but > that's less likely in their minds. I guess my question is: if LPA's > membership renewal main selling point is the newsletter and not the > networking ability, I think we have a major marketing problem that goes > beyond the website. > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 25, 2007 Report Share Posted May 25, 2007 So then I guess my question then is- if that's the case, then how much of a difference would it make to have an online (maybe compressed from the original) version available to anyone who finds LPA Online? You said it was a benefit and not the main salary (after all, people do have to be members or pay to be to attend regionals or nationals...). On 5/25/07, Bill Bradford <tslug1@...> wrote: > > , > That's why the newsletter is called a " benefit " to membership. It is NOT > the focal point of membership. Think benefit as it applies to work > compensation: an add-on and not the main salary. > > As far as LPA Today online, there will be no confidential info posted. > There isn't now in the hard copy edition, so I'm not sure what your worries > are. > > Bill > > On 5/25/07, Rapert <rrapert@...> wrote: > > > > I would think having at least some version of the LPA Today magazine > > online > > unrestricted would be fine. However, if there are any addresses or any > > possible way that some weirdo could contact someone that's not working > > for > > LPA (meaning home phone, etc.), that part shouldn't be on there (LPA's > > office number is different than so-and-so's home phone number- because > > home > > # can be traced to house and you know where I'm going with that part). > > > > That said, do I think fewer people would renew if LPA Today was > > available > > online? Well, that depends. All most people think paying their dues goes > > toward is maybe LPA Today and national (if that)...regional perhaps too > > but > > that's less likely in their minds. I guess my question is: if LPA's > > membership renewal main selling point is the newsletter and not the > > networking ability, I think we have a major marketing problem that goes > > beyond the website. > > > > > > > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted May 28, 2007 Report Share Posted May 28, 2007 >>>>But downloading a big PDF is enough of a pain that I can't imagine it would dissuade anyone from joining LPA and getting hard copy mailed to them.<<< Perhaps the entire issue shouldn't be one single PDF, especially tedious for those on dial-up or with older computers. Another side to the argument is the belief that there will be a lot of file sharing, thus not a lot of paid memberships. >>>Meanwhile, people could get a look at what we're up to, which would serve as an additional recruiting tool.<<<<< I agree that there are benefits to using articles from past issues as bait. I've always wondered why that wasn't done. >>>>>I think my belief that usernames and passwords will turn people off is simple common sense. But I guess we'll find out.<<<<< I think in this day and age where it feels like almost every aspect of our life has a login and password, one more will hopefully go unnoticed. And I'd appreciate it as a means of providing information, I never fill in the yearly update because it's paper and sits around waiting for me to feel like handling it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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