Jowetteers by email and in the Gallery

[Forumadmin]

Here is Roger Cross's request for comment.

Now let me bring your attention to Colin Durham’s response in last month’s Jowetteer to my ‘Chairman's Chunk’ regarding the suggestion that the Jowetteer
should be printed on the web. Colin wrote:
There are many who do not possess email, and who do not want it, and Roger should be made aware of this. I do not possess it myself and if this were to take place, I would probably leave the Club. I do hope you appreciate these points.
Let me clarify and hopefully reassure Colin.
1) In the offending ‘Chunk’ I was writing a report on what had been said at an Executive Meeting by another member; I was not proposing or advocating anything.
2) The suggestion was that the magazine could be published on the web as an addition to the printed edition, not instead of it.
3) Anyone who regularly attends the Executive Meetings will know that I am completely in Colin’s corner; there is still a huge proportion of the population that does not live in ‘computerland’
4) I am grateful for Colin’s response, which has hopefully enabled me to allay any concerns that last month’s ‘Chunk’ may have provoked.
This is a subject that I intend to revisit next month, but in the meantime if you have an opinion that you feel

Might I suggest instead of wasting trees, loads of diesel and lots of shoe leather you express your opinion here. Then Alan Brierley can edit any comment and print in the Jowetteer for our friends without the benefit (or otherwise) of email.

By coincidence, I had already 'penned' an email to Alan prior to receiving the June Jowetteer in which the above letter was printed. This was broadly on the same subject; but lack of space has meant Alan has not been able to print in the July edition.

There is an understandable reaction to things modern in a club dedicated to preserving cars over 60 years old; but that should not extend to ways of encouraging others to become interested and help preserve that which we hold so dearly.



Back in1974 a computer was employed to do the club's membership list which made it so much easier to update and create the list that keeps us all in touch. When the Internet started the Jowett presence was there with a website that allowed information about the cars to be collected and distributed quickly to anybody, anywhere in the world.



As search engines started to trawl the World Wide Web in 1998 the 'Jowett' name was there and not far down the list was the jowett.org website allowing researchers a focal point to contact the club. If researchers were searching for 'Jowett Cars' the site would have been at the top of the list.



As the desire for on-line communication started, the first JowettTalk forum allowed anybody to post on the Jowett website. Just before that, contributions sent to the webmaster were posted in folders for each contributor thus acknowledging their effort to increase knowledge about Jowetts. Of course, more and more people wanted to contribute so some better software was selected to take the load off the webmaster and provide a better service to our community.



As networking sites started such as Yahoo, YouTube and Facebook each was evaluated for use to improve the Jowett marketing. But I decided not to put our information on these sites because they cannot be trusted. Many of the early sites have, in fact, folded and many people lost all their information. Facebook recently started face recognition on all the pictures without the owner's or subject's consent. Google and its 'Apps' were seriously evaluated as the'Cloud' revolution started; but it is not clear how pricing of the service will be in the future. But we already have this facility waiting on Google should we decide the time is right!



So where are we now?

Jowett.org is the public presence for Jowett Cars, or more specifically (but not exclusively) the Jowett Car Club.The site is searched by search engines and many new contacts have been made this way as it contains all the information from the old site such as parts books.

Jowett.net is also accessible to the public but many parts of it are not allowed to be searched by the search engines or accessed by the public. Thus it can contain club archive material, information that club members do not want to be broadcast over the World Wide Web and information under construction,such as the Legacy Project.

To access this information, or to add to it, you do need to register and to log on. A member of the public can register on JowettTalk, but they have to express an interest in Jowetts as we do not want people abusing the site. Most areas of JowettTalk can be read by the public, so care needs to be taken not to post ‘sensitive’ information.

Only club members can register on JowettGallery which allows us to share information confidently through this communication medium. JowettGallery contains many useful articles, lots of photos and some videos. You can add to the archive by commenting or discussing any of the items or, even better, share a photo, article or document by adding the item to your personal album.

The natters that we had down the pub with half a dozen members can now be had with a worldwide, 24*7 audience. Ask a question at midnight and it may be answered when you wake up!

The article on Jowetts, that you know somebody had (but cannot remember who), is probably in the JowettGallery. You do not have to ask lots of members and wait till you see them next to get the article. Just use the search facility.

There really is a wealth of information there, so even if you do not have a computer, ask someone who has to help you get what you need from the website.

So where are we going?

Every year we add new facilities to the website. Tell me what you want and we will see what can be done.

So far requested are:

1. On line availability of the club magazine to club members

2. On line renewal of membership

3. On line ordering of spares

4. On line purchase of shop items

5. On line calendar of events

6. On line access to the Jowett Club library

Note that creating these facilities will add to the service provided by the club, not detract from it. It will reduce cost to the club and effort by unpaid officers. It will also enhance the attractiveness of the marque to people who live in the electronic world and perhaps even those who do not.

