A word from… The Editor

A word from… The Editor

December 17, 2019 Club Magazine Editors Report Information 0

Early this year, we lost the use of a printer in a local organisation after a restructure, and since then the magazine has been distributed to members in a PDF format only. Richard has extended distribution via email through the wider WA4WDA community. Throughout the entire year, Jon and Sue have been putting in a huge effort to get a new club website up and running, delayed at one point by a server crash, however their perseverance has resulted in this fabulous new look website.

Recently I spent time with Sue getting a run down on how the club website works and how to add content. From there I have been practicing website construction building a different website, using the same web page creator (WordPress). And with a bit of practice, it’s ridiculously easy to use.

The common enemy that drives disinterest in providing stories for the magazine via word documents, text messages, emails, is time… To create and send to the Editor.

Social media, especially Facebook, is ridiculously easy to use, and this ease of use, has effectively assigned this form of PDF correspondence to the “old school” box. The PDF is still a powerful tool for documents, however as a means of distributing general information about what we do, it is by comparison, old, clunky, and very time consuming. Originally to get this magazine into print, it was created in MS Publisher. From there it was printed into the A5 booklet form that many would be familiar with being distributed at club meetings. To get it sent out by email, Publisher can be saved as a PDF. All good, except for the time taken to do it.

Within the pages of the emailed out magazine, is a fabulous account of the 8 week trip (August / September) from Perth to Cape York and back. To create these six and a half pages took about three hours. This link:

Roger and Karen’s trip as a blog on the club web page literally took about 5 minutes to create using a tool called Gutenberg within WordPress.

Other stories in this months PDF issue that have been added to the club website include: All Tracks involvement at the 4WD and Adventure Show, and Dave F’s Jarrahdale Train line story.

The ease with which these can be created becomes the turning point for the club magazine in 2020. The detail that is in the PDF magazine pages will become content on the club website, and the PDF becomes a simple index to everything we do. Through the December magazine (emailed to members on the 17th or 18th), there are hyperlinks everywhere. In short, if the text is blue, click on it and the link takes you somewhere. Same with any pictures with a blue border. Click on them and the link will take you somewhere.

The great advantage of this is what it opens up for members. Dave and Simon (with help from son Jacob) love creating great videos. That is how they tell stories. Others love using Facebook, and as long as content in on the clubs public Facebook page it can be hyperlinked in too.

There are some wonderful storytellers is this club, so enjoy the magazine, click on the links and enjoy.

If you’re not a member, enjoy the content and stories that are already here, and if you wish, provide some feedback. Jon Sue and I would all appreciate it.

Lastly to all, have a safe and happy Christmas and New Year. Some of us will be seeing in the New Year at Wellington Dam, perhaps you can make it there too.

As always, I look forward to seeing you out there somewhere. Sean (Ed).

 

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