While this may not be strictly an AMA topic, I think it is important to the AMA member because we do so much referencing the AMA magazine.

Just today I received my Model Airplane News dated May 2010. GUESS WHAT: There is a FULL SIZE PULL-OUT PLAN for a 31" w/s 28" long Shoestring Racer. Of course it is for electric, however all sheet balsa ( remember what that stuff is? ) with ribs, formers and all that good stuff. OTOH anyone that ever BUILT any model could easily convert it to .09 to .15 glow. Model could easily be a CL model if you preferred.

Jus' bugged me lil' ol' eyes right out. it did! Now that is something for a U.S. of America magazine to step out on in these days.

What a turn around?

Hoss, I'm looking forward to seeing that article. I don't remember ever seeing a pull out plan for a model this large?

I've got a good running RISE K&B .15 that would be a nice fit I'll bet.

This months Flying Models has two construction articles, one RC, one UC, both slimers. No overprinting on the plans. There is also a rubber powered kit construction review, and review of some (not sure how many) ARFs. All these articles have abundant photographs. Dean Pappas has a two page long with no pictures discussion of tuned pipes. A number of other columns as well. Why is a commercial magazine with a fairly small circulation (and lots of small interesting ads) so far superior to our subsidized, huge circulation Model Aviation ARF catalogue?

For the same reason that private practice medicine is superior to socialized medicine.....
...private schools VS public schools.......
One system rewards excellence, the other settles for mediocrity.

I was just thinking, years ago the AMA used commercial magazines, MAN, Flying Models, American Modeler, etc. to get the word out. I wonder if the AMA could make a deal with Flying Models to include the AMA advertising and services, and either include a subscription to FM as part of AMA membership or an option at a reduced rate. Just being nostalgic, I suppose.

I'd really like to get Flying Models, but I look at magazines any more as luxuries.

Fuel, glow plugs and props are necessities that I can't live without. Magazines, no matter how good they are take a back seat to the info I can get here.

Yeah, Jim, that is what it is: Old time thoughts.

In respect to your thoughts above, look where the AMA Bureaucracy is fortified:

8 employees assigned to "Membership", plus 3 assigned to "Safety and Member Benefits," total of 11 assigned to member services.

2 employees assigned to "Competition".

THIRTEEN (13) employees assigned to "PUBLICATIONS". 4 more assigned to "Information Systems". What do they really do? The computer systems are leased.

10 to serving the membership. 17 to serving the "SYSTEM". Call it as you wish!

Looking for a new Media Manager. check http://www.modelaircraft.org/aboutama/hr.aspx

I wonder why someone already in-house is not PROMOTED to that position? [sm=confused.gif]

Jim,

Slimers?

Bill, AMA 4720

Being a tech person and working on websites and such I can understand 4 people for Information Systems. I have worked on big websites and it can be very overwhelming because everyone wants to do their own thing with it and usually at the same time. There is also the fact that it has to be updated constantly. The "computer systems are leased" usually means the servers that store the website information are offsite because no one at Muncie knows how to take care of them or they do not have the bandwidth to distribute the website out to the Internet. This does not mean that wherever the servers are located there is a staff of workers for editing the website, which can be more expensive than having your own in house web editors. Not sure about publications since I have no experience in that area. I assuming that Information Systems means web editors. I could be wrong. Pretty cool about the plans since I am a builder myself.

Its pronounced SLY-mers. It is commonly used as a deragatory term by those who believe in electric power only. It is in the same vain as the term "planker" used by the heli-only crowd.

Hope that helps Stick.

So basically there are 57 people that service the total membership which is well over 100,000? I look at the math and think wow 57 people serving over 100,000, that is a feat within itself. Are there other people that work and get paid by AMA that you have not mentioned?

1600 man hours x 57....over 91,000 total man hours ........spread out to 130,000 members.

So they spend an average of 40-45 minutes on each and every one of us every year?

I'm not complaining, but I'll bet they haven't spent more than 45 minutes on me in 20 years.

How long does it take to stuff and lick 20 envelopes?

That can only mean that some of my minutes have gone to Hoss?

Look at it this way, for each person that is employed by the AMA there are 2280 members for each person employed based upon 130,000 members. In a business that is a lot of customers. Actually it would be more per employee if you take away the 4 doing just web design and the 13 taking care of the magazine publishing. I would think the secretaries take the brunt of membership questioning and the higher ups are doing PR work most of the time. So if you take away the 17 personnel that do the behind the scenes work there are 3250 members per employee. I do not believe they have spent that much time on me either.
Just to keep things in a business going there are a lot of small jobs that need done but I would also think it would take 13 people to get a magazine ready to publish in a month. I would think the AMA magazine is not laid out a year in advance rather it is laid out in about 15 days since it does take time to edit, make changes, edit again, make changes, finalize the magazine, edit, make changes, and send it to print, and get it out to the members. Seems to me like it would be a very overwhelming process for 13 people .

