ANG's new website is being built out so I've been checking it periodically to see what has been added. Yesterday I was stunned to see that the fabulous Stitch of the Month (SOTM) program which is a great way to introduce people to various needlepoint stitches for only the cost of the materials is going to be available only to members of ANG starting next January, except for one year, presumably the current year's project.
http://www.needlepoint.org/page/SOTM
I feel this is a terrible mistake. I use it to help new stitchers all the time. It is a great resource for the world of needlepoint, which includes many people who are not committed needlepointers. When folks learn the resources available from ANG, they tend to join. Why hide your light under a barrel (or in this case behind a paywall), ANG?
Please reconsider.
UPDATE: As an update to the Stitch of the Month's changes on ANG's new website, I'd like to report that the 1999-2016 Stitch of the Month items are now uploaded to ANG's new website but they are only available to ANG members who are logged in. 1998's Stitch of the Month items presumably will be added shortly. The 2017 SOTM material is available to all, along with the statement, "As of January 31st 2018, all SOTM offerings will become Member Only. We plan to make one year's project available to the public."
To see the most recent changes, you have to log in as an ANG member, then click on Distance Learning. Stitch of the Month is at the bottom of the options that appear. Slide your cursor down to there, and you'll see Stitch of the Month: Archive. Click on that to see the older SOTM material.
I know this is a slow process as ANG has Seminar registration to deal with right now. I hope ANG will restore access to all of the Stitch of the Month items, past and present, to anyone interested in needlepoint.
Written by Jane/Chilly Hollow
Blogging at http://chillyhollownp.blogspot.com
and at http://chstitchguides.blogspot.com
© Copyright October 15, 2017 Jane M. Wood. All rights reserved.
Wednesday, October 18, 2017
The American Needlepoint Guild Hides SOTM Behind Paywall UPDATED
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12 comments:
I agree Jane. This was a bad decision. I too refer people to the site for the stitch information. I feel that this will negatively impact the ANG membership both for possible new members as well as existing members.
Jane, I sent a message to ANG when I saw your posting on Facebook yesterday. I've worked for membership organizations all my career and I understand the balancing act they perform between giving value for membership and recruiting new members by closing off significant benefits outside membership and this is what ANG is doing. I spend a lot of time on Needlepoint Nation and I don't recall many ANG posts promoting their classes. Those may be the best marketing tool ANG has for membership recruitment. This is a short sighted decision. In my opinion, ANG should look at an open SOTM as a benefit to the stitching community - something that they provide as a way of growing the industry.
ANG does post periodically on NP Nation about classes, it's just low key. One of the admins there, Tara Roberts, was in charge of ANG's FB page as well (her term is up shortly) and would post about upcoming classes when they were announced. I know ANG is strapped for cash and is making a lot of cuts but since the Stitch of the Month program costs them nothing beyond the time and effort to get the diagrams uploaded and perhaps storage fees online, I would hope they would recognize what a valuable resource it is for non-members and what an inducement it is for folks to join ANG.
I think so, too. ANG risks becoming irrelevant in this age of social media, which I partly bear the blame for.
I agree. Very bad decision. SOTM is a valuable resource that should be readily available to all Stitcher's.
And , while I'm grumbling, when did seminar become open to non-members? I can't go to Seminar anymore, but it used to be that classes were filled so fast it made your head spin and that was just members. Another bad idea?
I have to agree with you - I've always thought of ANG as an advocacy organization, but perhaps I've been wrong. Shared this on our FB page - not that I necessarily think any of the higher ups at ANG follow us, but it can't hurt!
I didn't realize non-members could take classes or go to events like the banquet. Anyone can go to the exhibit or shop at the ANG sponsored store, but that's always been the case. Thanks for the update. I think this is bound to cause a lot of bad feelings among the membership.
Thank you, Liz. I think the more this is talked about, the better. Decisions this momentous should be based on what the membership wants, not the officers.
I too enjoy the occasional dip into the SOTM and find it most inspiring
I'm glad to hear that you use it, Anna. I have often wondered how many overseas stitchers like you use the online resources we have available.
I also agree it's a bad move. ANG needs to take a pointer from EGA, who have made even their Stitch A Longs open to the public, with the confidence that it will bring in members, and it definitely works! I had been seeing lots of posts from the EGA's Facebook page showing the Stitch a Long projects and I was hooked right in and signed up for official membership shortly thereafter.
I'm with you, Ada. It's a fabulous PR page for ANG. Well, once ANG gets the Seminar registration done they should have time to work on the SOTM pages and maybe change their minds about making them members only.
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