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24 July 2009 at 19:45 #22206
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
This Website is provided by MyHobbyStore, publiishers of Model Boats and primarily exists to support the magazine. We hope that visitors will look round the site and its links, read some of the sample articles we have posted and take out a subscription to what is the UK’s leading Model Boating periodical.

At the moment, everything on the website is free to view but the publishers would like to add an extra dimension by providing additional content to magazine subscribers to recognise their commitment to the magazine and at the same time encourage non subscribers to sign up. The more subscribers we have, the stronger the magazine becomes and we can build upon an already comprehensive coverage of the model boating scene.

At present, we post a selection of articles from previous issues of the magazine on the Website homepage. This will continue but we will be adding current articles in future which will be viewable by magazine subscribers only.

This is only a start however, and we would welcome suggestions as to what additional content subscribers would like to see on the website to add value to their subscriptions. For example, one idea might be to have competition draws with valuable prizes for subscribers only.

We are however open to practical suggestions and any good ideas you put forward will be given serious consideration.

Tell us what you think!

Colin Bishop

Website Editor
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24 July 2009 at 19:45 #8348
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
Let us have your views on providing some “extras” for subscribers.
24 July 2009 at 20:06 #22207
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
Hi Colin

Competitions with worthwhile prizes is a great idea.

Paul
25 July 2009 at 01:08 #22211
Barry Gibson
Participant
@barrygibson15259
I’d like too see some of the old articles like the Towage on the Thames series or Norman Oughs. Or what about some of the small free plans by R A Sweet etc.

Barry.
25 July 2009 at 07:45 #22212
Dr John Booth
Participant
@drjohnbooth43899
Some time ago on the forum there was an unofficial attempt to start a design competition.

This might be a good idea for your new subscriber only section especially if the prize was something decent and involved My Hobby Store including the design within their range.

The prize might be a laptop computer or the equivalent value to spend in My Hobby Store. (or is this to rich a prize to expect?)

John
26 July 2009 at 07:26 #22223
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
How about a competition to build a model boat out of scraps, Len has such an event at his club and it looks like a lot of fun without involving a huge ammount of serious work.

Paul

nb….I would submit a design for a chance to win a laptops value in hobby stuff
26 July 2009 at 13:27 #22230
Tony Hadley
Participant
@tonyhadley
Colin,

For magazine subsribers only:-

Would a database of historic archive magazines/magazine items from the past be an idea? Some kind of index would be required.

The older items (eg 1960’s and 1970’s) could be submitted by subsription members into a pre designed template.

When the database has been built, items could be offered as sale items to non subsription members (cd or printed). Remaining accessible to subsribers.

I do realise that changes are taking place in model making, and the magazine items of the future will change (eg more RTR and ARTR as against traditional construction). Many older model builders are pleased to access the original item, when building a craft from years gone by. The only hope of obtaining an item is to purchase an old magazine on ebay.

Just an idea.

Tony.

ps – I have re started my subscription after attemping to buy the magazine from W.H.Smith. To buy from the shop, you must first pay Town Centre car park charges, upon arrival at the shop, when you manage to see the magazine, someone will be stood in the way studying every used car price and be very unwilling to move!

Just hope the postal dispute doesn’t interfere with subsription deliveries.
26 July 2009 at 14:19 #22231
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
I’m not making any specific comments just yet except to say thanks for the contributions and keep ’em coming!

Colin
29 July 2009 at 18:38 #22293
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
Perhaps another photo competition for action shots.
1 August 2009 at 12:49 #22334
Barry Foote
Participant
@barryfoote68385
Personally, I think it is a very bad idea to offer any extras to subscribers only. Many of us cannot afford a subscription to the magazine, particularly those of us living abroad as the postage charges are prohibitive. We would then be penalised in a manor that would be discriminatory.
1 August 2009 at 14:41 #22338
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
Barry, your viewpoint is a commonly held one but one of the factors driving this and which has been aired in the press here recently is that publishers, whether magazines or newspapers, are giving too much away for free and this is hitting their revenues.

Low circulation (relatively) magazines such as Model Boats exist on quite precarious budgets and continued publication requires a fine balancing act. The intention of the publishers in maintaining this Website and Forum is to attract visitors who will be encouraged by the sample articles and other content to take out a subscription or buy the magazine on a regular basis. I’m afraid it isn’t to provide free reading to people who, for whatever reason, can’t afford to purchase it.

