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IPMS Magazine .Well worth joining


Mottlemaster

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I joined the IPMS a few years ago to get the cheaper entry to the Telford show . Soon after joining i recieved my first copy of their magazine  . I was extremly impressed with its quality and content .

The latest edition has just landed on my doormat and again ,like all the others its superb.

The IPMS is worth joining just for the Magazine and very good value .

As an aircraft modeler its got lots to offer but also land ,sea,  space ,cars ,vans bikes and figures .

 

My congratulations and thanks go to the team who put the magazine together.

 

cheers

Alistair

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It is excellent and the only thing of value that comes from IPMS membership especially now that they have given up on their forum and gone farsebooking which excludes member like me who will have nothing to do with such unprincipled platforms.

 

Their decal bank is also moribund.

 

The SIGs seem almost secretive.

 

The magazine however is worth the membership especially as the whole model magazine world has gone to hell on a hurley.

 

Went to Telford twenty years ago or so and you can keep it, that many people crowded into one place is for me unbearable never been to another model show after that one and only far from enjoyable experience. It is in a remote part of the country for me as well and the journey there and back was fraught and just added insult to injury.

 

Still keep the membership for the jewel in its very tarnished crown the magazine, best regular modelling read in the country.

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9 minutes ago, Julien said:

In fairness to IPMS they moved away from the forum as no one was using it.

 <rant>all too common belief that technology is the issue. BM is proof that it is content that matters. If their forum wasn't working, they weren't running it correctly</rant>

 

Cheers

 

Colin

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Good grief! There are some miserable beggars on here. IPMS has been going for around 40 years now, and I've been a member for most of that time. Members of the executive give up a lot of their free time to run it, and IMO on the whole, they do a damned fine job. Telford is for me, an excellent show and that in itself, plus the magazine, are worth the fee. You get out of it, what you are willing to put into it, and if griping is your only contribution, then you're never going to like it. I for one, and I'm not alone, am looking forward to and hoping that the show is on this year.

 

John.

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3 minutes ago, ckw said:

 <rant>all too common belief that technology is the issue. BM is proof that it is content that matters. If their forum wasn't working, they weren't running it correctly</rant>

 

Cheers

 

Colin

 So how would you 'run it correctly'?

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There were people using it, or trying to use it as there was little feedback.

 

No doubt 'twas the embrace of farcebook that led to that, forums do work as this place shows and as an programme have pluses over farcebook and the like especially as repository. All forums really lack to make them truly workable and fulfil their potential are decent search functions, when someone gets that right then nothing will shine a light on forums as knowledge repositories.

 

I suspect no-one in IPMS saw it as important so they let it wither on the vine.

 

Why does have some negative criticism about what I see as failings in an organisation have to be griping. I have no doubt that the people running it give up a lot of their time just as the things I run take up a lot of my time.

 

Large gatherings of people crushed in does not suit me and nauseates me so I don't go, I gave it a try no more than that I can do. Obviously it suits the masses as they turn out for it and good luck to them and you if you enjoy it. My observation is how I perceive its relevance to me as a modeller based on my attempts to engage with the organisation which has not been very good, other people experience might be different but my view is still just as valid. I did post on here to praise the magazine so I do give credit where credit is due.

 

 

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3 minutes ago, John Tapsell said:

 So how would you 'run it correctly'?

 

I have no idea - I'm not a forum operator. But I see plenty of active, thriving forums  - some using pretty basic software - the point I'm making is the tech doesn't matter. And changing the tech won't fix things if the content isn't working.

 

Cheers

 

Colin

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IPMS can't force people to use the forum and neither can it ignore people who prefer to use Facebook. If the forum was generating sufficient traffic it would be self-sustaining. It doesn't and therefore it isn't. That's why I asked the question. Content doesn't appear magically - it has to be created by individuals. Forums (and social media) are all about visitor-generated content. If the visitors aren't generating their own content then a forum attracts fewer repeat visitors because there's less to read.

 

There are very few modelling forums with enough traffic to remain successful - Britmodeller is one of them but the likes of Armorama, Missing Lynx, ARC and Hyperscale etc can also sustain themselves because they have a critical mass of users that generate enough posts to keep people coming back. If you lose that critical mass, it's incredibly difficult to bring it back.

 

I use discussion forums on a daily basis (and generally prefer them) but I also access a range of Facebook modelling groups every day. The formats are different and each has advantages and disadvantages but I see them as complementary rather than as rivals.

Social media provides more immediate responses and it's far easier to post photos and get a more general conversation going as it attracts a greater mass of modellers. However, it doesn't offer the same level of depth and detail that forums do because of the social media formats and because the search functions are generally very poor. That in itself demonstrates that having a decent search function isn't necessarily a priority for the majority of users.

 

The last decade has also seen a vast increase in the ability of individuals to create their own material online - it's not always high quality material but there's enough good stuff to make it a valuable resource. The ability for modellers to communicate more easily with one another through many different platforms has increased exponentially and that means forums face far greater competition for attention.

 

However, to say IPMS is facebook based is untrue. Facebook is one of several avenues we use to communicate. Our main online communication tool is our website. The magazine is still our primary means of communication with our members (4,000+) - a significant minority of whom have no online presence at all, let alone worrying about whether forums or facebook are the way forward. That's why we made a conscious decision to make it a flagship product because the magazine quality is something tangible that members receive.

 

The Magazine is only as good as the members who contribute to it. Everything you see in it has come from grassroots IPMS Members - user-generated content, just like the forums and social media - and the overall quality of what they produce is outstanding. I had the privilege of editing the IPMS magazine for eight years (2004-2012) so I'm somewhat biased, but also really grateful to the many contributors we have. It makes the Editor's job so much easier if they have a wide selection of material to choose from.

