[Sust-mar] feedback and future of sust-mar: please read!

[Peter Watson]

Hello faithful Sustainable Maritimes contributors,

Update: I have been in contact with the folks at Web Networks about our situation, and they say they are willing to lower the cost to a basic yearly rate. Which by my calculation should work out to out to $169.50 annually, a considerable drop from $276.85 and perhaps more manageable. We await the new invoice tomorrow to confirm this.

Thank you for all the great feedback over the past couple days re: sust-mar's future. Opinions and suggestions were varied and no clear consensus emerged, but it seems more voices want something to continue than not, and I do have a clearer group of suggestions to put forward. All with plusses and minuses.

A lot of thought was collectively put into your responses. But it would take time to compile and send to the list (and read), and we need something out ASAP. So here is the summarized tabulation of suggestions, with the numbers of folks thinking that way:

6   Really like the list as is, please continue with present format.
6   Ok with scrapping if that's the consensus, but have or would contribute a bit if it were to continue as is.
4   Suggest moving list to a free google or yahoo group. 
2   Please don't move to google. Google profiles users, you have to join, and as one subscriber put it "If it's free, you're the product". 
3   Enthusiastic suggestions to move to facebook group. 
3   Reluctant suggestions to move to facebook group. As in, that's now the way of the world, so we might as well.
2   Please not facebook. Same general reasons as google, plus not the same list format.
1   linkedin   
1   tumbler
1   blog
1   twitter
1   suggestion we have a voluntary annual fee of $10 - $15
1   suggestion the abbreviation to 'sust-mar' really doesn't work.

So the four most suggested options are:

1) Continue with Web Networks. The easiest option right now if we can raise funds, which is the price we pay for being free of facebook/google/whichever advertising and commercial trappings. Dont have to transfer everyone over and have them join new group.
NOTE: With donations and pledges that have been sent or promised should we decide to keep going, we're actually not far off the lowered yearly cost. If this route gets the general membership ok, with a few more donations we should be there.
Caveat: I personally do NOT want to repeat this exercise of asking the membership to step forward with yearly donations, so for this option to work someone else HAS to step forward and take on future fundraising.

2) Google or Yahoo group. Continues as list in simlar vein, and is free. Everyone will have to move over and subscribe to google/yahoo and the new list. Seems the obvious route to some, but not popular with everyone for reasons menioned above. 
https://groups.google.com/forum/#!overview
Suggestion: If you're fiercely opposed to this route, perhaps you could step up with a contribution to help keep sust-mar where it is! :)

3) Facebook page. Free, somewhat different format. Many groups function really well on facebook. Many of us are already members, though many aren't, and some refuse to be. Similar and other reasons. Suggestion: If you're fiercely opposed to this route, perhaps you could step up with a contribution to help keep sust-mar where it is!   ;-)

4) Scrap the list altogether. May be a slight minority opinion now, and we may be close to covering this year's costs, but I'll still include it. 

If we decide to continue with Web Networks, the details on how/where to contribute are on this message from early last week: http://list.web.net/pipermail/sust-mar/2014-September/003455.html. 

I will repeat that however we continue, I feel I've done my time as sust-mar moderator, it's probably been a decade. If it's important enough to you, I'd love it if someone would step up and take over the reigns! It's a great job for someone who can't volunteer many hours, who works from home, has to stay home caring for children or elderly parents, or is getting a little older themselves, but wants to stay connected to the happenings of Atlantic Canada's green movement.

And as before, please send your thoughts/opinions to the moderators at sust-mar-owner at list.web.net . As this is crunch decision time, feel free to share them with the entire group at the regular message address sust-mar at list.web.net . I'll send them out on the list provided they don't overwhelm the list. 

Thanks again,

Peter