The idea of putting on subscriber only material goes a step further along this route by providing some enhanced value which will “reward” subscribers for signing up, just as the special subscription offers in the magazine do. The extent to which it may work remains to be seen but the publishers are a commercial company and the magazine has to be run on that basis. Without sufficient income from subscribers, retail sales and advertising there would be no magazine and the current recession plus the growth of the internet has resulted in a significant fall off in advertising in all parts of the media, including the press, magazines and TV. Increasing readership subscriptions is one way of plugging the gap

Colin
1 August 2009 at 16:41 #22339
Barry Foote
Participant
@barryfoote68385
Colin,

I do fully understand what you say and indeed accept it without question. It is still sad that it has to come to this and I for one will leave the forum to the subscribers……..Progress I assume..
1 August 2009 at 17:00 #22341
Rick Devonshire
Participant
@rickdevonshire
May I suggest that whenever a kit or model is reviewed in MB the article contains a prominent table giving the following information:-

Length, Breadth, Daught, Displacement and, where it applies motor(s), propeller(s) and batteries.

This would considerably assist reader when seaching back numbers for useful comparisons when planning a future project.

Rick.
1 August 2009 at 17:19 #22342
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
Barry,

We will still be publishing the “free” older articles as at present, it’s just that we will be adding some from the latest issues which will be subscriber only. At the moment the policy is still to have the existing content freely available. It’s simply that some competitions (not all) plus some additional stuff will be subscriber only.

So you won’t actually lose anything, just not be able to see all of the new stuff – still worth looking at I think! No changes are currently proposed to the Forum.

Colin

Edited By Colin Bishop on 01/08/2009 21:12:39
1 August 2009 at 17:37 #22343
The Long Build
Participant
@thelongbuild
Which is the subscription number on the envelope from My Hobby store as the profile seems not to like any of them ?
1 August 2009 at 18:08 #22344
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
I think it is the one commencing with MB to the right hand but whether you have to enter the MB bit I don’t know.

If you are still having trouble, let me know and I will find out for you (on Monday!)

Colin
1 August 2009 at 18:13 #22345
Barry Foote
Participant
@barryfoote68385
Colin,

As usual you put my mind at rest…….I feel better now!!!
1 August 2009 at 19:01 #22346
The Long Build
Participant
@thelongbuild
Posted by Barry Foote on 01/08/2009 18:13:23:

Colin,

As usual you put my mind at rest…….I feel better now!!!

While I Drink My G & T in the Blazing Sun
1 August 2009 at 19:06 #22347
The Long Build
Participant
@thelongbuild
Posted by Colin Bishop on 01/08/2009 18:08:55:

I think it is the one commencing with MB to the right hand but whether you have to enter the MB bit I don’t know.

If you are still having trouble, let me know and I will find out for you (on Monday!)

Colin

Sorted

Its The Middle Lot exluding the 1st 2 numbers and the last Letter.

EG 123 0012345678Q MB0123
1 August 2009 at 20:05 #22353
Barry Foote
Participant
@barryfoote68385
Posted by Barry Foote on 01/08/2009 18:13:23:

Colin,

As usual you put my mind at rest…….I feel better now!!!

….either that or cold wine……..
1 August 2009 at 21:16 #22355
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
I’m not sure how long its been there(!) but if you are a subscriber you can in fact access back issue content in PDF form by clicking on the “Back Issues” link in the “My Account” box in the top left hand corner of the page.

Quite handy!

Colin
2 August 2009 at 06:47 #22359
Paul T
Participant
@pault84577
In an ideal world we would have a “paperless” magazine that subscribers would recieve via email which could be issued at the same time as the magazine was posted out to those who prefer a hard copy.

This would prevent non UK subscribers from feeling second class or out of the loop whilst they await the snail mail to deliver their copy (and would increase subscription income from chaps like Barry)

The down side of this is that the publishers might see this as a way of saving money by not having to pay printing costs and we could loose the hard copy………….but I think we are slowly moving in that direction.

Paul
2 August 2009 at 08:56 #22363
the converter
Participant
@theconverter
how about some BOGOF deals on glues and materials etc in the present market would have thought there would be some suppliers out there that would be happy to make these offers in partnership with the mag/web site.or offer special discount prices like with the billings kits offered in the mag at the moment
25 August 2009 at 17:01 #22833
Colin Bishop
Moderator
@colinbishop34627
There is now a very interesting new feature on the Website!

Along the top of the page you will now see an extra heading labelled “Subscriber Extra”.

If you are a subscriber to the magazine it gives you access to page turning software which lets you browse through all copies of the magazine dating back to January 2007.

If you are not a subscriber then there is a sample issue which you can view to see what you are missing!

The software has a word search facility which operates on the text in the magazines so if you are looking for that article you remember seeing a couple of years back then this is a very quick way to find it. You can zoom in on the magazine contents and jump from page to page plus there are various other features to try out. It’s clever stuff!

So have a look at it and we would be very interested to have your feedback.

Colin
25 August 2009 at 19:08 #22834
Tony Hadley
Participant
@tonyhadley
Colin,

The magazine’s dating back to 2007 are exellent, presented in electronic format. These are a super research tool. Who knows whether or not, this may be the way magazines, and newspapers, are presented in future years.

Must say that I will still continue to buy the magazine, in printed paper. The thought of spending ‘supper time’ in front of a pc does not appeal.

Just my thoughts and comments,

Tony.
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