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The FAQ Page

Frequently Asked Questions About the ePromenader and the new WNYF Web Site

The Promenader began publication in October, 1962, as the official newsletter of the Rochester Area Federation of Round and Square Dance Clubs. Over the years since then, a long list of dedicated volunteer editors diligently composed and mailed out the Promenader, using the most practical technology at their disposal. They gathered and assembled news and dance schedules from WNYF member clubs, as well as flyers and ads for special dances and events, and articles about topics of interest to dancers. Their energy and creativity kept it lively and its circulation growing. Until 2000, the Promenader was composed, printed and distributed monthly (except for the summer months), but as printing and mailing expenses rose, the schedule was reduced to bi-monthly and eventually quarterly.

The advent of personal computers, tablets and smart phones helped to spread the production load, with page composition done electronically and with article submission and proofreading done via email. But even with a nearly-all-electronic process, the Promenader was still printed in booklet form on the familiar yellow paper and mailed to subscribers. Income from the $10 yearly subscription price did not fully cover the cost of printing and mailing, so a fundraiser dance and fashion sale was held late in September every year.

Beginning in June, 2014, when no successor could be found to follow retiring long-time general editors, Betty and Andy Ludwick, a group of interested dancers calling themselves the “Promenader Perpetuation Panel” met to outline the parameters of an on-line Promenader. Besides the obvious benefit of avoiding the cost and headaches of printing and mailing, they were determined to preserve as much as possible of the traditional look and feel of the printed version, while at the same time reducing the burden on the general editor. A concept was developed and approved for blending the traditional Promenader content with the WNYF website. Over that summer, Betty and Andy Ludwick and Sidney Marshall (WNYF webmaster) brought the concept to life by developing the graphics and linkages that you see here now. The first electronic issue was posted on September 1, 2014, in parallel with the final printed edition on the same date.

Many of us (including the “Perpetuation Panel”) greatly miss the printed Promenader, but it was impossible to continue it without an editor with the time and skills to carry it on. The electronic version is not the same, but it does have a few side benefits besides its extremely low cost and a manageable production workload. For one thing, it allows color photos and flyers. It also allows flyers to be linked to schedule listings; it allows listings to be updated any time new information is available; it makes WNYF information (such as meeting schedule, minutes, forms and by-laws accessible; and it has greatly extended the use of the WNYF schedule database throughout the dancing community in Rochester and beyond. True, it does not fit well on your coffee table, but it makes past articles and other content available instantly without having to save a stack of back issues.

We hope the following questions and answers will cover most of what you need or want to know about the Promenader and the WNYF website. Please let us know if there is something else we should cover. Our email address is promenader@rochester.rr.com.

Q1: Who can access the online Promenader? How much does it cost? How does one subscribe?

Q2: Since there is no charge for access, why should I bother to “subscribe”? And what is the benefit if I do?

Q3: What about people who don‘t have a computer or a printer?

Q4: If I want to print hard copy ePromenader pages for myself or someone else, are there any special steps I should take?

Q5: What can club leaders do to help preserve the flow of information to their members that formerly came directly to their home via the printed Promenader?

Q6: Is the ePromenader compatible with all Internet browsers and devices - desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones?

Q7: Why did the Promenader have to convert to an electronic format?

Q8: Why go to the trouble of bringing elements of the Promenader look and feel to the RAF web site?

Q9: In what ways will the Promenader format be preserved?

Q10: What about flyers and other ads that were published in the Promenader, at considerable cost to advertisers?

Q11: The Promenader Benefit Dance is still on the RAF calendar, but with an electronic format eliminating all your printing and mailing costs why do you still need to raise money?

Q12: Who are the Promenader volunteers and what do they do to create the publication?

Q13: With an online format, why stick to a 3-month publication cycle? Why not go back to 2 months? In fact, why not eliminate publication dates entirely and simply post updates as they are submitted by clubs?

Q14: What about corrections and updates after the publication date? Will we have to wait 3 months for corrections and updates?

Q15: The ePromenader launch has involved an entirely new look for the Federation web site. How does the ePromenader relate to the RAF?

Q16: Are there plans for further developing the Federation side of this site?

Q17: Will there be more “introduction to dancing” content to attract prospective new dancers?