 

Only around half of IPMS members belong to a club and many don't attend shows on a regular basis, if at all - yet they believe that IPMS is worth belonging to. Again, that demonstrates that IPMS is not all about social media, the internet, joining clubs or going to model shows. There's enough there to satisfy many different appetites.

 

Lastly, to correct something Bullbasket mentioned - IPMS was created in 1963 so it's nearly 60 years old. Hopefully, by the time we reach 60, the modelling firmament will have returned to something approaching normal..

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I rejoined IPMS in May last year, and agree the magazine is excellent. I hadn't been a member for a while (as I did not benefit from free entry to SMW as I was trading every year), but will definitely be renewing my membership. I am also a member of a numbers of Special lnterest Groups, and recommend the Great War SIG which also publishes a superb newsletter if you have any interest in WWI.

 

Colin         

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I have been an IPMS member since 1978 and the magazine in the last few years has been the best it has ever been in my opinion. 

I used to be a branch member and  committee member and have been involved in organising local shows and the 'Nationals'. The society has given me a great deal of pleasure (and not a little aggravation) over the years and I have learnt a lot. 

I enjoy a model show and over the years found that they can be busy, as can model railway exhibitions, but I suspect that is the nature of the beast. Certainly one of the aspects I like of a model show is meeting old friends and making new ones and even the odd Britmodeller. 

The reason Telford is host to SMW has been discussed a lot over the years, but the problem is finding a large enough venue that is affordable. Telford is going to be 'remote' for someone, although next to a motorway that  and a regular train service to Birmingham does help and from where I live is a doable car journey and we make a break of it by staying in Shrewsbury. 

Each to his own. 

 

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As a member of the IPMS/USA(not correct but will use it for now), I can say that the magazine is worthwhile; as is the group itself. Not everybody likes Facebook, that runs in a lot of places. But, being a member since the early '70s has been worth the money and time. Since becoming ill over 2 years ago, the magazine, BM, and others have helped keep my mind occupied, and busy from boredom.

Joe

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2 hours ago, John Tapsell said:

IPMS can't force people to use the forum and neither can it ignore people who prefer to use Facebook. If the forum was generating sufficient traffic it would be self-sustaining. It doesn't and therefore it isn't. That's why I asked the question. Content doesn't appear magically - it has to be created by individuals. Forums (and social media) are all about visitor-generated content. If the visitors aren't generating their own content then a forum attracts fewer repeat visitors because there's less to read.

 

There are very few modelling forums with enough traffic to remain successful - Britmodeller is one of them but the likes of Armorama, Missing Lynx, ARC and Hyperscale etc can also sustain themselves because they have a critical mass of users that generate enough posts to keep people coming back. If you lose that critical mass, it's incredibly difficult to bring it back.

 

I use discussion forums on a daily basis (and generally prefer them) but I also access a range of Facebook modelling groups every day. The formats are different and each has advantages and disadvantages but I see them as complementary rather than as rivals.

Social media provides more immediate responses and it's far easier to post photos and get a more general conversation going as it attracts a greater mass of modellers. However, it doesn't offer the same level of depth and detail that forums do because of the social media formats and because the search functions are generally very poor. That in itself demonstrates that having a decent search function isn't necessarily a priority for the majority of users.

 

The last decade has also seen a vast increase in the ability of individuals to create their own material online - it's not always high quality material but there's enough good stuff to make it a valuable resource. The ability for modellers to communicate more easily with one another through many different platforms has increased exponentially and that means forums face far greater competition for attention.

 

However, to say IPMS is facebook based is untrue. Facebook is one of several avenues we use to communicate. Our main online communication tool is our website. The magazine is still our primary means of communication with our members (4,000+) - a significant minority of whom have no online presence at all, let alone worrying about whether forums or facebook are the way forward. That's why we made a conscious decision to make it a flagship product because the magazine quality is something tangible that members receive.

 

The Magazine is only as good as the members who contribute to it. Everything you see in it has come from grassroots IPMS Members - user-generated content, just like the forums and social media - and the overall quality of what they produce is outstanding. I had the privilege of editing the IPMS magazine for eight years (2004-2012) so I'm somewhat biased, but also really grateful to the many contributors we have. It makes the Editor's job so much easier if they have a wide selection of material to choose from.

 

Only around half of IPMS members belong to a club and many don't attend shows on a regular basis, if at all - yet they believe that IPMS is worth belonging to. Again, that demonstrates that IPMS is not all about social media, the internet, joining clubs or going to model shows. There's enough there to satisfy many different appetites.

 

Lastly, to correct something Bullbasket mentioned - IPMS was created in 1963 so it's nearly 60 years old. Hopefully, by the time we reach 60, the modelling firmament will have returned to something approaching normal..

Thanks for that John. 

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3 hours ago, Mottlemaster said:

The original point i was trying to make was that i recomend joining for just the magazine alone . Everything else is a bonus

Yes, why the rest I dont know?

 

I will end this here as the last mag has just dropped through the letter box today and I have not had a good look yet.

 

If people here like the IOMS Mag like I do then please consider writing something for it as @John Tapsell has commented its only as good as the content they have sent in.

 

Julien

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  • Julien locked this topic

Britmodeller is not the place to put any issues anyone might feel to IPMS, take this up with them direct, you will find them open and receptive to ideas to take the hobby forward. 

 

You have to feel for the original poster who just wanted to say thanks.

 

Julien

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