Voulez-Vous PDF?

By Karen Field Carroll, Editor

Signature has changed forms in recent years. Once a printed, stapled newsletter sent to members via snail mail, it's now completely virtual-a multi-page "cyber-place" where San Diego STC members connect.

Why the change? The Chapter moved to the newsletter's online format several years ago in part to mitigate the financial burden of mailing it-an understandable decision, given that the mailings cost the Chapter $4000 a year.

Having gleaned some experience in newsletter management, however, I've started to wonder if the Web site format of the newsletter is the best option for everyone. My informal research tells me that an online newsletter gets read less often and less thoroughly than one readers can print and port around with them. People simply don't like reading a lot online. (After all, every good newsletter delivers its content in short, informative spurts, ideal for reading in the doctor's office waiting room or while enduring, er, I mean, enjoying your child's piano lessons.)

My point of this diatribe is to say that the Chapter is considering changing the Signature's format to a PDF-only newsletter. Signature will continue to offer all of its great content, and it will continue to serve its readership as well as other chapters' newsletters serve theirs. In fact, another informal survey one of our contributors conducted revealed that six out of seven STC chapter newsletters appear in PDF format online.

My opinion is that a PDF format offers the best of the virtual and paper-based worlds. If you like reading online, you can still open Signature from the Web site and surf on through it. If you'd rather print it out, you can do that, too.

I'd like to know your thoughts. This is your newsletter, and the newsletter volunteers are here to serve you. So please e-mail your thoughts, concerns, or suggestions to newsletter@stc-sd.org. I look forward to hearing from you.

See you next month!
Karen