A Push to Have the GCA Newsletter back up and running!

Camstal · Post by **Camstal** » 25 March 09 6:26 pm

As I have only been in the game since early 2007 I didn't know about the GCA Newsletter until it was mentioned in a very early episode of Geotalk that I downloaded. I see that Spindoc Bob and EcoDave were the 'editors'. I read all the ones that were on the GCA Community Media wiki page and I really enjoyed them. I see now that there is no newsletter so I would like to know if I could get the GCA Newsletter back up and running? I don't know who I have to ask to get proper 'permission' so I placed a thread in this forum. If I could I would probably try and publish one each month.

It would be really great if It could start again!

Thanks,
Camstal

Sons of Callum · Post by **Sons of Callum** » 25 March 09 7:02 pm

there was another one running but i cant remember who was doing it?

jusojara · Post by **jusojara** » 25 March 09 8:36 pm

What a great idea

If you do get your permission I would read it, especially if (and I am not trying to steal your thunder Spindoc) you had some GSAK (or other useful programs etc) tips. Sometimes I find it easier to follow the written instructions.

Gunn Parker · Post by **Gunn Parker** » 25 March 09 11:12 pm

Here is a bit of vintage geocaching for you.
This link is to a newsletter I produced back in 2003 for WA.
When I started the newsletter I was able to watch up to 100 caches which was more than enough in those days.

After a while we had more than 100 caches and I was not able to watch them all so Sue of Team Path Finder helped out by watching all the new caches and sending me a report every week of all the found and placed and so on.

So I dug up the last copy to show you just what it was like back in 2003.
Enjoy
Andrew

Issue 35 Latest update Wednesday July 30, 2003 03:02 PM

The Spindoctors · Post by **The Spindoctors** » 26 March 09 8:15 pm

I don't have any problem you taking it over.

The reasons I stopped was that I began doing the podcast, the newsletter is out of date by the time you put it together, and it's damn hard (REALLY hard) to get content.

I would recommend you don't waste your effort doing it as a newsletter. It's 2009, and the days of the newspaper/newsletter are well and truly numbered. Even PC Magazine is no longer printed.

Instead, I would suggest you do it as a website. You can have various columns, contributors and update it on a regular basis. It's more immediate, suits your audience (they're online), and very 2009.

Some examples - http://www.waywardwaymarking.com/index.php (admittedly out of date) and http://www.mapomatic.net/ (like a blog)

Having said that, if you still want to do the newsletter as a pdf, I can email you the word versions, which you work from.

Sons of Callum · Post by **Sons of Callum** » 26 March 09 8:21 pm

If you are going to think about it as a website we should think about incorporating it into the Geocaching Australia website?

Post by **CraigRat** » 26 March 09 8:39 pm

Depending on how it's done, we could do that.

When we go to the new servers we'll have carte-blanche to to whatever we want with the hardware, so we could look at setting up Wordpress or something simple to host some kind of blog/infopage/newsletter/whatever

Who knows!

Jardry · Post by **Jardry** » 27 March 09 8:34 am

CraigRat wrote:When we go to the new servers we'll have carte-blanche to to whatever we want with the hardware, so we could look at setting up Wordpress or something simple to host some kind of blog/infopage/newsletter/whatever

Thinking aloud, could the existing User Blogs that are marked as public be scrapped to create a WordPress blog?

I don't know how to check who has a GCA Blog and when they update their Blog. Having some sort of consolidated Blog may make others use it which would add to the WordPress Blog.

It would make for some interesting reading when not out geocaching.

Camstal · Post by **Camstal** » 27 March 09 10:32 am

I think the website blog is a great idea, I would be happy to update it with all the new stuff around Australia about Geocaching. Maybe would could get a few people to update it but again I would be happy to update it as I am not as busy as some of the moderators and admin staff. I can't wait until these new servers come in though!

I see the newsletters are history!

Camstal

The Spindoctors · Post by **The Spindoctors** » 27 March 09 10:52 am

You could cannablise the newsletters to start off the online version. Just make sure they're dated accordingly.

Snuva · Post by **Snuva** » 27 March 09 2:53 pm

A few of us around the traps are bloggers, so if it could be one blog that could have different contributors that could be fun!

paegle boy · Post by **paegle boy** » 27 March 09 6:34 pm

paegle boy · Post by **paegle boy** » 27 March 09 6:34 pm

Camstal wrote:I think the website blog is a great idea, I would be happy to update it with all the new stuff around Australia about Geocaching. Maybe would could get a few people to update it but again I would be happy to update it as I am not as busy as some of the moderators and admin staff. I can't wait until these new servers come in though!

I see the newsletters are history!

Camstal

i would help yo run it

Camstal · Post by **Camstal** » 27 March 09 8:05 pm

If we get this 'blog' page happenning a few things to add could be a page dedicated to the Mega Event at Wagga in 2010. We could also have a page that is dedicated to events and also one that is dedicated to milestones. One other page that would have to be dedicated to the 2 Aussie Podcasts, Geotalk and Caching Australia. I see that a few people have offered to help out but I guess we can't do much but plan until the 'new beaut' servers come into action. I do thank the admin and others who are dedicating their time for this website. A big THANK YOU!

Thats all I have to say at the moment. I really hope this Idea does come true!!

Thanks,
Camstal

Sons of Callum · Post by **Sons of Callum** » 27 March 09 10:41 pm

Yeah thanks to all the developers of the website!!