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Monday, August 3, 2009

American Iris Society Bulletin





Last time I posted on my Blog it was July and now its August, how about that. Just where does this year think its going.
The American Iris Society July bulletin arrived in the post a day or so ago, its another 130 pages of Interesting Iris information. So far this year that's 390 pages published and there is still another Bulletin to come in October.

Stand out Articles within the latest Bulletin
Part Two of the Iris critique 'Contemporary Views by Perry Dyer 2007-2008' which is always a excellent read
Pat Toolan writes an interesting article on Aril and Historic Iris growing in Australia.
Perhaps the 'Out of Left Field" article goes to 'Educate your members to keep them' not sure if this is a new idea but its an idea that has had real success so congratulations.

The Editors somewhat puzzling message is with reference to Newspapers and 'Bulletins via the internet'. I will bet that the demand for the Bulletin in the printed form will remain strong even among the so called net-savvy membership for many years to come. The Bulletin is a Reference Magazine format not a Newspaper and following the trend of what happens to newspapers whilst is interesting, it is irrelevant. Most members would agree that reading a bulletin or year book is an informative experience and there is something much more convenient and relaxing about having something in print and not just holding a computer or an E Book reader while sitting in your favourite chair.
I was reading an article the other day, (in a real Newspaper) about how the Laptop market had matured and that the laptop manufacturer was looking at the electronic book market for growth but that was still 5 years away. Lets face facts E book readers (Kindle) at US $299.00 ($446.00 NZ Dollars) for a tiny six inch screen, the price would have to move a long way down to get mass market appeal, and personally I not sure I would want to spend the big bucks having to upgrade my reading glasses which would be the inevitable result squinting at such a tiny screen, and paying US $489.00 (A Massive $729.00 NZ Dollars) for Amazons new Kindle DX larger nine inch screen with text in standard E-Ink black on grey is verging on the ridiculous. Some colour screen laptops can be purchased for that kind of money and do a lot more!~!Lets also not forget the sophisticated commercial growers of Irises and their existing websites and all their pages of catalogued Irises and the associated photos. These growers will soon realise that for less than the price of their current print media advertising budget they will be able to divert the spend on good quality weekly editorial content on their web sites coupled with e-newsletters to their e-mailing lists. Visitors will just log in read the latest news on the site, chat on a forum, purchase books, plants, Music or whatever and they will have created the one stop Iris shop with no membership fee obligations or a walled garden. Should these upgraded sites ever become a reality they will be a real threat to any Iris Society not so much to the existing membership but would certainly choke the flow of new and younger sophisticated members to Iris societies.
My thoughts are that Iris Societies that really have the chance to succeed and play the endgame what ever that happens to be, will be today offering a strong and informative 'single desk format' web presence, but also will be offering the membership a print subscription with unique quality content that isn't on the web.

Here's a few informative sites that are much more expansive and are well worth a read on the E books and the demise of the Newspaper as we know it.




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