IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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• Communicating with IEEE Members• Newsletters & Other Ways to Communicate with IEEE

Members

• Observations, Experiences plus Ideas from SC2002 Washington DC

• Mr. Harry McDonald, R10 Newsletter Editor 2004

IEEE Region 10 Meeting, Adelaide, April 2004

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Communication

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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• Why Electronic

• Email Newsletters

• Web Newsletters

• Material

• Managing an Email Newsletter

• Technical Announcements

• Managing a Web Newsletter

• Editor /Editorial Committee

• Practical Guidelines & Help from IEEE

• Virtual Communities

• Presence at Technical Meetings

• Feedback

• Summary &Challenges

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Why Have an Electronic Newsletter?Pros

• Lower cost• Fast &easy to reproduce• Up-to-the-minute info• Accessible anywhere,

anytime• Accessible to more

readers• IEEE is leading the way

Cons• Not all members have

access

• Don’t have email addresses for all members

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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What Combination: Web, Email, Paper?• Paper? Email

– Text or HTML– Full newsletter, pointers to web

Web– HTML or PDF– Newsletter unit or news and events

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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IEEE Electronic Newsletter - How widespread among sections?

– Approx 80 % of Sections have web-pages (linked from IEEE site)• 85% US, 70% non-US

– 65% of those have news items on their sites• 65% US, 65% non-US

– 55% are current• 60% US, 40% non-US

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Material

• ‘NEWS’ - Interesting, Relevant, Timely

• Non-Controversial

• Contributions From Excom

• Gimme’s /Prizes /Advertising

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Material (con’td) - “Filler Articles - Reinforcement of Key IEEE Messages”

• IEEE web accounts

• IEEE Email aliases

• Fellow & Senior Member elevation process

• IEEE Online Store

• IEEE Digital Library

• IEEE - ‘The Institute On Line

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Managing an Email Newsletter• Set up a schedule and stick to it

– Limit frequency– Issues at regular, predictable intervals– Let everyone know what to expect

• Be very selective about the information included– Limit amount of text – one screenful – Need-to-know information– Pointers to location for more detail

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Managing an Email Newsletter (cont’d)• Plain text or HTML?

– “keep it simple”

– Plain text• Not everyone has high-end email system

• Headlines or short summaries with pointers to additional detail on website

• Entire Newsletter as a text message

– HTML – Some recommend• Most members do have high-end email

• Headlines or short summaries as TOC with pointers to additional detail later in message

• Entire newsletter in the email message

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Managing an Email Newsletter (cont’d)• The Subscriber List

– Build it from SAMIEEE• Begin with all members and let them opt-out• Notify all members and let them opt-in

– Web subscription form (or email)

– About 80% of members have email address in database

– About 80% of those are correct

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Editor /Editorial Committee• Flair• Relentless• Technical management of

modern media• Collaborate with Web Page

Manager• More participation• Set guidelines and schedules

and stick to them

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Newsletter Editors’ Page

• http://www.ieee.org/newsletters

• All-Electronic Newsletters

• More visibility for best practices

• Links to other Section newsletters for ideas

• “Filler” articles

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Section Newsletters - Best Practice +

• Toronto • Ottowa• Kansas• Links to Section Newsletters ( R10 - only

Queensland is linked)• Sections Congress 2002 Newsletter Presentations

- Jean Eason (Fort Worth) & Eric Holdrinet (Montreal)

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Entity Web Hosting (EWH)

• Host your unit’s web site on the IEEE server free of charge

• 10 MB space allowed per unit

• Templates available for usehttp://ewh.ieee.org/

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Managing a Web Newsletter• Give them the essential info quickly

• Limit graphics • Avoid animation, splash pages, audio

• Limit scrolling• TOC with meaningful headlines and short summaries• Pointers/links to longer articles and detailed information• Limit articles < 500-600 words• Sub-divide longer articles into short, meaningful chunks • Inverse pyramid – conclusions first, then supporting

background info

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Managing a Web Newsletter (cont’d)• Make it easy for reader to scan

• Meaningful headlines, sub-headings

• Highlight key words & phrases (bold, color)

• Bulleted & numbered lists

• Shorter paragraphs, more white space

• Link to ancillary information (chapters /student branches)

• Opportunity to expand the audience• Add tags for search engines

• Not all readers will be members

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Managing a Web Newsletter (cont’d)• Avoid frames

– Browser compatibility– Linking from external sites

• HTML wins over PDF– PDFs worse in usability than HTML– Increase download times– Complicates scrolling and navigation

Use pdf if you expect the reader to print the file before they read it

IEEE REGION 10 MEETING, ADELAIDE, 2004

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Technical Announcements

• Most Relevant to Local Members

• Flyers - for broader appeal to non members

• People Networks that feed off IEEE members

• Technical Management of email lists and distribution , e-list as an IEEE volunteer resource

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Practical Guidelines & Help from IEEE• Follow the main links from Volunteer

Resource page

• Electronic Web Services

• Resources for People Involved in Publishing

• Plus other detailed support

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Logos – Not Just Any Image

• IEEE Master Brand – Logos:– www.ieee.org/masterbrand

• Approximately– 40% of Section webpages have correct logos

• 30% US, 50% non-US

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Logos – Not Just Any Image

• What is the correct logo?

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Logos – Not Just Any Image

• Correct logo: Size, font, location– No animation!

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Does your web site have the “Top Ten”?

• Section Officers and an email address

• The history of the Section

• Calendar of events (Current?)

• Section newsletter (pdf or html format)

• List of Chapters and contact information

• List of Student Branches with contact information

• Pages for Affinity Groups if applicable

• Pages for awards/educational activities/professional activities

• FAQ's

• Section By-Laws

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IEEE Virtual Communities• Tool for online collaboration• Section/Chapter Volunteer Forum• http/www.ieeecommunities.org

– Collaborate without Spam– Increase volunteer participation– Gather information/opinions on specific topics– Best practices

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Presence at Meetings /Local Events• IEEE promotion• Obvious presence, High

Profile, Role Model• Rosters for Committee• Other Side Effects?

Membership Interest and New Excom Recruitment

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Feedback

• Difficulties

• Can’t Communicate Enough

• Technical Meetings are a useful forum

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Challenges

• Reaching ‘Silent Members’

• Local, Regional and Global IEEE Identity

• Good Communication is Essential for long term IEEE success.

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Summary

• Have a Section web page• For newsletter - best to have a combination of

paper, email and web• Keep electronic information simple and current • Set a schedule and guidelines and follow them• Use the resources available from IEEE