Re: Electronic TAG

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

On Fri, 15 Mar 2002 dwalstad@bellsouth.net wrote:

>     I would say that 5% of requests are for all issues v. Grab Bags.
> However, the "all issues" requests are an enormous drain on time and
> resources.

What about requests for specific issues, i.e. "Vol. 5 no. 1" compared to 
the other two?


>     My suggestions, which are subject to AGA input (as always), would be:
> 
> 1.  When people ask about buying all issues, I'd like to tell them to buy
> the electronic version.  This means that the remaining printed and precious
> back issues could be used for hobbyists that just want to get a good deal
> via the Grab Bag and Grab Bag/PAM combo.

This sounds reasonable.

> 2.  I wonder if $20 isn't too cheap for an electronic version of "all
> issues".   Because it competes with Grab Bags, etc, I would charge $40 for
> it.  After all, I imagine that it was a great deal of work for whoever put
> it together?  If whoever buys it and wants to pirate it, just let them.  I
> think most normal, ethical people like getting the printed Grab Bags along
> with the PAMs.

Well, here's exactly how we got stuck last time around, concerned about
how an electronic version will cut into sales of the printed version.

In my opinion once a price starts getting much over $20, people start
questioning the value.  And this means they'll be copying, because it's
only a few cents per blank CD.  This will probably happen anyway no matter
how much we charge.  But at least at $20, we can offer up something people
might actually be able to AFFORD. So the question becomes, at $20 per
copy, will we sell twice as many as if we charge $40.  I think we probably 
could. 

I guess my goal here is not to offer something that would only be
purchased by the people who were otherwise going to buy every back issue,
but instead have something a good proportion of the AGA membership would
buy.

I would appreciate input from the other folks on the board here, becauase 
I could be wrong about the perceived price.  Once we make it available, 
there's no way to stuff this particular Genie back into the bottle.

> 3.  Who has these CD ROMs of all back issues with author index that I can
> direct hobbyists requesting all back issues to?  It sounds to good to be
> true!!!

I have the master copy, but we aren't selling them (so don't direct people
there yet!).  If we started selling them, then either you or I would
distribute them (I have no problem doing this for a bit, as I'm
distributing videos and the CD of the contest already).

You can see sort of what it looks like on the AGA website; I have a
version of the CD-ROM there with just covers and tables of contents (plus
the author index).  From the TAG page
http://www.aquatic-gardeners.org/tag.html you can click on "Browse Covers"
or "Article Index" to get into the system.

I had some good suggestions from Cheryl-the-TAG-layouteer that I'd like to 
implement.  And I am also attempting to add Subject data based on 
the work you did two years ago so that we'll have a cross-referenced 
subject index automatically built.  And I also haven't added the latest 
issue to the archive.  So clearly we're not quite ready here.  But maybe 
by the NEC if we can all agree on a plan.

  - Erik

---
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com



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