Re: PAM (fwd)

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

I spent a few hours yesterday re-reading all the e-mail posted on this
list, and here are my most recent thoughts on the whole PAM thing, sent to
the SC yesterday.  Apologies in advance if I jar any feelings, I am being
as candid and frank as I can be on this issue.  Also, Neil and Karen have
already replied on some of the issues, noting we've got solutions in
place, or offering possible suggestions.  I assume they'll post relevant
snippets here as well.

  - Erik

-------------forwarded----------------------
Date: Sun, 3 Oct 1999 18:11:38 -0700 (PDT)

I have a feeling I'm still going to vote opposite some of the people here.

First, in terms of feasibility, I beleive that if we give over the AGA
subscriber list to Dave (and the $12 per issue), PAM will most likely
succeed.  Conversations with Dave have convinced me his numbers and
methodology look reasonable, and I think it would be fairly easy to
envision doubling or tripling the readership based only on word of mouth
by current TAG subscribers.  (I do beleive Dave is being either overly
optimistic or evasive in his estimate of how well PAM will do WITHOUT the
AGA subscriber base; but this is perhaps not so relevant to this
discussion.)

What seemingly is still not being debated is why WE should join with
PAM. I'm going to try and list some reasons that have been discussed (and
possibly some of my own ideas):

   * AGA members get a "better quality" publication.
   * Solves the volunteer crunch we're having with TAG.
   * Pay is motivator for authors.
   * Frees up club to concentrate on other projects.
   * Finally allows Dave to concentrate some of his energy (albeit
indirectly) for the AGA, because it's on his terms. He's pushy and very
much a salesman; whereas most of us are not.  He may be able to pull in
more authors than any of us did before.  Certainly he's doing so with
advertisers so far.


On the flip side, a collection of reasons it would be bad for us to
join with PAM:

   * Once PAM has supplanted TAG, what is the AGA?  What's the point?
        Karen has said this is an important discussion, so why aren't
        we having this one FIRST, before deciding to trash the one
        major thing the AGA actually does currently?
   * Very little direct AGA involvement in PAM.  At best, our 4 pages are
        like a paid ad supplement.
   * Potential need for hobbyist publication for rejected PAM articles.
        We might actually have more material for TAG that was rejected by
        PAM than we get for TAG nowadays! :)
   * Because he's pushy and a salesman, Dave may also drive away
        potential partnerships, and this will now be associated with AGA.
   * AGA as a non-profit is now supporting PAM as a for-profit venture?
   * Herlong.


Some points which I think are "cautionary"... might go either way.

   * In some past ventures, Dave has not showed a lot of staying power.
        Dunno, recently he may have gotten better with his CO2 business.
        However, it's probably irellevant: if PAM folds, we are back to
        where we were, just creating TAG.
   * Dave is now editor.  More than that, he doesn't answer
        to anyone on the AGA.  Big step.
   * If PAM goes without the AGA, we probably lose some members.
        Maybe that's OK, depending on the AGA's goals.
        Or gain them back by advertising in PAM?
   * I choose to totally ignore the stock issue and assume the AGA doesn't
        buy any stock.  To me, that's just fiddly bits we shouldn't
        be concentrating on yet, especially if we don't buy any.

Consider this my deliberation. :) The questions I want answered are not
for Dave, but rather for us, to answer.

  - Erik


On Sun, 3 Oct 1999, Robert P. Cashin wrote:

> Hi Guys,
> 
>       The discussion seems to have petered out. Are we ready for a vote yet?
> 
>                                       cu, Bob.
> ___________________________________________________________________
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-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com