By the way, our printer, Steve Waldenburg, is now sending me the archive copy of the Jowetteer so that it is preserved electronically. Previously it was disposed of after a couple of months. The archive version is stored on jowett.net (and replicated on jowett.org so we do not loose them) and will be opened for club member viewing once the rules for disclosure are agreed. The July version is only 2.6MB. There is a higher quality version at 20MB that we need to decide how to store and make available.

Keep the comments coming either by pen, hand writing recognition, speech recognition or keyboard. One day we will have thought recognition!

[Jack]

From the Office for National Statistics (Stats covering UK population):

"The proportion of households owning a home computer rose from 72 per cent to 75 per cent between 2008 and 2009; up from 70 per cent in 2007. The percentage of households with an Internet connection rose from 66 per cent in 2008 to 71 per cent in 2009."

That percentage continues to rise, these stats from 2009 are widely accepted to have carried on in almost linear fashion - now percentage in 2011 is likely to be around 80%. That trend continues, and that only reflects the computers people have in their homes. In the workplace many of the 20% that don't have a home computer have access to a computer that is connected to the internet, so in fact we are dealing with a fairly small minority that are not online in one form or another.

Also anyone, and I do mean literally anyone, can walk into a library in the UK and the staff will help you to get online, set up an e-mail account, use the internet safely using their facilities. If my 8 year old cousin can do it, anyone able to drive a car can do it. Perhaps our Chairman is referring to the significant proportion of JCC members that are not in 'computerland' as it is quite clear the facts dispute the huge proportion of the general population being claimed.

The club has to decide if it is truly committed to attracting new and younger members. Everyone I have ever spoken to about attracting younger members (and I have been approached by a few as well) has said that this is something the club wants to do. If that committment is there, we absolutely have to shift towards providing the Jowetteer by e-mail and forums like this becoming the primary means of communicating with members. Why? Because that is how everybody under the age of 35 communicates ,and that will not go away. I can count on one hand the number of letters that have been sent to me in the last 5 years, and I have sent less letters than I have received. Why should I spend 41p on a stamp and have to find a post box when I can send an e-mail for free???

By all means send out paper copies to members that choose it. By all means allow for people who want to live in the 20th Century. But this is not the future.

If the club fails to drive itself forward by embracing this kind of change, giving members the option of operating this way, I worry that eventually there won't be any young members to carry on what the club has done so well for decades. If we do not reach out to them online when they search, show them what we are doing online, and have a professional website that sells the club to them, they will go elsewhere, and the club on average will continue to get older. I think the club also has to consider that eventually without any fellow younger members, some of the existing younger members may become annoyed with this approach and do their own thing. We are already struggling to engage younger members that in the past have been more heavily involved in the club, so we need to make it as easy as possible for them to plug back in.

The newest cars we drive may be made in the 50s, but it doesn't mean we need to reject all the advances in technology and communication since that point. I worry that within the club we have a lot of people who talk about computers as if they were some marauding force taking over the world and forcing them at gunpoint to get online. That is incredibly off-putting for young people who can't imagine why someone would be so scared of something they use every day safely and without a thought, and I thought the letter I read in the Jowetteer last month was, quite frankly, a really bad advert for the club. It made us look like a bunch of angry old men resistant to change and scared of something that hadn't even been suggested. If I wanted to be a member of a club like that, I'd take up golf.

Why not try out using a computer and see what the massive potential benefits are? The club isn't going to force anyone to get a computer or connect to the internet, but personally I really don't see what's so scary about it. Try showing a 10 year-old a Jowett engine. Now that's scary, largely because they know nothing about it. Once you learn a bit about something, it becomes less scary.

And finally I write all of this knowing that my audience is the members of the club that are already here. Preaching to the converted? Perhaps. I wonder if the debate is worth having on here at all, because will half of the decision makers in the club even be able to read it? If the only way to reach them is to print this and send it to them by post, unfortunately they won't be getting that letter from me. The rest of the world will just leave them behind...

[Keith Andrews]

This subject is current in many clubs, Bird clubs, hot rod clubs.

Yep i like email newsletters...it make my life VERY much easiser.
But I can not see the logic ib to attact younger members because of email....ppl are atracted to clubs because of an interest, regardles if a newsletter is in electronic or hard copy.

And I cant see the logic in basically casting out old members or isolating them... and that is exactly in effect what is being said... simply becausr they dont want to be interested in the internet or computers. Follow that logic...I dont have or want to own a car with a compurer....that mean I should no longer be allowed to have a drivers licience? that logic between the to is equally related.

"The proportion of households owning a home computer rose from 72 per cent to 75 per cent between 2008 and 2009; up from 70 per cent in 2007. The percentage of households with an Internet connection rose from 66 per cent in 2008 to 71 per cent in 2009."