RCUMAN, I thank you for your analysis. Really, it is most interesting and informative as I have no experience in such. In the military, many years ago, I had some management jobs, but then they never involved computers. Again as an airline Captain, there were the times when the younger folks had to be reminded just who was Captain, fortunately they were few and far between. Mostly, crews were very eager to perform well for the objectives of Safety and Passenger Service. OOPS, OFF TOPIC!

Unfortunately, IMO, AMA is far too far into Publications. Too much time is spent on things that do not further the mission.

Now above, you stated, "I have worked on big websites and it can be very overwhelming because everyone wants to do their own thing with it and usually at the same time."

That is a definite fault of management. If I were the boss, either all work together to accomplish the assigned task, or seek employ somewhere else. I don't need to be a computer whiz to see or tolerate such crap among personal egos and/or empire builders. [sm=devious.gif]

I'll bet not a single drop of sweat has hit the floor at HQ since the furniture installers and electricians packed up and left.........

......or possibly that time the frig broke down and everyone had to pitch in, roll up their sleeves and eat everything real fast before it went bad.........

Usually it is not a matter of bad management rather it is a victim of over enthusiasm. The employees found out that they can do so much with the website. For instance when we had gotten our website up we immediately received a lot of questions or requests like "can we do this?" or "WOW I did not know we could do that, please add this feature to our site". It really never ends since technology changes every day. Everyone finds new ways to do things online which is why I am surprised no one has mentioned opening up a twitter acount for the AMA. As far as publications go I think there could be some improvement, but one thing to remember is as long as you have your name out there and keep advertising, people will be aware of your business. Even though the AMA is non-profit it is still ran like business. You mentioned that you have no experience in such matters as how technology and the web work and you would be surprised just how many people do not know. Of course it is technical but there are easy ways to explain it. kinda getting off on a tangent here....

It actually looks like a spider's web but if you were to plot it out on a world wide map it would not look like a symetrical one. At each web crossing there is what they call a router which routes traffic. At each endpoint there is a computer or server/website all of which have a specific number address. If you go to the AMA's website from your computer you will probably have to go through several crossings/routes to ge to the website. Each one of those routers know where to direct you because of a worldwide database of addresses. Kinda sort of like the operators back in the day when they had the wall of plug-in connections. You would ring the operator and let them know what number you wanted to call and usually they knew you by name. They would then plug your line into another plug which was the person you wanted to contact. The internet works the same way except it is all automated and works at the speed of light.

Another SURPRISE for you:

Dave Mathewson, Mar '10 MA: " In 2009, AMA created a presence on several of these sites including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and LinkedIn. Additionally we launched our first Members Only Internet Discussion Forum in June."

Just a note RCUMAN, AMA is on twitter and facebook.

whoops. See there you go..

Just knowing that the AMA is on the internet, facebook, twitter, tweeter, etc. has greatly enriched my enjoyment of this sport and hobby. You betcha!
Thanks to this technology, I'll bet the line of prospective applicants trying to sign up for AMA membership is at least a mile long.
Let me guess, they've also got one of those robotic answering machines too? You gotta have one of those if you wanna come off like a real big league operation.

Hoss
If there are 4 people assigned to the web site, Why is it in such sorry shape?

I'm well aware of the meaning of the term. I'm just surprised that Jim Thomerson would stoop to using such a term. Must be the influence of some not so savory characters who don't come around much any longer.

Bill, AMA 4720

Why is it in such sorry shape? That one's easy. It's because of those who routinely post their crap over there.

Actually, it's because they decided to jump into the deep end of the pool without knowing how to swim. If they had learned from the forums here, they would have known how to administer and moderate the forums that they wanted. Instead, they have the Good Ole Boys comparing their night soil over there. That and patting themselves on the back over how they have such a great forum. Anyone but me noticed that they have the same few characters making the majority of the posts on their meager few forums? Most everyone avoids the joint like it is infested with the Plague.

Personally, I'm happy that these miscreants have somewhere else to go besides here.

Bill, AMA 4720

Actually I was not aware that it is/was. I can find everything there that I want. You need to address "rcuman" up above. He is a computer person, not me.

I am NOT qualified to pass judgment on computer systems. Stating how many folks are on a project is simply going to the web site, clicking on Ask AMA, then Staff Directory and count the people assigned to different tasks.

Hey, there are some new videos on the home page.

See. Were it not for his post you wouldn't have even known how sorry it is. That's why I like to come here.