Q18: I heard it was a hassle to make the transition to an online format. Why couldn’t you just use one of the many “website builder” software tools to put the Promenader up on the web? After all, over the past several years you have already been preparing it in electronic form for proofreading and commercial printing.

Q19: How is the website maintained?

Q1: Who can access the online Promenader? How much does it cost? How does one subscribe?

A1: The online Promenader is freely accessible to anyone via the RAF web site at squaredancingrochester.org. To subscribe, follow the directions given below:

Q2: Since there is no charge for access, why should I bother to “subscribe”? And what is the benefit if I do?

A2: Even though anyone can access the site at any time, it’s helpful to have an email address list of active readers for at least two reasons. (We will not use subscriber email addresses for any purpose other than publication announcements related to this web site.)

Q3: What about people who don‘t have a computer or a printer?

A3: NOBODY who needs a hard copy version of ePromenader content will be left behind. Those who need hard copy pages should contact Peter Emmel. Please see above (or click HERE) for his contact information. He has offered to arrange hard copy delivery for those who need it.

Q4: If I want to print hard copy ePromenader pages for myself or someone else, are there any special steps I should take?

A4: Printing any page on the RAF web site, including the ePromenader is very straightforward from any device that has a “print” command. You simply “click the Print button” in your browser, just as you would for any other web page or document.

However, when printing the “Photos & Features” or the “Ad & Flyer Thumbnails,” you can save a LOT of paper and ink by adjusting the “scale” in your browser setup. If you would rather not bother with changing browser settings, you can click HERE for links to downloadable PDF files that we have pre-scaled to minimize paper and ink.

(Note: The links might not be posted until a few days after the official publication date of each Promenader issue. If you don’t see them, please check back in a few days.)

If you prefer to make the print scaling adjustments yourself, click HERE for recommended settings in specific browsers.

Also, please note that ALL other sections, as well as individual ads and flyers, will print just fine without special settings.

Q5: What can club leaders do to help preserve the flow of information to their members that formerly came directly to their home via the printed Promenader?

A5: As leader of your club, you can help in several ways:

Q6: Is the ePromenader compatible with all Internet browsers and devices - desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones?

A6: Hopefully yes. In building the online version we have made choices that should make it readable on all of the common platforms. Also, each section is printable from most platforms.

Q7: Why did the Promenader have to convert to an electronic format?

A7: Without converting to an electronic format after 52 years of continuous hard-copy publication, there would have been NO Promenader at all after September 1st, 2014. In two years of searching when long-time volunteer editors Betty and Andy Ludwick announced their firm intention to retire, no volunteer stepped forward to succeed them and carry on the publication in its printed form. For more detail on the transition to electronic form, please click HERE to read the Ludwick’s message from the first electronic issue. Hardcopy issues all the way back to the beginning have been scanned and are available in pdf format via the green “History” button in the Federation section of our website. Click HERE to read back issues from October, 1962 through September, 2014.

Q8: Why go to the trouble of bringing elements of the Promenader look and feel to the RAF web site?

A8: It is hard to think of a better legacy for Betty and Andy after their 16+ years of effort than to carry the look and feel that they have created on paper into an accessible electronic form that can live on after they retire.

Q9: In what ways will the Promenader format be preserved?

A9: The ePromenader includes all the traditional Promenader sections, with a look and feel as close as Betty and Sidney could get it to the printed version that we have enjoyed for so many years. Since the RAF site has been based in large part on Promenader content (primarily schedules and flyers) there was already a substantial amount of overlap. One goal of the online transition is to gather all the information that has traditionally been published in the Promenader make it available to readers with a recognizable “Promenader style” on the web.

Q10: What about flyers and other ads that were published in the Promenader, at considerable cost to advertisers?

A10: Event flyers and notices from RAF-member clubs will be included free of charge, but…

Q11: The Promenader Benefit Dance is still on the RAF calendar, but with an electronic format eliminating all your printing and mailing costs why do you still need to raise money?

A11: The online format does avoid the primary costs of the printed version, namely commercial printing and USPS mailing, but this is largely balanced by eliminating charges to subscribers and RAF-member organizations. However, there still are on-going expenses.

