orphaned
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Thursday, December 18, 2003 5:40:42 AM
Not just this board, but the AB is absolutely dead too. Not a decent article on a show this week...just SLA President articles, How To Keep Help Happy Articles mostly filler like stuff. There's just nothing going on now...maybe 15 posts a day here...I guess it always slows down this time of year but it sure does seem to be a lot slower this year than I can remember.
Skywheelrider
Thursday, December 18, 2003 6:33:28 AM
Sure is dead. Deader than a body that has been in the grave 20 years it seems LOL. It is slow for Carnival Magazine as well, I talked to Charles Dabbs the other day and he said they are having to use fillers for the January issue (of course, Powers will be on the front and back covers again, LOL). [^]
"Don't go around saying the world owes you a living. The world owes you nothing. It was here first." -- Mark Twain
bigeli
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Thursday, December 18, 2003 6:51:14 AM
It's called WINTER !!!! I hate it ! [xx(]
So, in a few years, if you're walking down a midway and see a Sixcat or a Swinger or a bucket, look around. You might recognize an old man with a smile on his face. Especially if he's saying, "Hey Buddy, can I ask ya?" -sixcat,circa. 2007
orphaned
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Thursday, December 18, 2003 7:51:48 AM
What else is new on Carnival Magazine. That's pretty typical. I still think an ON LINE industry trade would work. It would sure attract more contributors than Carnival and would be easier sending photos and stuff.
britt
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Thursday, December 18, 2003 8:15:39 AM
no disrespect to carnival magazine or to ab but an online magazine could be more current and have immediate responses to events in the fair and carnival industry. by the time most news get to print it is old news. i still enjoy both publications however. there is a lot going on but a lot of it is rumors and nobody likes rumors at this site. until signed and on the dotted line.
the_rock401
Thursday, December 18, 2003 8:39:21 AM
It's not you, Bryan. During the summer, there would often be a page or more of new posts and replies on this board every 24 hours. Now, it's lucky to get a page of responses over 4 or more days.
Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, and sometimes you have to take a rain check.

DON'T FEED THE TROLL
Sue
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Thursday, December 18, 2003 12:14:51 PM
Britt: about an online magazine: I sure wish someone would start one too. The question is, how would it survive? Print publications are very expensive to produce. You would have to get people to pay to read online ones, or enough advertisers to make it worthwhile.
I think it would be read by all the shows, since nearly all of them are online daily all year round now except maybe on moving day. One of the most popular items to buy is that satellite hookup to put on their office trailers to be online everywhere they travel, so that wouldn't be a problem. If you can find someone to bankroll one, I know enough journalists from the industry to write for it.
Matt??? others? any thoughts?
Another thing is you can't put rumors and opinions unless you want to deal with lawyers. It would have to be just the facts.
When one of the online park writers tried to get readers to pay to read his online stuff, hardly anyone did and he discontinued it I think.
It's a tough world out there in publishing, print or online.
But I agree that online is the way to go. ONe of the magazines I rep for, Venues Today, publishes a print issue once a month with all the photos and feature articles and charts etc., and the other three weeks of the month it is an email newsletter, (about 20 pages printed out) that only goes to paid subscribers. That seems like a good model to me. THe email one can be changed until you hit that send button, and updates can be emailed other times during the week if a huge story develops; the print one people still like for the photos, ads and in-depth reading. Sub price is $200/year and people who want the info sign up. But you have to have a good reputation and proven track record in the industry to start up something like that and the woman who started Venues Today did - Linda Deckard - she worked at AB for 26 years before leaving to start the new magazine. (It covers arenas & stadiums, sports, etc, not carnivals or parks.)
So there is a model out there to follow if there was someone to bankroll and start it.
squirrel
Thursday, December 18, 2003 12:59:33 PM
The ultimate questions here is what would everyone be willing to pay for a service like this, what exactly would you want covered, and who can you get to offer input and content? I have the hosting space, and the programming experience to set something like that up. If it was to be a paid service, we would also be able to put it on it's own servers for better performance, as well... Some things to think about.
Pinetar
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Thursday, December 18, 2003 1:27:31 PM
Showman don't want input from modelers and possibly want to keep an arms length from enthusiasts. modelers won't pay, showman will, you would have to break it down to various specific areas and password protected segments. Price I would pay, $30 annual.
UserPostedImage
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Thursday, December 18, 2003 4:07:09 PM
$30 annual wouldn't cut it and allow it to survive financially.

I agree in part with what you say Pinetar about the show owners, but I also know a lot of them that do look at/read Carnival Magazine every month and there are lots of shows that Dabbs sells those business card sized ads to for $1 a day per year. So I think show owners would read it, but I don't think anyone would probably be willing to pay $200 a year or even $120 a year like AB.

I'd think you could start off charging $50 a year...and see how it goes. I think advertisements from fairs, carnivals, industry suppliers, even websites like MCW could help.

As for contributors and photos, I'd think that some show owners/employees would be willing to contribute photos and so forth on a fairly regular basis. Even in the AB you don't hear "ride lists" and so forth like Carnival, but you do see where they talk to different shows at different fairs.

If the webmaster of this industry trade site had email addresses and could develop a network of owners then emailing back and forth would allow for the exchange of all kinds of information, enough that one or two people could write most of the articles.

I maintain a website for my University athletic department at www.campbellsville.edu/athletics  and I update once or twice, sometimes three times a day. I write 95% of everything on that site and it doesn't take that much time to do.

Obviously I think most MCW posters love to share photos and maybe there could be some sort of incentive rewards (such as one month free membership if you submit so many photos a month or something)

I think Pinetar is right with the password protected features. I can also envision a "showman's message board" Where people looking for people on shows could re-connect or keep up with old friends etc etc.

