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    Repor� o� th� Co�ne�ticu� CP/� Users� Grou� newsletter.

Numerou� �discussion� �abou� th� futur� o� �ou� �newslette� �hav� �
produce� fe� concret� decisions.

Followin� �i� �a� e�plan�tio� o� som� o� th� problems� a� �� �se� �
them� an� som� possibl� solutions�  Followin� tha� ar� som� idea� �
� hav� fo� th� future.


                        PRINTIN� COSTS

Ou� numbe� on� expens� i� printing�  Th� las� issu� (date� �Marc� �
1989� �cos� �abou� �$58.0� �t� prin� �6� �copies� �no� �including� �
postage.

I� �ligh� o� curren� costs� th� approve� budge� o� $� pe� �membe� �
pe� �issu� i� no� realistic�  Unles� change� ar� mad� w� wil� �b� �
runnin� �i� th� re� i� � shor� time�  Owin� t� th� �u�pr�dic�abl� �
natur� o� th� newslette� (changin� length� etc.� i� i� �difficul� �
t� �zer� i� o� a� actua� dolla� cos� fo� eac� issue� � On� �mont� �
(lik� �th� las� one� we'l� hav� lot� o� goo� stuf� an� wil� �wan� �
t� ru� somethin� bigge� an� othe� month� w� won'� hav� much�  Bu� �
unti� th� actua� issu� i� produce� ther� i� n� wa� t� tel� �whic� �
i� wil� be.

Additiona� �cost� �ar� incurre� whe� w� �includ� �i�form�tio� �o� �
othe� �group� �an� �materia� no� �nece�saril� �pertinen� �t� �ou� �
readers� � Unles� thi� i� � reciproca� situatio� wit� �th� �othe� �
groups� � woul� recommen� suspendin� thi� practice.

Her� ar� som� possibl� solutions:

                      1� raisin� th� dues

Increasin� �th� due� i� � po�sibilit� bu� � questio� it'� �e�fe��
tiv�ness�  W� ar� havin� troubl� holdin� o� t� ou� membershi� �a� �
i� i� an� thi� extr� burde� migh� cos� u� mor� tha� we'� get.

                      2� goin� b�-monthly

Thi� ha� � goo� chanc� o� succes� i� w� kee� th� sam� budget� ie� �
$� �pe� membe� pe� issue�  W� migh� us� som� sor� o� postcar� �o� �
othe� smal� maile� o� th� of� month� t� kee� i� contac� wit� �th� �
genera� �membership� � Thi� woul� als� le� u� �stretc� �availabl� �
material�  Bu� i� woul� ad� t� th� respo�sibilit� o� th� �progra� �
directo� �t� �mak� �sur� � wa� informe� abou� th� �topic� �t� �b� �
presente� �a� �th� meetings�  A� th� momen� �� �frequentl� �don'� �
receiv� thi� i�form�tio� unti� th� las� minut� whic� make� layou� �
an� desig� mor� difficult�  Owin� t� th� latenes� o� th� �topica� �
materia� I'v� bee� gettin� I'� pushin� th� monthl� deadlin� ahea� �
t� th� fifteent� (15� o� eac� mont� startin� wit� th� issu� t� b� �
publishe� i� Apri� (Ma� '8� issue.)

             3� reduc� th� siz� o� th� newsletter �
I� w� kee� a� th� presen� budge� w� coul� continu� publishin� �o� �
� monthl� basi� bu� w� woul� hav� t� restric� th� siz� t� n� mor� �
tha� �fou� (4� pages� includin� th� masthead� header� �clu� �new� �
an� meetin� i�form�tion�  No� t� mentio� th� spac� neede� fo� th� �
mailin� �labe� �unles� �w� �choos� t� mai� �i� �i� �a� �envelope�  �
Article� �woul� �hav� t� b� drasticl� edite� �fo� �lengt� �(Whic� �
coul� �affec� �content� an� w� probabl� wouldn'� b� abl� �t� �ru� �
mor� �tha� �on� pe� issue�  � personall� d� �no� �recommen� �thi� �
option.

                        4� a�ve�ti�ing

I� �ha� bee� mentione� tha� w� migh� wan� t� ope� th� �newslette� �
t� �peopl� wishin� t� advertise�  Th� mai� proble� wit� �thi� �i� �
th� �dwindlin� numbe� o� companie� tha� produc� product� fo� �th� �
CP/� �marke� an� becaus� ou� membershi� i� smal� w� �don'� �offe� �
muc� �"ban� fo� th� buck� s� � don'� believ� i� woul� �dra� �tha� �
muc� income.

                   5� dis� base� publication

A� som� o� yo� ma� remembe� � wa� on� o� th� mos� voca� opponent� �
o� thi� idea�  Ther� ar� logistica� question� t� b� answered� bu� �
i� �the� coul� b� solve� thi� woul� certainl� b� th� lowes� �cos� �
optio� ope� t� us.

D� �w� hav� th� manpowe� (pe�so�power?� t� pul� thi� off�  D� �w� �
hav� acces� t� th� hardwar� an� softwar� t� d� it�  Wil� w� �als� �
offe� �� �hardcop� versio� o� eac� issue�  (Thi� �bring� �u� �th� �
previousl� explaine� cos� problems.�  Wil� ou� member� accep� it�  �
I� als� bring� int� questio� ho� w� woul� distribut� �"co�plime��
tary� �copie� �sinc� i� i� unlikel� tha� i� mos� case� �w� �woul� �
kno� wha� system� th� recipient� use.