Q12: Who are the Promenader volunteers and what do they do to create the publication?

A12: Promenader production steps have been arranged over the years to make best use of limited time on the part of many volunteers. One thing that distinguished the printed Promenader - and hopefully will also distinguish the ePromenader - from other publications is its accuracy and reliability. We plan to maintain this standard through a continued team effort to produce an online resource that readers can rely on for information about dancing in our area.

In terms of production mechanics the new format will flow more directly from the various club reporters and section editors. This is because there will be no more need for page layout and composition, making the editorial job far more “do-able” than it was for the commercially printed version. This was a major goal of the ePromenader transition. But the work of reporting and organizing Promenader content has not changed and the staff of volunteers is still in place as before.

Volunteers:
Dick Halstead (Roving Reporter and Login Editor)
Bonnie Allen (Schedule Section Editor)
Sharon Meyer (Class/Club Dance Schedule Editor)
Club News Editor is an open position.
Proofreaders are Cindy Adams, Jim Gotta, Mike Herne, Sharon Meyer, Susan Thomas, Carl Webster, and Eileen Webster.

For a walk-through of the ePromenader production process, interested readers may click HERE.

Q13: With an online format, why stick to a 3-month publication cycle? Why not go back to 2 months? In fact, why not eliminate publication dates entirely and simply post updates as they are submitted by clubs?

A13: There are several reasons to maintain a periodic publication cycle. Whether it should be two months or three months is a question of available volunteer time, on the one hand, and club planning horizons, on the other hand. We plan to review this question as the online format becomes more settled.

The main reasons for “periodical” instead of “continuous” publication are as follows:

Q14: What about corrections and updates after the publication date? Will we have to wait 3 months for corrections and updates?

A14: Some sections of the ePromenader, such as the dance schedules, the listings of callers & cuers, the club contacts, as well as the various organization rosters, can all be updated whenever changes dictate. That’s because these are internally structured in database form. Database entries can be readily updated by alerting the web administrator, and the results can be verified almost immediately online by the originator. This is an inherent feature of the current RAF’s database-driven web site.

Q15: The ePromenader launch has involved an entirely new look for the Federation web site. How does the ePromenader relate to the RAF?

A15: The Promenader has always been a publication of the RAF. The ePromenader is the latest step in the evolution of communications among clubs in the area covered by the RAF. In terms of administration, the transition to online format has coincided with a change in how the publication is administered. A newly formed team of three people intimately involved in ePromenader affairs, dubbed the Promenader Operating Committee, will oversee ePromenader activities and report to the RAF executive committee. These three people are the Interim Online Editor (Peter Emmel), the Web Administrator (Sidney Marshall) and the Communication Liaison (Terry Pratt, acting, until this new position is filled).

As you can see, the ePromenader and the RAF web site are envisioned as key elements in fulfilling the RAF’s mission of promoting communication and cooperation among area dance clubs and dancers.

Q16: Are there plans for further developing the Federation side of this site?

A16: Yes. The changes introduced today are only the beginning. Some of the Federation buttons go to blank pages now, but content will be filled in as time, ideas and volunteers permit. Contact us by email at promenader@rochester.rr.com with suggestions and feedback, or to volunteer your time to help s make it happen.

Q17: Will there be more “introduction to dancing” content to attract prospective new dancers?

A17: Yes. A significant role of the new RAF position of Communications Liaison is to shape the RAF outreach to prospective new dancers and to the general public. This is a Federation position, and therefore not directly part of the ePromenader, but as a publication by and for dancers, we have a strong interest in coordinating our messaging about the benefits of this wonderful activity to prospective new dancers.

Q18: I heard it was a hassle to make the transition to an online format. Why couldn’t you just use one of the many “website builder” software tools to put the Promenader up on the web? After all, over the past several years you have already been preparing it in electronic form for proofreading and commercial printing.

A18: A complete answer to this is beyond what most people would care to read. Below is a summary of benefits from the approach we chose, but those who want to know more may click HERE for further details. Combining the Promenader with the RAF web site has many benefits, including the following:

Q19: How is the website maintained?

A19: The website is maintained with a set of tools written specifically for the WNYF website. Volunteers are always welcome. There is more information at this link.