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MuniMall Newsletter Concept and Description Background The MuniMall.Net Newsletter is an instance of "soft push" technology. It functions by bringing a website into a reader's email. It is "push" because it brings the website to the reader, rather than having the reader go to the website. And it is "soft" because it is not always present on the readers desktop (as contrasted to, say, PointCast, which acts as a screen saver and desktop wallpaper). Soft Push technology is already used by a wide variety of news and information outlets. Probably the most prominant is ZD Net, which publishes a variety of daily industry-specific newsletters, such as The Anchordesk. Industry newsletters often have daily readerships in the tens of thousands.
Purpose Why would MuniMall.net publish a weekly online newsletter? As will be seen below, it represents a substantial human resource investment (the technical requirements are minimal). A variety of reasons can be identified: Branding - the weekly Newsletter is a way to present the MuniMall.Net brand on a weekly basis to a target audience. It ensures that people think of, and remember, the MuniMall name. Usage - the Newsletter draws readers to the MuniMall site (or any other site which happens to be linked) because it is easier to click on a link in an email message (thus automatically opening the browser) than it is to open a browser and type a URL. Usage is also increased because users are reminded on a weekly basis that the site exists. Information - as readership increases, the Newsletter will be the single most effective means of sending information to the entire sector at once. Because it is industry-specific, information will be useful and relevant to readers, thus increasing the likelihood that they will see the information presented. Interaction - the Newsletter is also a tool which draws people into interacting with the website and with each other. The Newsletter links not only to articles and resources, but also to tools such as online discussions and polls. Thus the Newsletter provides an effective means of producing instant and accurate feedback. Demonstration - as will be discussed below, the Newsletter serves as a demonstration of what can be accomplished by municipalities themselves. Implementation Initial construction of the Newsletter proceeded in three major stages: Software - the software required to support an automatic emailing and subscription system was assembled and tested. Content - the content of the first and subsequent Newsletters was developed. Support - the supporting website was designed and linked into the content. Software The Munimall.Net Newsletter is using a program called ETrolls, a set of open source freeware applications written in PERL by Stephen Downes. This software is needed (as opposed to more traditional list server software such as Majordomo or Listserv) because of the need to send HTML formatted Newsletters. Content The content of the weekly Newsletter is in the form of a standard HTML page (which makes archiving really easy). Not all email clients support all aspects of HTML (for example, Scott's Eudora Lite won't display the images) so care must be taken to ensure compatibility. The content consists of the following elements: Template - to ensure consistency of design, and to plan for future applications, a template is used. Because most email programs display messages in a smaller window, the template must be able to resize easily. Articles - because the final product is an email message, content must be short and broken into smaller chunks. For this reason, articles in the MuniMall.Net Newsletter are restricted to 150 words. Because the articles are so short, they are typically linked to web pages containing more information. Subject Matter - the subject matter should be industry-specific and should contain regular features or articles. Just as in the case of newspapers and magazines, readers are more likely to read an issue if they have come to expect certain subject material. Material which may be included in the MuniMall.Net newsletter includes:
The MuniMall.Net newsletter will solicit content from other external sources. This will help reduce the cost of producing content, and will also ensure that the contents of the Newsletter come from a broad and comprehensive set of perspectives. Support The Newsletter cannot exist in isolation; it must be supported by a series of web pages. Subscription and Unsubscription - these pages are generated by the ETrolls software. The unsubscribe function has not yet been implemented. Readers can unsubscribe by emailing their request to Editor John Sinclair at john.sinclair@ualberta.ca Articles and Features - pages were designed for longer articles and features. These pages are created on an ongoing basis as the articles are created. Archives - an easily accessible and searchable archive of past issues were created. New listings are added to the archives page as each issue of the Newsletter is produced. Roll-Out The MuniMall.Net Newsletter was introduced to the public (or "rolled out") in three phases: Development - in the development phase, the software was completed, the initial content was written, and the support elements were put into place. This stage was completed September 10, 1999. Pilot - in the pilot phase, several issues of the Newsletter was produced and distributed to a small in-house list. In the pilot phase, several items were evaulated:
The Pilot phase of the project was September 10, 1999 to October 10, 1999, during which four issues were produced. Launch - in the launch phase, the Newsletter was introduced to the general public. The launch phase evolved into the operations phase, during which regular production of the Newsletter occurred. But the launch phase was significant because several launch-specific events occur:
Future Developments The Newsletter technology and format has the potential for wider implementation. MuniMall staff have developed expertise in designing and maintaining a regular newsletter, and are able to help municipalities launch their own local newsletters.
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