Mechanical Music Digest  Archives
You Are Not Logged In Login/Get New Account
Please Log In. Accounts are free!
Logged In users are granted additional features including a more current version of the Archives and a simplified process for submitting articles.
Home Archives Calendar Gallery Store Links Info
MMD > Archives > February 2001 > 2001.02.19 > 05Prev  Next


Charging for Email Home Delivery of MMD
By John A. Tuttle

Hi All,  Robbie Rhodes writes in a comment to Jay Breen's latest
posting (which I loudly applaud):

>[ Jody and I want to make MMD available to all.  We are discussing
>[ various gentle "incentives to contribute" which, e.g., would allow
>[ contributors to access all MMD web pages, while others could not
>[ access the most recent 14 days of MMD, etc.  -- Robbie

What this sounds like is a password protected Archive for the 'most
recent issue'.  Anything that is current (less than 14 days old) will
not be accessible without a password.  While this is certainly
possible, it seems like over-kill to me.

Anyone in industry knows what it's like to be 'out of the loop'.  And
since the MMD is typically a series of exchanges between various
individuals, being just a few days 'out of the loop' would probably
suffice.

I'd suggest avoiding all the work and just delaying the posting of the
articles to the Archive for 2-3 days, make non-paying individuals wait
a couple of days.

As I stated in my initial posting, I only advocate charging for *home
delivery* [via email].  I think that handling the 'financial support'
issue in any other way will ultimately detract from the content and
the quality of the MMD.

I do a fair amount of web surfing.  I like researching things that
interest me.  Many times I've encountered websites that have a wealth
of information to which I am not privy until I become a member.

Sometimes becoming a member is as easy as filling out a form in which
I give the owners of the site my name, address, email address and phone
number.  (It's no surprise that after submitting such forms I usually
get a series of email advertisements.)  In some cases, I'm asked to pay
a small fee to access the information and the only option I have is to
pay by credit card.

I want to say this as loudly as possible!  No matter how valuable the
site owners 'think' their information is, I have never paid a fee to
access that information.  I simply go back to the search index and look
a little deeper, and in the vast majority of instances, I have found
the information I want at some other website, and I didn't have to pay
a dime.

For many people, the true value of the MMD is getting answers to
questions in a day or two.  Those of us who make our living working on
mechanical musical devices typically can't 'afford' to wait a week or
longer for an answer.  We need it now, and we're willing to pay what
amounts to about $0.10/day.

Here's something the editors might want to consider.  Quite often,
newcomers to the MMD are looking for specific help because they are
knee-deep in a rebuilding project and find themselves stuck.  If they
could get home delivery for $10.00/three months, they could get the
'personal' help they need without making a 'long-term' obligation.

In closing, ALL of the above considerations could be completely avoided
if people would simply send The Foxtail Group a little money so that
Jody and Robbie don't have to spend their own money.  If 'we' all did
this, I don't think we'd be having this conversation now.

Just an opinion,

John A. Tuttle

 [ Those are good suggestions, John.  Thanks!  -- Robbie


(Message sent Mon 19 Feb 2001, 13:29:21 GMT, from time zone GMT-0500.)

Key Words in Subject:  Charging, Delivery, Email, Home, MMD

Home    Archives    Calendar    Gallery    Store    Links    Info   


Enter text below to search the MMD Website with Google



CONTACT FORM: Click HERE to write to the editor, or to post a message about Mechanical Musical Instruments to the MMD

Unless otherwise noted, all opinions are those of the individual authors and may not represent those of the editors. Compilation copyright 1995-2024 by Jody Kravitz.

Please read our Republication Policy before copying information from or creating links to this web site.

Click HERE to contact the webmaster regarding problems with the website.

Please support publication of the MMD by donating online

Please Support Publication of the MMD with your Generous Donation

Pay via PayPal

No PayPal account required

                                     
Translate This Page