Re: The STC and me

Subject: Re: The STC and me
From: Chuck Martin <cm -at- writeforyou -dot- com>
To: "TECHWR-L" <techwr-l -at- lists -dot- raycomm -dot- com>
Date: Thu, 29 Jul 2004 14:24:16 -0700


Karen L. Zorn wrote:

My remark was made in the context of different membership fees (level
offerings), based on how members *use* STC. Differing membership
levels are under heavy discussion, nothing is written in stone or
pixels, yet. STC HQ is realizing that membership varies, and what
members want from their membership varies. Therefore, several
proposals for structured membership levels with differing fees are
being considered. It is the same type of structure as differing
donation levels to organizations such as Piper's Opera House. For
$100 you get a seat named after you, $1000 a curtain, $2500 a door,
and so forth. Varying membership levels (fees) get you different
things.

That sounds good in theory, but as the number of options grows, so does the cost of maintaining multiple options. It's tough to balance the needs of so many different individuals with the need to produce a single, coherent product.



<supposed scenarios> One of the topics in this discussion was "STC
member" on a resume.

Let's presume you decide that "STC member" is of value to you and
will get you jobs if you can truthfully put it on your resume. In
that case, you might be willing to open your wallet and spend $$ for
a non-participating, no publications membership if such a
memberrship level existed.

If you live in an area where there is no local chapter, you may
choose a member at large with no chapter affiliation, but all the
other benefits--telephone seminars, publications, etc. With no
chapter affiliation, no chapter would get a rebate for your
membership, and the $$ to you would be reduced.

A member outside North America may be able to substantially reduce
membership costs by joining as an on-line publications member. <\supposed scenarios>


A good analogy may be that of the cable company. Arguments have been raised recently that the local cable company here charges too much, and that viewers shoudl be able to purchase only the channels they wish to watch, on an a la carte basis, rather than in one of several, price fixe, bundles.

But cable companies pay for channels, which have fixed costs. If only people who want the specific channel pay for it, then the price for that channel would rise dramatically.

And if you see something advertised for a channel that you'v enot paid for, then you're out of luck.

Meanwhile, if you have a package deal, your per-channel cost is kept low, and you have the opportunity to graze over a vast amount of available information, foraging at will, whetting your appetite on whatever strikes your fancy at the moment.

Plus, with an a la carte membership option, you run a very real risk of finding it much more difficult to budget, largely because you will have a hard time predicting how many people will select the various options available to them.

Rather than that path, I'd think it would be more beneficial to focus energies on making sure that what *is* offered in membership packages providces satisfactory (or better) value.

But then, maybe that's why I'm a techical writer and not a business analyst. :)


--
--
Chuck Martin
User Assistance & Experience Engineer
twriter "at" sonic "dot" net www.writeforyou.com

"I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me.
The day may come when the courage of Men fail, when we forsake our
friends and break all bonds of fellowship. But it is not this day!
This day, we fight!"
- Aragorn

"All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given you."
- Gandalf

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