Trail Magazine - Should it stay or should it go?

[mudeevee]

Dave,
Have you joined the TRF forum? See www.trf.org.uk/forum

This is used by the TRF membership and your views may be heard by a more influential audience.

I have suggested that, on the national TRF website, us users have an option in our membership details, to have paper or PDF Version of Trail. In the meantime, I have emailed Debbie (membership sec) to change me from hard copy to PDF.

Get your voice heard in the right place

Cheers me dears, Derek

[Dave]

Yes I have been registered there longer than here but I thought if there was some rallying to be had it was worth a try here first before a faceless name approaching the national site.

I'll consider writing a proposal next weekend and might post it if I think it's good enough... Or just bottle it and suggest it and hope there's other knowledgable ppls to support mon petite IDEA

[fallenmikethebike]

I love the mag, but if that's the cost of it, then it seems that it's an expensive luxury we can live without, and the funds more usefully deployed to R.O.W. work,especially as it can be accessed via other means.
Mike

[mudeevee]

Hey Ho Dave!

I guess that driver at the end of Sat's run must have p*ssed you off Not poo-pooing your idea, just trying to add some realism ............My random thoughts on the subject follow

Mobile Apps - cost to develop - approx £10,000 - which device? - Apple, Blackberry, Android (or heavens forbid MS/Nokia). Mmm so cost creeps up for each device.......
Mobile website - at least all devices can view - so maybe more beneficial/cost effective?
Mobile publishing of PDF's - IOS Newsstand, Kindle, etc - these look good and cheap, but the IOS needs an App behind it to deliver anything other than text and pictures, so cost goes up for these add ons. I believe you can publish via Kindle (and Kindle has an app on most devices), but not sure on the arrangement of funding???

Content - behind any commercial Apps or Mobile websites there is huge amounts of content - it is content people will pay for! The TRF content is limited to very specific areas with a small user-base of interest - that equals a very small market to sell to (we have 100 or so users on this forum and we are one of the most active). The only 'changing' or 'new' content created, is the Trail magazine - the remainder of he content is fairly static (a few changes to TRO status, a few new cases opened/won/lost).

If we want a really good read on Trail biking or motorcross - we buy/download/use the App for TBM or TMX - they are setup as commercial organisations dedicated to publishing to our target audience - and that is how they make money. Would any App/site/publication produced by the TRF be in a position to challenge for readers £'s ?

So, my thoughts are:

1. We have a limited audience
2. That limited audience are further sub-divided by type of device (Apple, Android, Blackberry, No device)
3. We have limited content to share
4. We could be seen as a threat to trade publications who currently are 'friends'
5. We have limited resources to fund/manage/operate any apps/sites/publications

However, you are right

There is still a case for improving our distribution and communications - maybe there is a way to partner with those that already have such channels - maybe TBM magazine? Maybe Routebuddy or Viewranger, or maybe another commercial org that has a common user base.......... Maybe then we could view Trail and read about new TRO's and click to open the trail in viewranger and see it on an OS map - now that would be useful. Sadly I think it is out of range for the TRF

As I say, not poo-pooing, just adding my 10p

Tx

Derek

[Dave]

Derek i know your not pooing on the idea. I think they are some very good points raised and likely what other members have thought about.

Due to the simplicity of the apps I'd say they would be at most 10k per OS. But it depends what you say from the app. If version one were just a portal to an archive of PDFs both android (java) and iOS (objective C) could likely be achieved for 10k. There are brilliant programmers all over he world up for the challenge on freelancers.org.

IMO I wouldn't bother with blackberry. The market is too small, the blackberry market is targeted at business users only and not recreation. Likewise with windows phones, the software and userbase is still immature.

On the subject of losing friends by competition: I don't see it that way. People aren't going to not get a TMX app because they got the TRF one. The beauty is havin all of them on one device! And any competition were meant to have is probably wondering why we haven't at least got a donate app.

