JohnD Posted February 12, 2015 Report Share Posted February 12, 2015 I know I'm boring about this. I know that I annoy the TSSC administration by going on about it. And I know that many TSSC members like to have a printed copy of the Courier. But when online publication is so very, very cheap - cheaper than you would believe - and the TSSC isn't rich, it has to be considered. The Motor Sports Association, that regulates four wheeled motorsport in the UK, publishes a quarterly magazine, "MSA" printed in full colour just like the Courier. It also publishes "MSA News", a monthly newsletter, ONLINE. YOu can rad the latest issue here: https://www.msauk.org/assets/msanews580215.pdf The"News" is published for them by a company that specialises in online magazines, ISSUU. You can read about their services here: http://issuu.com/pricing?entryPoint=ycpt Look at that bottom line: $35 a month, £23, not per copy, but for a magazine as big as you like, as often as you like, sent to as many people as you like. A magazine that opens itself onto your PC screen and imposes no advertising that you do not want to carry. And will link to all the social media that the TSSC now prefers to the message board format. I'm sure that the TSSC's admin are aware of how ridiculously cheap is online publishing. I just thought that the members, at least those who own a PC and use the message board, should know too. John No connection with ISSUU, or online publishing Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 a thought to add to why there is a printed Courier is some simple maths many may not realise the magazine is zero rated VAT, it is priced to offset /reduce VAT on the Membership Fees, reduce the sales volume and membership fee's will increase by the lost 20% maybe archive online , but again needs hands to make it work , someone has to do these things , like all places staff are pretty stretched just a thought Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AidanT Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Hi Isn't this also somewhat like Kindles and proper books? I prefer books myself! Also, the Inter-web maybe a lovely place for some - but not if you live in the middle of no-where like me! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Aidan, I have books and I have a Kindle, both equally good but the Kindle has the added bonus of not having hundreds of additional books about the place gathering dust. Unsure as to why your location has a bearing on the loveliness of the Inter-web? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Unsure as to why your location has a bearing on the loveliness of the Inter-web? 500Kb/sec on a good day out in the sticks, or super fast 100Mb/sec fibre broadband when you live in a town. High speed broadband would be nice, but living in the countryside beats living in the town. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Crewes Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Blimmee Kevin that's fast! In superfast, fibre optic, broadband Cornwall, we'd kill for those speeds! Regards Mike I dream of a day when I can refresh my webpage before the kettle boils! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave C Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 It would be nice to have the choice of e-magazine or a printed copy. I like to keep back editions of the Courier, but could do without them taking up space... 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Oh right, stupid off me! Mind you I can see 8 wireless nodes down my street and at the weekend, when they're all in use, mine's dog slow. I think we are all on the same blade at the exchange. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mishmosh Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 I like the idea of a two price membership. Paper or electronic copy. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 So those with on line copies would have to pay 20% more membership fee to offset the vat free saving that magazine members currently enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mike Crewes Posted February 13, 2015 Report Share Posted February 13, 2015 Good point! I think I'll stick with a printed mag and cheaper membership. Regards MIke Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete Lewis Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 yes Mike, trouble is we both been involved in the past and these idea's are easy , the implementation and implications are the hidden extra's Pete Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 In this instance I think that there is a perception that the saving in the cost of the printing and distribution will be significant. In reality, I suspect that any savings from not printing and distributing the magazine to the (few ???) members who would prefer to view it on line, will be more than swallowed by the VAT implications. The assumed cover price of the magazine may well be set to ensure that the membership subscription is free of VAT, but the cost of producing the magazine is not restricted to just the price of printing and distribution, it will also cover in house production staff costs, and an element of the cost of the IT equipment to produce it. The magazine content will still need to be "edited" and assembled into a magazine, and if there is a printed edition and an online edition, there may need to be differences in the layout, so the production cost will increase rather than decrease, and large elements will now not be able to be offset against VAT, so it will cost even more. Ben, the Gensec, is financially very switched on, and I'm sure that the CoM have looked at this more than once, and if it was a genuine viable way of saving money then they would have moved in that direction, and as they haven't, one must assume that it isn't financially viable (at the moment). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted February 14, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 In that case why does the MSA publish BOTH an online newsletter AND a quarterly magazine? At no added cost to licence holders? A few sums: Annual TSSC Membership £46, so at most the Courier costs £3.80 a month. Add 77 pence for VAT (£9.20 a year) So the Club membership would rise - if the tax avoidance advice is correct - by less than £10. The cost of printing and distributing the Courier - I must guess at. Postage £1? Printing? £2?? How many? - again no idea of current membership - 6,000? That's £18,000. Of course the Editorial Team must stay in post! I've no wish to put Bernard and his colleagues out of work, so no savings there. Cost of 'printing' and 'distributing' the Courier online - £23/month. I repeat: Twenty Three Pounds. That saves £17977 a month. But I could have - probably have - got those figures wildly wrong. So let's do it backwards. Each issue of the Courier Online costs £23. Divide that by the membership - again I have to guess, but at 6K members that is 0.4 of a penny per copy, on your screen. Whatever the cost of printing and posting, that has to be at least 90% less - I mean it costs a tenth online VAT is twenty per cent, on top of the current cost, so the saving would be about 70%. Our Treasurer needs to examine his calculations again when the costs of online publishing are so very, very low. John Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted February 14, 2015 Report Share Posted February 14, 2015 And what about those of us who want the paper copy because the internet is too slow to read the Courier online. Reduced print run = higher cost per copy printed. If you really feel strongly about it then you need to write to Ben Broadbent, the Club General Secretary and make your case, and even ask for it to be raised as an agenda item at the AGM. Just discussing it here on the Forum will not make it happen and will not bring it to the attention of the "management". On the subject of the MSA publishing on line as well as hard copy, their membership is pretty captive, due to membership being linked to the race licence rather than the magazine, and they are unlikely to loose members who are able to read the magazine online for free rather than being a member to get the magazine. It also appears that the MSA get VAT exempt treatment because of their status of being a sports organisation, rather than a membership club like the TSSC, so a move towards online publishing of the magazine in lieu of hard copy does not impact them, where as it would impact the TSSC. From doing some reading of some HMRC documentation about VAT exemption, it would appear that the TSSC would loose out disproportionately if there was such a move, and it would actually lead to the TSSC handing over 20% of their membership subs to the tax man, rather than investing it on Club services and keeping a member of staff employed. There are always two sides to each story, and some of the background on one side is not always immediately obvious. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colin Lindsay Posted February 15, 2015 Report Share Posted February 15, 2015 500Kb/sec on a good day out in the sticks, or super fast 100Mb/sec fibre broadband when you live in a town. You lucky man!! Currently have about 70kbps, not a chance of watching Youtube or anything streaming like that, the attached photo should give you some idea of my speed at peak times….! 3 hours 50 minutes to download a 17 Mb file? So: an on-line magazine would be next to inaccessible for that sort of speed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted August 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2020 I started this thread bya dmitting how boring I am about this, and I'm going to bore you even more. In the US the SVRA, the Sportscar Vintage Racing Association, is the body that leads classic car racing, and like most clubs it has its own magazine. And surprise, surprise, it's electronic! The latest edition features a report from the Kastner Cup at Mid-Ohio, and you can read it here! Or rather, there: https://www.flipsnack.com/thesvra/stq-7-3/full-view.html And while you read it, just appreciate the quality of the pictures, the readabilty of the text, how easy it is to 'turn' the pages. Surely, in a rational world, a club like TSSC would want to have somnething as good as this as its organ? Even if they had to jump thorugh the hoops set up by the treasurer that ringfence the print Courier. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevinR Posted August 1, 2020 Report Share Posted August 1, 2020 John, As I've said many times in the past, raising the subject here on the Forum is not going to make it happen. If you want the TSSC Committee of Management to discuss your proposals then you need to contact them directly. You need to start by emailing your detailed proposal to Chris Gunby at gensec@tssc.org.uk requesting that it is circulated to the other members of the CoM, for discussion at the next CoM meeting. And I will once again go on record, I want my hard copy magazine, and I would be unlikely to read an online version. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted August 1, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 1, 2020 Nnah, I'll just snipe from the sidelines. Ghandi never stood for office. If you were to read "SpeedTour Quarterly" you might be a tad disapointed! One paragraph - ONE! less than 200 words! - about the Kastner Cup. Boooo! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SpitFire6 Posted August 1, 2020 Report Share Posted August 1, 2020 Mine is running slow tonight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Badwolf Posted August 2, 2020 Report Share Posted August 2, 2020 That's slow!!!???. Just checked mine.. ping 14, download 7.99mbps, upload 9.87mbps. Just going to put the kettle on and make coffee while this uploads (also on Virgin through Manchester). Be quicker to post the Courier by carrier pigeon AND read it on receipt before download came through in HiDef!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dougbgt6 Posted August 2, 2020 Report Share Posted August 2, 2020 Just been forced onto fibre by BT, no noticeable difference. db Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NonMember Posted August 2, 2020 Report Share Posted August 2, 2020 BT keep pushing me to switch to fibre. Thing is, I'm currently on... BT fibre. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RogerH Posted August 2, 2020 Report Share Posted August 2, 2020 10 hours ago, JohnD said: Nnah, I'll just snipe from the sidelines. Ghandi never stood for office. If you were to read "SpeedTour Quarterly" you might be a tad disappointed! One paragraph - ONE! less than 200 words! - about the Kastner Cup. Boooo! Moving from a paper Mag' to electronic is a desperate last step for survival of a club. Whilst funds are available go with what the members want. Roger 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnD Posted August 2, 2020 Author Report Share Posted August 2, 2020 Roger, is the SVRA a club on the "last step" before oblivion? Don't think so! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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