I love stats, yep they can be made and manipulated to say anything ....

P,S Im a person who does EVERYTHING on a computer, I cant rem the last time I read a book or manual in hard copy, or sent a letter, paid a bill...
Thu I enjoy the nostagic feeling, the only one left, of recieving my Flat Four in the mail.
I leave it on the table a few days, unopened...it looks good...then I get a nice latte cofee, couple gingernuts, sit back in my armchair, relax and enjoy the time...my last reminate of days gone by.
It seems approiate, old cars, old times...the other clubs would not be as apropiate.
So 75% of households have a computer...and in what catorgies are the other 25%? Old foggies, poor? and what proportion of the population have email, or even use the net..or connected..
And why would having a computer in the household mean a member is forced to use it....
Thats as rediculous as forcing an IT person to join facebook, or even have a cell phone.

Bottom line....Dont respect the wishes of members who dont wish to be invoved in the iternet or computers, and loose them....cross you fingures there will be a new young person, (and we ass-u & me they all do have email) accepted into the club, and will be long term.....
If a club is confident that WILL happen, and is quite willing to right off old members...go for it.

If not, close the subject, and send out email and snail mail copies untill the last person in the club who hasnt an email has died or moved on.

[Chris Spencer]

I fully echo & support the points made by both Jack and Keith Clements, there is nothing I can add here other than to Keith Andrews point and yes I know he is going to have a go back at me with some lengthy mail of how he can prove his point and how wrong I am, but having read the previous postings of Mr Andrews over the last few months where everybody else is in the wrong and only he is in the right I have to ask the question ' Is true Mr Andrews that you would argue over fresh air if it was rationed' ?

Now before anyone gets the wrong idea - I am not here to fall out with members (Keith, please do not be offended by my comment - although somehow I think you will be) create debate and out of that debate pick the logically sound ideas and somehow implement them - then you are very close to my intentions. We have to move forward with technology - like it or not - we at no stage have stated that we would exclude anyone that has no desire to own a computer or become computer literate but we must stay ahead of the game because like it or not - through cost / environmental and many other reasons printed literature of the Jowetteer nature will not be existent 20 years from now.

[Keith Andrews]

(Keith, please do not be offended by my comment - although somehow I think you will be)

And that is where u are very wrong...Im not...

We have to move forward with technology - like it or not -

Yes agree on that...its just I do not believe the time is here yet for clubs in general, that have older members, who in may cases are simply intimidated by the techniolgy or have no interst....and should not be penalisedd in anyway.
On the other hand a club that has predominately young and/or all the members , say a boy racer , ricer car club, yes go full on technoloy.
The former is sit in the state of flux, the latter makes the tranistion.
My comments above and here are not directly related to Jowett, but a observation of clubs, associations, organisations in general.
As to what happens 20 yrs down the line...maybe internet becomes obsolete, and the things of science fiction are the norm, just as capt Kirks "Comunicater" was several decades ago, now we have cell phones....snail mail may well come back and Capt kirks transporter replace the postie .
But while their are people in clubs who dont grasp our technology, snail mail.

Scraping hard copy for those who wish a hardcopy because of no email in effect does exclude those members.

Yes I have to love the "enviroment" arguement....usually made by the same people who still do things like buy packaged food and use supermarket shopping bags, dont separate recycled, dont compost food scrapes....and end up printing our newsletters to read with a Latte and a ginger nut in their armchairs.

[Jack]

I don't think anyone is advocating cancelling the paper copy, but to reject the idea of an e-mail copy on principle seems like madness to me.

For what it's worth, I agree with Keith a bit. Sometimes it is nice to sit down and read the newsletter. But if I didn't have a paper copy, all I'd do is read one of Noel's books, or some other car literature with a coffee and a biscuit.

Jack.

[Keith Andrews]

I don't think anyone is advocating cancelling the paper copy, but to reject the idea of an e-mail copy on principle seems like madness to me.

Maybe then I miss understood....If that is the case, Jack sums up very well

[Forumadmin]

This site was created a couple of years ago to test out the Google offering. A similar one was created on the Microsoft 'cloud' facility. This is just to show that we need to wait to see how such facilities develop before expending the effort to move to them.

[Tim Neville]

Dear oh dear. We're having enough trouble dragging some of the membership in the vague direction of f-mail and the 'interweb', let alone explaining the concept of cloud computing!
Maybe it's time to start a new club? "The 21st. Century Jowett Car Enthusiasts Online Cloud based techno talking digital - where's my Android 'phone Club"
And all the rest can have a Jowetteer delivered by 'a good lad' on a bike.

[Forumadmin]

Tim et al,
There was a lot of discussion at the Jowett Weekend on improving the marketing and communication of the club through the new media. A lot of it was from the retired members in the club who wanted more exposure on these new communication channels. Many of those members do have 'smart' phones of the Android and 'i' varieties.

