Article submissions

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

I do get time to read emails.

I just said some do get missed for various reasons.

I am not overworked, just short of time.

regards David

[Paul BarrettParticipant @paulbarrett57424]

Ian.

I think your'e flogging a dead horse. I think in DC's world that not having enough time to carry out his editorial tasks is not being overworked.

Maybe if he gave up moderating this site and appointed a new moderator he would free up more time to other duties.

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi There

Diane is web editor and moderator.

Not me.

I just have moderator access.

If I don't answer certain questions, I get accused of ignoring them.

regards David

[AESParticipant @aes]

Gents,

I must say I'm in general agreement with the majority of "dissatisfied" postings here.

A L-O-N-G time back I contacted DC and offered a write up on the German live steam show (now Karlsruhe was Sinsheim). In an E-mail I explained basically what I planned both re the text and pix. I got a go ahead from DC so proceeeded to write about 1,000 words and submitted that text together with about 20 or so pix (in hi-res .jpg format). All was sent just after the show closed.

NIL acknowledgement of receipt was received, so after MANY weeks waiting I chased DC (by E-mail) and asked A) if my submission had been received, and B), if it was likley to be published. DC's answer to both was Yes (I should perhaps add that DC had already sent me the "contributor's agreement" doc which I had duly filled in and signed).

After a further LONG period with my article not appearing (and nothing being heard from DC or anyone else at ME/MEW) a post from Dianne appeared on this forum asking anyone who had made a submission and who had not heard anything further to contact her.

Perhaps unwisely I did not bother to respond to Diane's post.

Why not?

My submission concerned the January 2011 Karlsruhe event and Diane's post here was dated, roughly speaking, sometime in mid 2011 – i.e. I thought it far too late by then for my article to be on any interest to anyone anymore.

To speak now directly Mr. to David Clark I have to say that in the professional world Sir, it is my considered opinion that:

A) It is completely unforgiveable and unprofessional in the extreme not to reply to ALL messages received/acknowledge submissions received – and that within 24 hours (as we used to say in the RAF, failure to comply due to illness or holidays is no excuse and only a Doctor's certificate will suffice in the case of death);

B) 300 E-mail messages per day is NOT a lot really, (especially bearing in mind that some, guess at least 10% of those will be obvious Spams); AND IF one is properly organised (e.g. pre-prepared standard "form" E-mail replies will suffice for many of the above). In my professional life I often handle 300 E-mails a day during an aircraft Lease project – BUT I should add that I do not do that all the time, only for a period of "a few weeks" perhaps 6 or 7 times a year. If it was a question of having to do that level of work all the time then I'd make 100% sure I had some assistance because no one can work at that pace all the time.

C) There is no logic whatsoever in saying "I'm not over-worked but I don't have time to read all the E-mails I get" – as Eric Clark has said above, that comment (and a number of the other weak excuses for non-responses which you have offered above) are simply excuses and are NOT (IMHO) good reasons for failing to get yourself properly organised. Do please "stop digging" Sir.

In closing I should add:

A) I do contribute fairly regularly to other magazines and do not experience the problems with other Editors that I've outlined in your case above;

B) No matter what, I shall not offer another contribution to ME/MEW. Life's just too short and writing's too hard to make it worthwhile to go through all the actual writing hassle and then still have to chase up publications afterwards. AND as someone above has already pointed out, by signing your contributor's agreement doc before making a submission, all contributors are in effect giving ME/MEW carte blanch to do what you like, when you like with their work. God help any free lance journalist who's trying to make some sort of living out of writing for ME/MEW!

But personally speaking I find that MEW is an excellent magazine and I shall continue to subscribe. But it cannot be correct that to produce that result (and apparently for 2 other mags as well) just one man is regularly doing all the production, admin, website, and general dogsbody work that you're apparently doing Mr. Clark.

AES

[John Stevenson 1Participant @johnstevenson1]

Posted by Eric Clark on 20/05/2012 13:39:43:

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

 

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

 

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

 

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

 

David,

My late Father used to say "when you are in a hole – stop digging"

 

 

 

Must be a deep hole Eric ?

 

John S.

 

.

 

Edited By John Stevenson on 20/05/2012 15:50:25

[mike TParticipant @miket56243]

Question:

Surely "I am not overstretched, there just is not enough time to do everything" is just the same as saying "I am not out of my depth, it's me legs that are too short"??

MAT

[Steve PurvesParticipant @stevepurves30189]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 20/05/2012 10:28:48:

Hi Steve

Posts that do nothing to help others may be removed or the threads get unwieldy.

regards David

I was merely agreeing with the other posters on this site, The articles I wrote was for Stapleford Miniature Railway (29 aug 2010, 1700 words, 10 hi res pictures) and the NSMEE Visiting clubs rally (4 and 5th sept 2010, 1250 words, 12 hi res pictures). I feel the same as AES, I have put my valuable time into writing and producing these articles (the NSMEE was requested by you) for zero return. When I questioned you on the 3/1/11 whether they were still going to be used and your reply was that they were 'high on the list to be used'.

