Re: Electronic TAG

[Erik Olson <erik@thekrib.com>]

Hi Diana,

OK, I think I got it.  90% of the orders are grab bags, great, easy to
fill.  Most of the remaining 10% are for a couple of specific issues, also
easy to fill.  But every so often you get "send me everything!" which
takes forever.  I'll add the appropriate text on the site about the 20
issue limit, and that some issues may be sold out.  Then you keep at
depopulating issues with the grab bag, and hopefully I'll have the
electronic version ready to go (and perhaps even approved by the board) by
then.

Understand that the "back issues of TAG" CD, unlike the videotapes, is
something that would be an official AGA "product".  It won't be something
I'm doing personally, and I am not looking for reimbursement from it.  
If/when it is available, it will be advertised on the website right next
to the back issues (or maybe in lieu of if the grab bags go fast!).  The 
only reason I'd offer to handle the sales is that I don't want to bog you 
down with even MORE stuff to sell.

  - Erik

On Sat, 16 Mar 2002 dwalstad@bellsouth.net wrote:

> Dear Erik,
> 
>     After rereading your letters, I think the solution is perfectly simple.
> I will continue the way things are but ask you to make one change on your
> website.  Just add something like "TAG back issues, which are getting
> scarce, are limited to 20 issues/order."
>     When the old TAGs sell out via Grab Bags and sample issues sometime
> later this year, you can (if you wish) advertise the electronic version and
> sell it for whatever you want.  In the meantime, when hobbyists ask for "all
> back issues" I will just tell them they can either buy the 20 issue Value
> pack or wait for a POSSIBLE electronic version to come out.
>     The shipping and digging out of all back issues is just too much trouble
> to spend on one hobbyist.  I spent an  hour working on a package for an
> Indonesian hobbyist.  The Grab Bags are easy to prepare and send out.
>     Only about 10% of requests are for specific issues, often just a few
> that are easy to prepare and send.  I don't mind doing them.
> 
> Diana
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Erik Olson" <erik@thekrib.com>
> To: <dwalstad@bellsouth.net>
> Cc: <aga-sc@thekrib.com>
> Sent: Friday, March 15, 2002 6:50 PM
> Subject: Re: Electronic TAG
> 
> 
> > 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
> >
> >
> >
> 

-- 
Erik Olson
erik at thekrib dot com


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