TCS - Last Issue???

Last Issue???

by Don Singleton
Tulsa Computer Society
From the December 1999 issue of the I/O Port Newsletter

There is a very good chance that this will be the last issue of the Tabloid Newspaper the I/O Port. At the October 19 Windows meeting I told the people there that the last couple of months I had had more than the normal number of copies of the paper left over, and asked for more members to help distribute it, and I did get some response (for which I am grateful), but on October 27 I still had over 2,000 copies undistributed. I loaded up the car with 1,400 of them and made a similar appeal at the General Meeting that night, telling people how I had left the car unlocked and how they could us a button in the glove compartment to open the trunk and help themselves if they got to the car before I did, and when I finally got the equipment down there I was very disappointed to see that NO ONE had come down to take even one bundle of 50. Someone did come by my house after the meeting and took about 7 bundles (350) so there may still be a chance.

I don't have the time to drive around town trying to find stores that will let us put the papers on their counters, and because of health problems getting in and out of the car that many times would prove to be a problem for me, but it does not seem to me I am being too unreasonable to ask members who come to the meetings anyway, to pick up two or three bundles of 50, and take them to the stores, restuarants, etc near where they live or work, and ask if they can leave them on the counter for that store's customers to pick up, and if the store says yes, then that member should make it a point to take them a supply each month.

I still have a few more meetings before the December papers come out where I can ask for people to help me distribut the November papers, and I am sure we can move some of them at the Microsoft Extreme event on November 14th, but I want to be perfectly clear. When the time comes for the January issue to be sent to the printer, if I still have more than 1,000 copies of the December issue left, there will be no January issue. And if there is a January issue, from that point on, if I ever have two months in a row with more than 1,000 copies left when the time comes to send the next issue, the paper will be cancelled on the spot and we will just send post cards to the membership telling them of upcoming programs.

It is just being unfair to our advertisers to have them pay for printing a lot of papers that do not get distributed, and yet I cannot drop below 8,000 copies, because the cost of production (per copy) gets too high for a circulation any lower than 8,000. Advertisers do not need to fear prepaying for ads that may not be run; if we discontinue the paper, we will refund any prepayments for ads that cannot be run. If you want the paper to continue, then you MUST help us with the distribution.

If you would like to help distribute the paper, but cannot make it to meetings, you can call Lois Watkins at 665-0726 and ask to be put on the list of people she calls each month when I call her to tell her the papers are back from the printer, and then you can come by my house at 3311 South 127 East Place and pick up your papers there.



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Tulsa Computer Society 1/23/99
Don Singleton, President
djs@ionet.net