The rest as they say is history.

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Steve

They are still on the list to be used.

All articles will soon be uploaded into an archive for use.

regards David

[Steve PurvesParticipant @stevepurves30189]

Surely David, they are too old to be used now? All of my contributors details will have changed since then anyway, I have moved both house and bank since they were submitted!

Steve

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi AES

Why is it not correct?

My job is to get the magazine out no matter what.

Everything else tasks second place.

I did not say I don't read all emails, I said sometimes for various reasons they get missed.

If I stopped answering stupid questions on this forum and stopped correcting long links and stopped sorting subscription problems and stopped taking directory enquiries from internet users who can't be bothered to use Google I would get a lot more work done but would have a lot of unhappy readers.

However, I will give it a try for a week.

I will not look at or answer any more postings, I will forward subscription queries to

"paul Molyneux"

Directory inquires will be ignored.

Let us see what happens.

As for me being out of action when I was ill, I was working over the internet from my hospital bed.

regards David

 

 

Edited By Katy Purvis on 01/06/2015 12:34:11

[LambtonParticipant @lambton]

Sorry about the repeated message I did not do this intentionally.

[ASFParticipant @asf]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 20/05/2012 16:43:15:

<snip> and stopped correcting long links </snip>

You told (dismissed me) in another thread today that you had fixed this. Which is it then?

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

I meant large photos.

That has taken the place of long links.

regards David

[David Clark 13Participant @davidclark13]

Hi Steve

We always get updated details before publishing as the office only keep payment details for 12 months.

regards David

[Gone AwayParticipant @goneaway]

Posted by David Clark 1 on 20/05/2012 16:43:15:

If I stopped answering stupid questions on this forum and stopped correcting long links and stopped sorting subscription problems and stopped taking directory enquiries from internet users who can't be bothered to use Google I would get a lot more work done but would have a lot of unhappy readers.

More correctly, the people actually responsible for those activities will have a lot of unhappy readers. (Or of course, they may be forced to climb out of the woodwork and actually start performing).

Many people would be most willing to contact the responsible parties directly (instead of working through you) if only they knew who to contact …. that's usually the problem.

[Sandy MortonParticipant @sandymorton10620]

Having read all of the comments on this thread but particularly those from DC I will attempt to unusbscribe from ME. I will be saddened to do this since I have about 50 years of ME in the library but I am less than happy about the way that it is going.

Bye.

[VersabossParticipant @versaboss]

Posted by Sandy Morton on 20/05/2012 23:21:32:

Having read all of the comments on this thread but particularly those from DC I will attempt to unusbscribe from ME. I will be saddened to do this since I have about 50 years of ME in the library but I am less than happy about the way that it is going.

Bye.

I am very seriously contemplating this too – in spite of my collection going back to 1925. More and more I got the feeling that MHS is run by a bunch of tw!zz. Has anybody else also noticed that DC's writing style in his editorials is completely different to his style here? Maybe he exists in several incarnations???

Greetings, Hansrudolf

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Sandy

Please do not rush into unsubscribing, I can see why you feel the way you do but the 'goings on' on this forum are not reflected it the quality of the magazine (only the MEW in my case). The magazine is what you subscribe to and this forum is just an add on that you can ignore.

I blame computers, none of this would have happened without the internet!

Ian

Edited By Ian Phillips on 21/05/2012 00:08:42

[Ian PParticipant @ianp]

Posted by Versaboss on 20/05/2012 23:49:21:

Has anybody else also noticed that DC's writing style in his editorials is completely different to his style here?

Greetings, Hansrudolf

I have

Ian

[dave slaterParticipant @daveslater38901]

As a reletive newcomer to both model engineering and model engineer magazine, I have read through most of these postings with a mixture of both amusement, sadness and dispair!

I have been lucky enough to have been given – much to my wife's annoyance, due to the space required – a huge number of old ME's that I have read over the winter months. One thing that jumps out is the continuing commitment of the many contributors and the high regard they are held in by past editors.

I have been told that the editor of ME/MEW is not a model engineer? Is this correct?

Email has sadely caused more stress than assistance and distracts me every day the work place; but is hard to ignore. However, it it easy to get 'sucked-in', as DC appairs to have been by his 'followers'. However, I am amazed to hear that so many people seem to naffed-off and that there appears to be a lack of good manners from the editor's office. In my book the customer is always right: full stop!

In this 'electronic' age I have found other publications linked to this fantastic hobby via the internet. There is an Aussie magazine and also a couple of excellent web-based offerings; not to mention a certain offering from the hosts of the midlands exhibition and finaly, a brand new offering that has just been launched.

Given the tone of the increasingly rude replies to the forum posters by the editor, is there such a thing as bringing a hobby into dis-repute?……………….discuss………….

[Author]

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