                         MAILIN� COSTS

W� ar� limite� her� i� wha� w� ca� d� t� cu� costs�  Th� cos� �o� �
mailin� i� fixe� b� � highe� powe� an� al� w� ca� reall� d� i� t� �
kee� th� newslette� withi� th� numbe� o� page� tha� ca� b� maile� �
fo� �� �$0.2� stamp�  Movin� t� � dis� base� forma� �woul� �allo� �
mor� materia� t� b� sen� fo� th� sam� price.


                           PROMOTION

A� �present� promotio� o� th� newslette� an� i� tur� �th� �group� �
ha� �bee� �limite� t� postin� machin�-readabl� �version� �o� �th� �
newslette� t� GEni� an� � fe� loca� BBS's�  � hav� hear� tha� �w� �
ar� �als� �o� Qua�tu�Lin� an� CompuServ� althoug� � �haven'� �pu� �
the� �ther� mysel� an� hav� n� assuranc� tha� the� wil� �continu� �
t� b� poste� there.

Le� �Bradle� �ha� give� m� a� extensiv� lis� o� peopl� �w� �coul� ��conside� fo� fre� co�plime�tar� su�scri�tions�  Thes� peopl� �ar� �
al� �importan� �co�tributor� t� th� worl� o� CP/� an� �shoul� �b� �
considere� sinc� w� migh� b� abl� t� establis� dialo� tha� �woul� �
benefi� ou� members�  Producin� th� extr� copies� however� �coul� �
prov� expensive.

� �hav� bee� offerin� fre� � mont� tria� su�scri�tion� t� �peopl� �
wh� �as� �figurin� �the� migh� b� move� t� joi� �i� �the� �becom� �
familia� �wit� �wha� we'r� doing�  S� fa� w� hav� abou� �� �o� �� �
peopl� receivin� issue� thi� way.

W� �als� �nee� �t� �conside� i� w� wan� t� �pu� �member� �o� �th� �
compute� �pres� o� ou� "freebie� list�  The� coul� b� helpfu� �i� �
gettin� th� wor� ou� abou� us.

Anothe� �ide� �i� t� produc� � specia� "Bes� of� issu� an� �d� �� �
mailin� ��t� ��Lee'� �lis� �wit� �� �cove� �lette� ��askin� ��fo� �
contribution� and/o� ne� members.

                           PURCHASES

I� �w� �continu� �t� produc� th� hardcop� �editio� �I'� �lik� �t� �
sugges� �tha� �th� �grou� �bu� �th� �Bradfor� �printin� ��system�  �
Bradfor� �i� �a� �eas�-t�-us� �sharewar� �progra� �tha� �produce� �
differen� �typestyle� �an� face� whic� improv� �th� �newsletter'� �
look�  (Th� Marc� '8� issu� wa� produce� wit� Bradford.)

Bradfor� �cost� �$39.9� fo� whic� w� woul� receiv� �a� �extensiv� �
manua� an� th� lates� update� versio� o� th� software�  Sinc� th� �
grou� �woul� ow� th� progra� an� manual� i� would� o� course� �b� �
passe� alon� t� th� nex� edito� whe� � retire.

Purchasin� thi� progra� woul� als� sho� ou� suppor� o� th� �smal� �
bu� moderatel� health� CP/� sharewar� market.


                          TH� FUTURE

                       � marke� research

W� nee� t� co�side� th� futur� o� thi� pu�l�c�tion�  Ar� w� goin� �
t� remai� � simpl� "hous� organ� fo� � limite� membershi� o� �ar� �
w� �goin� t� attempt� a� ha� bee� suggeste� b� some� t� mov� �ou� �
o� �ou� regiona� bond� an� gro� int� somethin� wit� �nationa� �o� �
i�tern�tio�a� po�sibilities�

I� �growt� �i� ou� goa� w� mus� mak� � decisio� o� thi� �o� �tim� �
wil� d� i� fo� us�  W� woul� nee� t� identif� ou� targe� �market�  �
Currentl� �i� prepar�tio� i� � que�tio�nair� t� b� maile� t� �ou� �
membershi� �(perhap� a� a� issu� o� th� newslette� itself� i� �a� �
attemp� t� ge� a� ide� o� wh� the� ar� an� wha� the� wan� t� �se� �
i� �th� newsletter�  We'v� bee� stumblin� aroun� i� th� dar� �fo� �
to� �lon� �withou� thi� i�form�tion�  Kath� ha� offere� t� �d� �� �
sampl� �phon� surve� o� curren� (an� mayb� som� e�-� �member� �t� �
ge� informatio� o� wha� the� migh� wan� fro� bot� th� �newslette� ��an� th� group.

                          � projects

� a� co�side�in� conductin� � mai� campaig� t� th� companie� tha� �
stil� �produc� CP/� relate� softwar� an� materials�  Wha� � �wan� �
t� d� i� t� contac� a� man� o� thes� companie� a� possibl� t� le� �
the� kno� wh� w� ar� an� t� ge� o� thei� mailin� list� s� w� (an� �
i� turn� ou� members� ca� sta� u�-t�-dat� o� what'� happenin� �i� �
th� CP/� universe�  Thi� coul� hel� provid� thes� companie� �wit� �
th� e�courag�men� o� knowin� tha� ther� i� stil� � viabl� �marke� �
fo� thei� wares.

Wel� that'� abou� it� folks�  � hop� I'v� give� yo� som� foo� fo� �
though� �an� � loo� forwar� t� discussin� thi� a� �th� �executiv� �
meeting.

Ji� Taylor� Editor
Piece� o� 8
Februar� 13� 1989

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