I could envision a classified section, that would be a mix of usedrides.com and typical classifieds with links to each advertisers website...

I think you'd have to keep it strictly professional....and leave us fans to post here at MCW along with the modelers. I think this would need to be a total "professional" industry trade site, agreeing with Pinetar.

Somebody will do this one day...it's just a matter of time. OF course AB already does but it's not just carnivals in AB. I could envision even a circus section as part of the page.

I think it could be a great resource for the industry, but getting the networking (not computerwise, but contact wise) put together would take someone already known and respected in the business. If someone like a Tom Powell were to leave AB and set this up (him at the top making contacts) or Bob Johnson of the OABA or someone like that who already has strong, established ties with virtually every show owner then I can see this thing really taking off in a hurry.
squirrel
Thursday, December 18, 2003 6:09:23 PM
Quote:

quote:


Originally posted by Bryan

$30 annual wouldn't cut it and allow it to survive financially.

I agree in part with what you say Pinetar about the show owners, but I also know a lot of them that do look at/read Carnival Magazine every month and there are lots of shows that Dabbs sells those business card sized ads to for $1 a day per year. So I think show owners would read it, but I don't think anyone would probably be willing to pay $200 a year or even $120 a year like AB.

I'd think you could start off charging $50 a year...and see how it goes. I think advertisements from fairs, carnivals, industry suppliers, even websites like MCW could help.

As for contributors and photos, I'd think that some show owners/employees would be willing to contribute photos and so forth on a fairly regular basis. Even in the AB you don't hear "ride lists" and so forth like Carnival, but you do see where they talk to different shows at different fairs.

If the webmaster of this industry trade site had email addresses and could develop a network of owners then emailing back and forth would allow for the exchange of all kinds of information, enough that one or two people could write most of the articles.

I maintain a website for my University athletic department at www.campbellsville.edu/athletics  and I update once or twice, sometimes three times a day. I write 95% of everything on that site and it doesn't take that much time to do.

Obviously I think most MCW posters love to share photos and maybe there could be some sort of incentive rewards (such as one month free membership if you submit so many photos a month or something)

I think Pinetar is right with the password protected features. I can also envision a "showman's message board" Where people looking for people on shows could re-connect or keep up with old friends etc etc.

I could envision a classified section, that would be a mix of usedrides.com and typical classifieds with links to each advertisers website...

I think you'd have to keep it strictly professional....and leave us fans to post here at MCW along with the modelers. I think this would need to be a total "professional" industry trade site, agreeing with Pinetar.

Somebody will do this one day...it's just a matter of time. OF course AB already does but it's not just carnivals in AB. I could envision even a circus section as part of the page.

I think it could be a great resource for the industry, but getting the networking (not computerwise, but contact wise) put together would take someone already known and respected in the business. If someone like a Tom Powell were to leave AB and set this up (him at the top making contacts) or Bob Johnson of the OABA or someone like that who already has strong, established ties with virtually every show owner then I can see this thing really taking off in a hurry.


I think that day is coming sooner than you all think. Some of you have already messaged with me in PM's about a concept something like this. I think with some more input, added brainstorming on how to lay it all out, that "...it just might fly, wilbur..."

If any of you are interested in participating in the brainstorming on this, private message me here with your ideas, and I will be starting to organize and track the interests and ideas with this... I have a couple things I want to start, and with this potential publication, it makes those much more reachable as goals.

with-it
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Friday, December 19, 2003 2:52:06 PM
Quote:

quote:


Showman don't want input from modelers and possibly want to keep an arms length from enthusiasts

I could'nt put it a better way. However I have met a few of these guys like Ohio Ron that are pretty cool. However, I do not understand the "carnival groupie" other than the "lot lizard" who wants a free ride(s) for a "free ride" if you get what I mean.....lol Like I have always said " When the carnival cums to town that's when the ugly girls get dates."


Where an Online Magazine is concerned, during the season I don't have the time or the resources for something like that. Internet commucation on the road is still very expenseive. However, I think the idea of a "Showmans Only" section of MCW would'nt be bad. It could be useful. Like posting routes and a booking section for independents like in the AB. Matt already has some "Big Shows" on his side so networking with some others would'nt be too much trouble.It could be made profitable by selling advertising for the industry and being subscription based. A streamlined version of the AB. Don't get me wrong, the AB is a good 'zine. But, I could care less if Disney is building a themepark in Antartica or Billy ray Cyrus is planning to tour France with N'SYNC. So, Matt if you do something like this make it exclusive to traveling shows. There are plenty of guys out there willing to help in anyway possible.


Pinetar
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Friday, December 19, 2003 4:17:12 PM
What other industries have such groups? I'm not so sure it would work, this site is free and yet it only attracts limited chatter from the showman. The industry works in a paranoid rat cage and every bus. detail you can pick up on the competition can be used against them in the long run. Pretty hard to converse in that environment.
UserPostedImage
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Saturday, December 20, 2003 5:47:44 AM
But, every showman worth his weight reads AB...and many read Carnival Magazine. I'm NOT talking about a FAN site. I'm talking about a real industry trade on line. Anyone could subscribe, but there wouldn't me a message board like this....it would be all professional and up to date.
bigeli
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Saturday, December 20, 2003 9:58:37 AM
I'll invest $$$$ , obviously there's a demand no one's filling . Looks like a good score to me .
So, in a few years, if you're walking down a midway and see a Sixcat or a Swinger or a bucket, look around. You might recognize an old man with a smile on his face. Especially if he's saying, "Hey Buddy, can I ask ya?" -sixcat,circa. 2007