Hossfly

http://www.modelaircraft.org/survey1107.aspx

You simply must tell them what they want to hear! [:@] [:'(]

KidEpoxy

it appears everyone that has recieved 4 issues of MA has therefor spent at least 30mins reading at least one of those issues

what? the age buttons only go up to the 75+ button?
Dont they know this is AMA and we need the age 80 & 85 buttons

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

KP, Things must be really slow in the Pizza delivery business today. Does the CLAMS club shut down when rain is expected?

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

Sorry but how can that survey be construed as a "bad thing"?

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Mr. Matt I would like to introduce you to Mr. Horrace Cain, AMA Presidential Nominee (write-in only) and hopeful. Ol Hoss is just politicking and trying to get as many votes as he can. A good field of the 1/10 of 1% of AMA members that frequent this forum are displeased with the economic standing of MA, so he's just trying to capture their votes. I'm sure if bumped into Hoss at the field, you'd prolly catch him sitting at the table with his face buried in the magazine and raving to his constitutes how much he adores the magazine. Just a wild guess.

KW_Counter

Hossfly,
That was a good survey.
Thanks for pointing it out so i could take it.
KW_Counter

Teachu2

My Feedback: (133)

Interesting that Buy A Kit wasn't an option for future purchase plans......

Hossfly

To mr_matt, I have not said the survey was a bad thing. OTOH, I do imply that it is not greatly different than the last one and seems to be searching for the same overall answers.

TO STL: You Sir have a great ability to tell untrue things about others. I have made no effort to run on a write-in campaign. Have you seen my advertisements in any magazine as they were the last two times I ran for EVP? Nope, neither has anyone else.

Here is a quote from an earlier post:
I have not altered from that position since it was posted on 8-14-07.

So since YOU, STL, can post such outlandish lies about me here in these forums, I am going to tell an even bigger LIE on you.
Here is the candidate for the most awesome LIE I could ever tell:
>>>>Dion, you are a true gentleman, you are always forthwright and of noble character, and you will always speak openly and truthfully. I respect you very much." <<<< Well, saying that places me down in your class, stl! [sm=pirate.gif]

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Awe come on Hoss, just having fun like you are! [:@][:'(]

I figured those 8 or 9 write-ins in the exit poll were all for you! Besides we all know that reverse psychology is used in election campaigns quite often. [:@][:'(]

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

Dang good survey. I can't wait to see the results.

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

BTW I know of Horrace and his posts.

I agree with him 100% about the magazine. Not sure how much else I would agree with him on, but on this issue I agree and I think that money pit needs to be filled in. With shrinking membership, the AMA will have to take some drastic cost cutting measures, and the AMA magazine "subsidy" has to be at the top of the list, IMHO.

I took the survey and I could see at least_an option_for someone with my views on the AMA. I thought is was well designed.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Well I doubt they will ever cut out MA, afterall this "issue" has been going on since the magazine ever came into existence. It's just been a hot subject due to the simple fact that there really is not a whole lot wrong with the AMA, but you'll always have those that must be unhappy about something and pull all shortcomings into the spotlight.

But if you take a look at the one poll, which may or may not mean squat ... 50% of people who polled would still be members if AMA membership was not a requirement to fly at your local fields. I feel that's pretty accurate, feels about right. But what if the AMA also took away MA at the same time, what else would actually hold the AMA together?

It may not be evident here in this forum, but you know and I know that a magazine subscription is VERY important in having a $58 pricetag for an AMA membership. If you drop the magazine, you're going to have a HUGE fallout, so subsidizing the magazine is their only choice. It's all going to be a trade off. If you move to black and white, you'll lose advertisers. If you cheapen the value of MA in any way shape or form including an opt-out feature you will lose even more advertisers. Advertisers only advertise in MA because it has a wide audience, however it's not a niche audience.

I look forward to the independent report which is forthcoming, but I've been in this business for a few years now and have done more then extensive research in how and why people and companies advertise in this industry. The report is not going to present them with good news, I can tell you that right now. They certainly aren't going to tell them to raise rates above normal inflation, that I'm 100% sure.

Red Scholefield

My Feedback: (9)

"If you cheapen the value of MA in any way shape or form including an opt-out feature you will lose even more advertisers."

The opt out feature will have an insignificant impact on the magazine because and insignificant few will choose to opt out. Only the dozen or so on this forum who represent an insignificant portion of the membership will make that choice - if they can figure out how to fill in the blank to opt out.

INSIGNIFICANT IS THE KEY WORD!

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Oh I agree with you Red 100%. But, are you willing to risk your money on it, I sure wouldn't.

The advertisers know even if you offer opt-out feature it will have a negative impact on the value of magazine. The first thing they will think is ... why. Advertisers ONLY advertise in MA for it's BROAD REACH, because it's not a fixed/niche group where they can target their ads. Also lets not forget that most advertisers that choose MA sign a 1 year contract to get best rate, like any other magazine. Let's say we are both wrong and in 1 single month 20% of the AMA decides to opt-out, will the advertisers get a 20% refund? You still going to sign a 1 year contract knowing that ... heck no.

