Wednesday, June 7, 2000
Present:
Brian Rush, Ken Winkenweder, Dana Klein, David Krafchick, Dick Carter, Joyce Schowalter, Dona McAdam, Pam Lund, Bruce Robertson, Mark Jacobson, Jon Pfaff and Jim Reppond.
Ken called to order at 6:40
Ken asks that Board members be brief, to leave time for the "dBug Futures" section of this meeting.
Web Site:
Jim Reppond reports on Website plans. He's the new Webmaster. Wants to give Board opportunity to ask questions. Want to get it up and going, looking good, asap. Hope you got a chance to read the outline which was posted this morning. Time line to get up by end August. Now through July, construction, getting outline. Starting over. Then change, and improve.
Main thing is look and feel- to hook people who look at the page, get them to stay. Give some pizzazz, hook them into looking at other pages, work closely with NL editor, publications manager, work closely with. Will work with Pam Lund, who has wealth of design experience. Also with Shaun McClurken, the NL editor, and Dona McAdam, head of Publications.
Interfacing with databases. Bruce Robertson (Membership Manager) and Jim have been working Digital Forest offered to give us an account to run databases on. Get up a page so people can enroll online. (Take Visas online, etc.) (Board cheers.) Also could add surveys. Could add database of answers from Mentors. Find status of account from home, using your user# and password.
Technology. Bring in some Java, flashy stuff, banners, ads (bring in some money.) Tracking, etc.
KW asks who's assisting: Dick Carter, now. Don Arbow, Michael Beaumont, and Jim Sheffer have volunteered to assist.
Various members ask questions, get answers.
If you want something changed on the website, use the website update folder. Several people will be maintaining the website, same for suggestions. Use that folder.
Miscellaneous:
Ken: Runs through list: Swap Meet on the 14th. Projector is still on loan, reluctant to spend the last CD to buy a new one.
ExChange Manager:
Dana Klein: The radio server went down, so the exchange locked up about 5:21 PM on 6/6/00. He restarted 6/07 about 10AM. What's up with pager software, to page John N. Only works if machine itself is frozen, which was not the case.
Ken volunteers to come down to RC in an emergency since he lives nearby.
People need to be understanding that this is a volunteer organization, and bear with us when we are down. We have fixed the problem when needed.
Volunteer Coordinator:
Gave printed version to attendees. Main new item is that CSNW (Computer Store NW) WILL give us another booth this year. They are asking for assistance also in two areas: helping with 15 gaming stations, and with free technical support.
The bulk mailing list is being refreshed. The bulk mail recipients will be called to verify if they still need copies and how many.
Ken asked Joyce about a member database and she said that it's something we need to discuss. Bruce said there is a volunteer check box on the member renewal form.
SIG Leader:
James Sheffer will be the new Web Design SIG Leader.
We are still looking for a librarian to control dBug resources that members can borrow (books, magazines, digital camera, etc.) Dona mentioned that Jack Connick may be leaving the MondoGraphics SIG next year. Mark said that we can wait until next fall to begin a search.
Membership:
Bruce Robertson said that we now have 501 full members and 17 associate/family members that pay half price.
Treasurer:
Ken gave the report and said we are holding even, but we need to increase membership. We still have one $3000. certificate of deposit that we are rolling over. Dana said we will be getting a refund from Winstar for about $250. We also will be shutting down one or more of our roll over telephone lines to save money.
New Business:
Proposal: Member Survey:
Proposed by Mark Jacobson
The following information was collected from a variety of dBug members including David Krafchick, Bruce Robertson and postings on the ExChange.
Reasons for survey:
1. To determine what members expect.
2. To determine what dBug services members use.
3. To develop a dBug member profile.
4. To ask members to volunteer and indicate skills and interests.
How survey may be conducted:
The most consistent method to keep an updated survey is to send out a questionnaire with membership renewal forms. The survey could eventually be collected on the dBug web site.
To immediately generate useful information a mailing should be sent to members that will not be sent renewal notices in the next six months. The members that aren't included in the special survey mailing, will receive a survey form with their next renewal notice.
The completed surveys will be sent to a volunteer team for entry into a database. Bruce Robertson has volunteered to create the database and integrate it with our membership data.
To keep the data entry simple, the essay answers to the survey may not be included, but may instead be available from the booklet of completed surveys that will be kept.
Development of the survey:
After board approval to move forward with the survey, this proposal will be made available in the dBug Futures conference for comments and the final survey will be determined by a board appointed committee.
Survey Questions (these may change with member input):
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Meetings:
-
In the past 12 months how many times have you attended a:
Main Meeting:
SIG Meeting:
Open Houses:
Other meetings: - How can dBug make meetings more interesting for you?
-
In the past 12 months how many times have you attended a:
-
Publications:
-
In the last 12 months, how many MacNews issues have you read:
Often have you visited dBug's web site:
Daily Weekly Monthly 1-4 times Not at all - How can dBug make its publications more interesting for you?