The reason I personally would opt for an app over a mobile website is because apps are far more integrated, optimised for devices and can be programmed to interface with, for example, a database of magazines with one tap user authentication, rather than the concern of a https login or something worse using cookies..

On the subject of content again. People will pay £1 for an app with fart noises. So if the TRF said buy our magazine app for a quid, you can also use a text search feature and read old archived issues, for a pound I wouldn't think twice. TBH I'd buy it just to support the TRF.

The way I initially saw this is as it won't cost the Trf anything as we already saving money if try and axe the mag. The key here is I think its an opportune time to take the plunge and keep with the times.

Version 2 of the app could for example bring membership renewal, TRF shop, donations etc... But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Baby steps.

I think where I agree with you in this debate is about the management. From a technical aspect I don't know what TRF use as their server/backend. Nor how they maintain the userbase records. I'm imagining somewhere there's some ink ribbon for an old type writer somewhere that could tell us hahaha

If the TRF doesn't have any sensible IT in place so it can be unmanaged to the same extent as the website, well the app is a bad idea. Maybe the TRF is fine the way it is? I hope one day in the future it won't be an impossibility because of a missed opportunity.

[silvergull]

not sure why non -members should have say on this. not even sure thay non members should be able to access the forum. even less sure as to why non members can join our rides. but enough on non membes. pdf is one thing, an app another. not keen on that . the paper copy does often contain useful stuff, not everyone has iphones, androids etc. we are only where we are because of long support from older members, their views need to be canvased and considered, rather than swept aside in a bout of app mania.

[JossNorm]

I've posted my suggestion on this above but I'll throw my additional pennyworth on the membership point (in which subject I have also previously thrown in my pennyworth).

Non-members of TRF who want to have an opinion on TRF matters should join TRF. Non-member, non-opinion!
Ditto with rides. Have a one-off taster ride. If you like and want to join future rides, sign up to TRF. Non-member, no more rides. £1 a ride is a taking the piss cheap way of getting a day out and is an abuse of the goodwill of members. Goodwill should extend to one ride only.
Azcari used to charge £75 for a guided day of green laning (and look what happened there )

NJ

[Dave]

.

I've said all I can say on the app side so anything futher is moot.

Old people, thank you for your support, please forget not that us younger people support you too, with money, byway clearance and by bringing in new blood...

Maybe Non members should pay a 10er and buy everyone lunch?

[silvergull]

while the 'old people' do appreciate the support from the younger members, we too in fact do turn out to clear lanes, and muck in generally. not to mention endless behind the scenes quite important tro work. so lets not have an old/ young divide here. but it is the older members who have facilitated the survival and continuation to date of the trf, so do not dismiss their views lightly please. Remember, its a "group' . and we do not all use apps.

[Dominic]

not sure why non -members should have say on this. not even sure thay non members should be able to access the forum. even less sure as to why non members can join our rides. but enough on non membes.

Because by being open, welcoming and accomodating the TRF attracts new members. I have joined up without even doing a ride because of the welcome I have received online and in person... I'm just waiting for my membership pack. If you want the TRF to be an old boys club then put everything in a members section, make everyone wear a name badge on rides and maybe even develop a secret language only taught to TRF members.... Who wouldn't join a fellowship like that?

[Stewie]

not sure why non -members should have say on this. not even sure thay non members should be able to access the forum. even less sure as to why non members can join our rides. but enough on non membes.

Because by being open, welcoming and accomodating the TRF attracts new members. I have joined up without even doing a ride because of the welcome I have received online and in person... I'm just waiting for my membership pack. If you want the TRF to be an old boys club then put everything in a members section, make everyone wear a name badge on rides and maybe even develop a secret language only taught to TRF members.... Who wouldn't join a fellowship like that?

+1
A bit off topic from the original post, IMHO the forum should be an open door or shop window for the hobbies we love, and when someone looks at the national site and get redirected to ours, and reads post like that, well that's another one for the polarized view of the TRF.

[Billy]

+2, lets help and encourage new members.