The 'cloud' topic is actually relevant as the club executive may have to make an informed decision on the direction to take the club. At the moment a few members are taking part in the discussion. Similar decisions are being taking by many multi-national companies, government agencies and small businesses. It really is no different than deciding to install a fax in Jowett Car Spares. There will be process and people issues that need to be resolved.

We also need to resolve some of the simple issues such as renewal without cheques, renewal by overseas members, making it easy for people to join the club, reducing Jowetteer postage costs, spares and shop ordering and payment, organising more local meetings via electronic means... The club can continue in the way it does or it can change to meet the new challenges, rather than wither away.

This is all about improving the service and promoting Jowetts.

[Tim Neville]

Excellent!
But apropos of my earlier little joke, we've got to be careful not to be divisive in our (most valid) efforts to move forward. I fear that to secure consolidation and hopefully growth of the club for the future, which is what matters, we might have some old members 'drop off the end' no matter how hard we try.

[Chris Spencer]

Well put Keith - it is known fact that 'Change' is something that is carries poor support - subject regardless! - I work like most people in a market & industry that sees ever changing methods, products & technologies - it is something we all have to adapt to, either that or find ourselves left behind and our competitors ahead of the game. You can read an awful lot into this but in essence adapt, embrace & improve or find yourself out of work in few years time.

Celebrating my half centenary this year I consider myself neither young or old - I have had to teach myself computer skills has the most technical piece of equipment in our school when I left was the secretaries golf ball typewriter. We even have a 'Change management consultant' at work who ensures that we are adaptive the changes required in today's world. It is not about being herded into a corner and beaten with a big stick until you change - it is about keeping an open mind on how the world advances and being prepared to move with it - should you have to.

So when the technical leap of 'airbags' fitted to modern vehicles came to the market - did we all think that I don't want something that is going to smash into me and retain me in my seat at a point of impact when the idiot that can not be bothered to look both ways decides he is pulling out of a side street - Or did most drivers think ' had it not been for that air bag I would have been in hospital with serious injuries rather than walking away from this accident with a couple of bruises' !

It does not mean that all new technology will overcome the way that things have been done since 19 nought blob, but we must be open to the process of being able to move on and appeal to what we may not like but to what our future membership will appreciate - many clubs such as ours have already made that move - by being able renew membership, read the club magazine, communicate efficiently, purchase parts, enter rallies and events with online forms - no lost pieces of paper and all at the touch of button - ok - it is not for everybody at this present time but it is for most - to fail to address this issue we may has well adopt the polices and methods that were about when our Jowetts were built. Anyone up for petrol rationing !!!

[p.p.]

as member in the "Bundu" switzerland it would be just very importend to pay fees, spare part's, and, and...

via Pay-Pal account -

fast an secure payment from every were in the world no bank fees just e-mail account to e-mail account.

peter

[Forumadmin]

At the JCC exec last week it was agreed to allow distribution of Jowetteer by electronic means. Although I was not there and have not had communication from the exec, I have added most of the last year of Jowetteers received by email from the printer, Steve Waldenberg, from which I have been sometimes copying the events (into JowettTalk topics that were set up for each Section Secretary) at least three weeks before the membership receives by snail mail in their Jowetteer.
For those able to log on to the Gallery you can view them TOPIC here.
Note these are not scanned versions of printed copies; but the word processed text and compressed pictures from which the printing was done.

The April 2011 issue is here THIS LINK NO LONGER WORKS!
The June2011 issue is here
The July 2011 issue is here
The September 2011 issue is here
The October 2011 issue is here
The November 2011 issue is here
The December 2011 issue is here
The January 2012 issue is here
The February 2012 issue is here
The March 2012 issue is here
The April 2012 issue is here
The May 2012 issue is here
The June 2012 issue is here
The July 2012 issue is here
The August 2012 issue is here
The September 2012 issue is here
The October 2012 issue is here.

Note that sending these by email is not sensible as many are over 1000KB. A print ready version can be between 30MB and 60MB and it is from this that I or Steve reduce to the size in the Gallery. For archive purposes it is sensible to store the highest quality available.

Also maintaining an email distribution list is an additional task that somebody will have to do. This way you can choose to receive the Jowetteer how and when you want. So if you are away from home you can still get it on time. This way does not clog up your email Inbox or get lost in spam filters or other blocking mechanisms set up by your ISP.

Also all the TOPIC past versions are together in one place. Just use the previous or next page links.

If you have difficulty viewing any part of the pdf versions then let me know. You may find you need Acrobat Reader Version 9 or higher as some of compression algorithms work best using that version.

Note that improvements to the access control to Gallery will take place over the next year which will reduce some administrative overhead.

[Forumadmin]

April 2012 here