So what do you think about the newsletters?

I know the e-mails that are sent out with the newsletters in them haven't always been reaching all of you (or any of you, in some cases... ), and I know that not everyone is all that interested in even reading the newsletters. They can be a great way though to inform the community of notable events or changes, especially for those people that don't check FOG as often.

However, I am not entirely certain I will have the time every other month to do the newsletter and the monthly features (as, I'm sure you know, the monthly features take quite a lot of time to read through all the RPs and written works, along with finding candidates for the other things). I'm currently in my 3rd to last quarter here at college now, so things are getting pretty rough, and next quarter I'll even have one more class on top of everything else, so I'm just concerned that the newsletters aren't really worth the precious time that I have when I'm home. I know some of you are aware of all the things I need to be doing right now (well, it says it in my status, currently), and I am just fearful of everything that is to come next quarter, as I already feel as if I'm at my limit on homework to handle.

So, I want to get your opinions. If you guys all really enjoy and like the newsletters and don't want to see them go, then I'll work to keep them going. If it's not really a big deal either way and you'd be fine without them, then that suits me just fine. Perhaps then it could be something to consider for the future.

I'm one of those people who, for whatever reason, does NOT get a montly newsletter... still. But I like coming on here to read them. I voted "yes," HOWEVER, if it's too much work and there is no one on your staff to help you with it all, then of course you shouldn't feel obligated to keep them going.

The monthly features? Same thing. And I'll just add that for the first writing contest at least, it seemed as if you were almost working as a one-woman show for a while there - and there's no way to avoid burn out like that, especially with all the things upcoming for you in your life away from the computer screen.

So really? Unless you can get more help - maybe someone[s] devoted to making the newsletter and/or the monthly features and/or the contests their priority, and just running them by you for approval - all my vote really says is that as nice as those things are, you can't burn a candle at both ends forever, ya know?

I don't get a newsletter in my e-mail. That's odd.

Yeah, something must be wrong on Forumotion's end then if none of you are getting the newsletters, which only irritates me more, really. I have no control over that either.

I really feel as if - if we were going to have/keep the newsletters - I should be the one to make them, not only since it's a Photoshop file (and I'm not sure how many people have/know how to use Photoshop) but also just since I'm not sure anyone else would know what to put in the newsletter, and the way I see it, if I was going to tell them everything to write, I might as well just write it all myself, since I'd be taking the time anyway to tell whoever what to put in it.

I just wasn't sure how many of you really even cared all that much, so I thought I'd get a feel for it.

I know that onenitedrive knows Photoshop just as much as I do, and he also has it, but there's no way he has time to sit down and type up a newsletter for us. Not only that, but he's not really a writer. (Well, I shouldn't say that. He writes really well, and he knows how to write; he just doesn't enjoy it, and it takes him awhile to write things.)

I voted for, I didn't know we had one.

So I wouldn't notice either way. D:

What I meant, Fate, was that if you decide to continue on with the newsletter (and that's only an "if" - should you have the time and energy), then there might be alternatives to you doing every last thing? Perhaps you might like to split up reviewing the categories for the Monthly Features among people you trust, as well as oversight of the Writing Contest, to be managed by others you'd trust, and who basically keep you in the loop on what's going on?

Basically, "delegating responsibility." Because all the things you listed? That's a LOT for one person to do - even if they weren't preparing to be married, and trying to be a full-time college student to boot.

We have newsletters?!

I haven't been getting any newsletters, the only ones that I new of where the ones you posted here, Fate.

Either way, I like to read them in case I haven't been able to keep up with the updates. It's a good way to let everyone know what's been going on. But if you don't have time to do it, then maybe it should be put on the back burner for a little while, you know?

But I also agree with Igraine, why not delegate the responsibilities a bit? It’s a lot to do and you have a staff who I’m sure would be happy to help in any way. I’m more than willing to help with something so you can have a little breathing room.

I've already told you this, but having other people do the newsletter is like... The best thing. Trust your staff a little bit. Even if you have to still put it into the file, you can skip the time it takes to come up with the content.

The thing is guys, the only people that know all the things we do and all the updates we make and all the changes that go on here at FOG are onenitedrive and myself. For me to just find and pick a person that is a member here at FOG and that also knows Photoshop and tell them, "Here, write the newsletter," they would be like "Uhh, okay, and what should I write?" It's not a matter of us not trusting anyone. I don't know a lot of you very well yet, true, and I have no clue who knows the ins-and-outs of Photoshop, but more than that, the behind-the-scene and notable changes and such are done by us Admins.

I know that I can delegate things already. There simply isn't anything for me to delegate. The monthly features are something entirely different, and I am not getting rid of those, for sure, but those are handled by onenitedrive and I (who does at least have some time to spare to help me out with that), since anyone who is working on the monthly features can't be featured themselves.

Mainly, all I'm looking for here is whether or not you guys even enjoy the newsletters. I appreciate all your ideas and suggestions, but these things are things that onenitedrive and I have already thought of or discussed together.

I don't really know that there are going to be many more changes to the forum any time soon. If there are any changes, they're usually posted in the News and Announcements section. We are still going to keep the Monthly Features and those are aimed at hitting the hot spots around the forum. So at this point, with that being said, it makes the news letter a little redundant in my opinion.

Maybe it doesn't have to be monthly or bi-monthly, it could be spread out even farther or at random.

I've never received one, and seeing as many people are having the same issue, it doesn't seem worth it. Not only is your precious time being used, half the people (or more) don't even get the letter you worked on.

We get tidbits of news in the monthly feature, as well as FOG FM. I think that is enough for now.

You can send out newsletters for major events, such as future contests, FOG's one year anniversary, etc...but I'm with onenitedrive, they don't need to be monthly.

In all honestly, I'm fine with or without them.

However, I think they are a nice little addition to the site. I would rather have the Monthly Features, but the newsletters have always interested me. I've never received one in an email, but I always came here to look at them though I don't think it's necessary to have the newsletters so frequently.

I agree with Ryona that it would probably be neat to just have them during big events and such. They don't need to be around so frequently, especially since there haven't been a lot of major changes that need to be noted.

Wait wait wait..they're here on the site somewhere? where??

You're already in the News and Announcements forum in this thread, but if you take a step back into the forum itself, you'll see another forum right beneath the ones that say Feedback then Monthly Features. Under those it reads Newsletters. :: pats ::

It's bad that most of the votes are for not knowing we had newsletters. Well, I think that for now I will do away with them, but perhaps in the future I'll bring them back. So for now, farewell newsletters.

*pops in too late*
*votes for newsletters anyway*

Awwwww I like the Newsletters!