Plus you will lose your bulk rate in publishing costs, Dave Mathewson explained his this rationality perfectly when he was asked about opt-out. He is 110% right, the more that opt-out the more publishing costs increase and then it will have plenty of other negative impact on the bottom line.

Advertisers are smart, they are all entrenpenuers ... what other magazine has an opt-out feature?? None of them and there are plenty of other choices for them to brand their products if MA goes this route. Opt-out is the worst possible route MA could go with the magazine to the general membership. They'd be better off dropping it altogether. This market is way to volatile.

Read it ... enjoy it ... pass it on AND SHUT UP! (not you Red).

mr_matt

My Feedback: (10)

1.) Membership is dropping and will continue to drop, it is just demographics at work. The AMA is going to start hemorrhaging money soon (might have already started), you can choose to believe that or not. The people that fly at fields that need AMA insurance are going to be the most at risk. Park flyers don't care.

2.) You can stop the financial bleeding by increasing revenue or cutting costs. This "Hobson's Choice" on the magazine (i.e. "you have to keep the magazine AS IS or kill the AMA", no choice at all).....I don't buy it. The alternative to cost cutting is raising revenue, and all of the DVDs and Visa card promotions they can think of are going to be a drop in the bucket. This will mean big dues increases to cover costs...wait for the hew and cry then


Cost cutting is the only way, looks like there might be some attrition there now in the staff, I still think it is going to take deep staff cuts to keep the AMA solvent and keep the insurance program in place (and I think we are going to need an increase soon in the insurance coverage anyway, just makes matters worse)

50%plane

My Feedback: (5)

You have no concept on how the AMA runs. Please educate yourself.

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

Well they could cut costs, or like any other business, mold with the time. Enter the electric program coming this Jan, which comes complete with a new visionary of an AMA President Of course the AMA could just continue to be pessimistic, like a few of the perceptions in this forum, that's the path they could follow.

It's funny but somehow the AMA keeps finding ways to pull through the last 70 years. It's going to take a lot more then the subsidized magazine, which has been subsidized since it's first issue, to close the doors. Don't forget but even if the AMA membership keeps going down, population will always keep going up and it only take 1 good idea to re-spark the interest back into the org. That idea is out there and I think he's coming soon.

The Toolman

From the # of posts you have, an the unusal high amount of time you spend on here I think all of us dis-gruntled people as you call us, ought to get together and have a sign made for you that says

"HELP ME!!!
I'm talking an I can't SHUT UP"



Ron

KidEpoxy

Odd how every person in the whole AMA that would opt out is a poster at RCU, and is just the 5 or 6 guys they hate so much.... what are the odds of that happening?

But we agin see the rub of the razor:
If it is indeed just the 5 of us here that would opt out, the let us out & there would be no trouble and no measurable loss of revenue/cost. Imagine the serenity of RCU after you let just the 5 of us out of MA, since we are the only people that want out.

I have to admit, it was nice of them to put the few online only questions in just for the five folks here.

Stickbuilder

Dion,

How many times do we have to drive a stake through the heart of that monster, before it stays dead?

Bill, AMA 4720

STLPilot

My Feedback: (21)

I guess until the first day of the AMA convention and the we no longer have to talk about it, as a concept.

Ronnie, looks like you have a problem with me, I really don't have a problem with you. But if I had a problem with you, I'd fix it. I think you should fix it, or live with it.

Stickbuilder

[quote]ORIGINAL: STLPilot





It'll never happen. At least not as you hope.

Bill, AMA 4720

Mode One

If the AMA decides to post MA information on a website, I hope that information would be redundant to the information published in the magazine. I don't want to have to go to two different places to get information on the organization.

Also, I would guess the folks not wanting the magazine want a reduction in their membership fees. So why should I have to pay for the information they get for free?

Glacier Girl

My Feedback: (4)

Well I took the survey. Have to admit it got me thinking on something it questioned.

Instead of the mag, I'd love a web site, split up into seperate divisions. Electric, Gas/Glow, CL, FF, etc. Each division would have it's own parts: construction, tips, reviews, etc.

That way I could just go right to the electric's section, in my case, and look at items I'm interested in. If I had the desire to look at something else it's there if I want to look something up.

That's one of the things I don't like about the mag. There are so many branches of our hobby, and the mag tries to cover each and everyone. So what we end up with is a little bit of everything, a smorgasborg if you will, and being there are so many things that have to be covered, and a limited amount of space to cover it in, it's a somewhat poor smorgasborg.

Granted I'm an electric flyer, I really don't look at the mag other then to see what's there electric wise. I don't care to read about rubber or c/l, or 3D, or contests and schedules.

But the mag has to cover them all to keep everyone happy. Again my opinion only, but a web site devoted to what I want to read about will get a lot more of my time then one covering multiple items I don't have an interest in.

Kinda like here on the forums, I spend a lot of time on the electric side, but if I need it I have the ability to look on the gas side. I don't have to wade through lots of stuff to find what I want. And if I need to look over here, it doesn't take long due to the seperate sections to find what I'm looking for.

The Toolman

Well I took the survey until the end where they want to know how much you make. I really don't see where it is any of their business what I make.
I myself would just as soon settle for the same price the wife has to pay per year($30)an they can keep the magazine.



Ronnie