National Dragster publication changes??

[Terry Witzel]

So are you guys saying that you signed up for printed copy only and are now getting both for the same money? What if you only signed up for digital, do you get both too? If not, now I feel cheated.

[bill dedman]

No; thry're saying they signed up for 47 prinrted copies and now they're only going to get 24, with no reduction in price to reflect the reduction in product.

That is so typical of NHRA these days... and, there's no excuse for it.

[Superfan1]

Originally Posted by Terry Witzel

So are you guys saying that you signed up for printed copy only and are now getting both for the same money? What if you only signed up for digital, do you get both too? If not, now I feel cheated.

Yes, that is exactly what I am saying. When I renewed on Dec.14, I opted for print only for $69; I didn't want to spend $84 to get both print and digital. As it turns out, as stated on the NHRA site a few days ago, I am now getting both print and digital. On Jan.18, I received an Email from the NHRA with a link to the Jan.25 digital edition of ND. The people that got screwed are the ones that did pay $84 for both print and digital unnecessarily; I seriously doubt that the NHRA is going to give them a $15 refund.

[Sean Marconette]

I am one of the idiots that paid for a multiple year paper membership. And as was stated in a previous post, issue 47 of 2012 does not state any changes coming. Oh we'll enough bitching about this topic. I enjoy racing divisionals, so I have no choice in the matter it seems. In my business you don't ask for x and then knowing internally that you are going change what the customer is expecting to get within weeks, without further discussion.

Traveling today and cannot even download this new POS they have pushed on us, for something to read while in the air.

Sean

[racerhead]

Sean,
I think I get your position. And they owe you a better explaination. I'm not sure who knew the change was coming, though. My ad rep was making contracts for the 47 issues right up to the announcement time. Now she had to go back and recontract with all those folks.

It seems like it must have been a difficult decision for them to go biweekly, and obviously they held on till the last minute. By cutting their issues in half, they cut costs but they also give up something like half their ad revenue.

I hold onto the belief that it's a good deal for advertisers. They get more shelf time, and in the electronic version the links to advertisers websites are live, so a reader can click through to the ad's website. That's something paper could never do. Obviously folks are frustrated and the transition is a pain, but I think it will be better in the end than sticking with what wasn't working.

Bruce Deveau

[Bobby DiDomenico]

Three items,

First:
Normally I send folks parts or the entire issue, how do you print pages now?

Second:
Will there be lost interest with an every two weeks publication in the era of instant news? They look for the ND pages everyweek and loose interest over the winter down time as it is.

Third:
Will the old "stack of issues" archive guys here look up to provide answers to questions be ended now 15 years in the future? We alrready have many news stations and papers that can't find last weeks story if you call requesting information.

[Sean Marconette]

Bruce,

Thank you for the info. It would be a benefit to all subscribers to be able to download the online publication. Only members with a current subscription should be allowed that access. If it means for security purposes to have encryption to not allow free copies to be sent everywhere than so be it. With the down time at tracks that have little to no Internet access the members are getting screwed. Just ask the live reporters that take the time and effort to get race info to everyone here. The bottom line it it is helping NHRA's bottom line and does not seem to be equal to what everyone paid for in the past. Also all of the racers who have sponsors I am sure this presents challenges on what the sponsor can see their money going to as well. How does the racer send Internet subscription based info? Screen shots from their computer? This whole thing seems one sided from where I stand. Take the traveling Pros like Dan Fletcher in mind. I am sure he has sponsor requirements, is the sponsor going to be required to have a subscription to gain access to what Mr Fletcher has accomplished. Everyone need to look at the big picture instead of what this does to their bottom line, and how great it is to not have postage and paper to deal with.

Sean

[Stewart Way]

Sent a message to NHRA last night asking when I might expect my refund for the missing 24 issues of ND. Got the expected response this morning. Seems that since NHRA feels that the reduced issues, plus all the other membership benefits still, in their opinion, exceed the $69 fee paid that they don't feel a refund is needed.

I really didn't expect a response and can't say I agree with it but at least I got one. Kind of held hostage if you want to race.

[George Fitzpatrick]

Remember reading the dragster from front to back over and over again? I know I do, wow how things have changed. Sad

[racerhead]

Sean, you make some good points that deserve to be noted. This is a huge change and it will take some time to fine tune the system. I recommend that folks send suggestions so they know where they need to make improvements. I know people sometimes don't feel listened to when they make comments but now is a time when they really need input from users.

As far as print outs are concerned, I followed a link to my column last year and found that from the e-version I can just print out a page on my computer. If a racer is looking to document results and he doesn't have the paper copy it seems like you can print a page at a time.

Bruce Deveau