-
In the last 12 months, how many MacNews issues have you read:
-
ExChange:
-
In the past 12 months how often have you logged onto the ExChange:
Daily Weekly Monthly 1-4 times Not at all - When you visit the dBug ExChange what four conferences do you visit most often? (example: WaterCooler, Mentors, Mac Users SIG)
- How can dBug make the ExChange more interesting for you?
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In the past 12 months how often have you logged onto the ExChange:
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Macintosh Computing:
- What is the newest Mac you use?
- What is the newest Mac operating system you use?
- What 4 computer programs do you use most often?
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Volunteers:
- What is your primary occupation?
- What skills do you have (example: Marketing, graphic design, advertising, e-commerce)
- Have you been a dBug volunteer?
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In the next 12 months, would you like to be a dBug volunteer?
If yes, what would interest you most?
END dBug MEMBER SURVEY PROPOSAL.
BEGIN DISCUSSION:
Ken asked if we had done a survey before and Pam said that she conducted if from her office.
Dave said that mailing surveys has an industry return of about 2% and that phone calls may be the best way to go.
Joyce said that a dBug member had done surveys professionally that we might contact to help.
Dana said that to increase the return of surveys we could incorporate them with the membership renewal form.
Pam said we might offer a drawing for a nice prize that those that return the survey will participate.
Bruce thought that having a survey/renewal form professionally put together with the goal of easy return would benefit.
Having the survey on the internet was discussed.
Mark said he'd post it in the dBug Futures conference for member input.
Proposal: To become members of the Association of Personal Computer Users Group (APCUG)
Proposed by Mark Jacobson
Cost: $75, including $25 one time fee and $50 annual membership.
Benefits:
Ad revenue for newsletter: Companies like Adobe, buy cooperative advertising and then APCUG forwards the ad and will make a payment to dBug for the ads. One ad should cover dBug's membership costs.
Articles for MacNews: While many articles will be Windows oriented, there will be some we can use for MacNews. Examples are common industry trends and product reviews for cross platform products.
Software review copies: Many vendors use the APCUG membership list to distribute software review copies.
User Group Locator: As a member, dBug will be listed in the APCUG user group locator database, which is another way to advertise our organization.
END PROPOSAL.
BEGIN DISCUSSION.
Mark: They are primarily Windows group, but generate ad revenue for our newsletter.
Dana: It's just $75, why not try it, it works or doesn't. Questions various people.
Jon: suggests may not work over time.
Dana: moves to try for one year. David Krafchick seconds. Passed.
Dana: Suggested to confirm results with another Mac user group. Mark: said he would and report findings to the board.
dBug Futures:
Ken began the discussion with listing our major expense categories:
Main Meetings ($225 month)
Resource Center ($700 with Portage Bay paying 1/3)
Newsletter ($1000/month)
ExChange ($650)
Focus Forum:
Ken: If we have a focus forum we need to make sure action comes from it.
Dana: The first focus forum did well, but the second one didn't.
Joyce: A facilitator has mentioned that they might do the forum in exchange for advertising.
David: We need to have a list of target subjects to use in a focus forum.
Mark: Before we have a focus forum we need to have three things: an idea of what we're going to discuss, a large member participation, a plan for action after the forum.
Dana: We may not need a focus forum and bringing in a professional to reorganize dBug may be a better solution.
Pam: We should look at our costs and reduce them to stay within our budget and then look at what we need to do to bring in more members.
Bruce: We should look into offering professional classes that can bring in a large amount of revenue. We should also do a lot of preparation before we do a focus forum that offers subjects that we are willing and have the ability to change. We need to simplify the jobs of our volunteers so its easier and not overwhelming.
Ken: The pro classes are a good idea, but we need to pay someone to prepare and present.
Jon: dBug might want to look at NYMUB (New York MUG) which has gone for profit and has been taken over by a business. The group is now alive and doing well. Jon said that we should also only do 4 main meetings a month. To reduce costs we might consider going entirely electronic like Washington ApplePi and Arizona MUG. Jon said that event planning can take more work than the return we get, but it can be changed to have less work and generate more revenue.
Ken: We could build our swap meet into a franchise and include PCs which should generate enough revenue to be very worthwhile.
David: The swap can be build into something good.
Dona: The newsletter can be changed to all electronic.
Dana Our charter may say that we need to mail a newsletter.
Dick: Other groups are bringing in a lot of people for classes and workshops.
Ken: John Newhoff would like to go to a free membership model.
Dana: Agreed and that we could still sell services like classes, CDs, t-shirts.
Mark: Likes the idea of a free membership model and felt that it would increase membership and allow dBug to sell advertising revenue for the newsletter, website and ExChange.
Dana: We may need to hire a business manager to pursue a free membership model.
Ken: The dBug futures part of the minutes should be posted into the dBug futures.
Mark: Volunteered to post them.
Meeting adjourned at 8:50 PM. Motion made and carried unanimously.
Minutes recorded by Joyce Schowalter and Mark Jacobson.
Minutes published by Mark Jacobson
