What do you think of the AMA web site?

I find one feature rather amusing.

When I select the button for "Contact Us" on the home page, the drop down menu appears off to the right, beyond the range of the cursor's ability to keep the menu open. It is Catch-22 to select a menu option. Maybe it is a reflex test to see if you can move the cursor fast enough to keep the drop down menu open. Nah, I think the AMA is just playing a trick on us.

Tom

There are at least 7 District web sites that someone is funding (or handled by volunteers). It would seem that these resources could be combined to make the AMA web site all it can be and in doing so save some money at the same time. Each district could have its own section on the AMA web site for its district matters, news, etc.

-- Red Scholefield AMA 951 Dist. V Leader Member/CD

In all truth, the ama is just like any other bureaucracy, they spend as much money as they can lay hands on with NO thought as to how it will benefit the membership as a whole, as long as it benefits their chosen few, that's all they are REALLY interested in,.

and before anyone asks, YES I do (reluctantly) cough up their fee every year, but consider it to be nothing more than legalized blackmail.

the so called "leadership" has lost touch with the majority of the members, and the website is just a symptom of the problem.

YMMV bob

Unless they are paying for professional web developer (12 year old boy in his bedroom), I can't see where they would spend that kind of money. I get one gig of space and one gig of bandwidth a month with unlimited emails, autoresponders and subdomains for $15.95 a month and that's because I pay quarterly. If I paid 2 years in advance I would only be paying $9.95 a month. Uptime has been near 100%.

Now, maybe they are including the salary for a full time IT person in that total. That would make sense as they need to maintain the network and systems.

The developer is X-bot. You can find the AMA on their web site as one of their prime customers.

I must agree wholeheartedly. I got tired of seeing my hard earned money being wasted , yet again after only 10 years or so, on another new building. I have no intention of ever flying at the "National flying site" so why do my dollars spent do nothing to help the local guy? I want to fly my plane near my home and at the most maybe travel to a fly in or 2. So why must I finance a multi-million dollar beauracracy to "further" my modeling? Sorry I switched to UMA.

basic insurance without all the hype and it is primary not secondary as is AMA. Has club charters, event coverage and a 100lb celing limit on the weight of the plane. nuff said..im done ranting now..lol

Just my $.02 Mike Miffl> In all truth, the ama is just like any other bureaucracy,

That would make sense Red. But look how long it took the AMA just to get into the computer age! Do you think we'll still be around to see this? :)

Chuck

Thanks for the link. I have always wondered what the alternate low cost insurance options cost, but apparently I didn't wonder enough to look it up. After all is said and done in the grand scheme of RC airplanes the UMA costs about the same as the AMA without supporting all of the "overhead" (magazine, flying site, head quarters, lobbyists, $49,000 website) that the AMA fee covers. I would have never thunk-it but the AMA may not be wasting the money as badly as I would have guessed (assuming that here is inherent value in the magazine, flying site, head quarters, lobbyists, and $49,000 website).

Regards, Charlie

Mike

UMA has a place... if you understand it, and if it meets your needs. First, the coverage is for 1 mil, with a aggregate of 2 mil. If all claims exceed 2 mil, the claims will not be paid in full. The AMA coverage is 2.5 with an aggregate of 15, although it is secondary.

Second, being primary means it will pay along with your homeowners until the home owners or UMA is exhausted. Since both are primary both pay their share.

If you do not fly at a club it may be fine. If you do fly at a club there is no coverage for the club or the landowner. You can buy a UMA policy for the landowner, but, it has all the same exclusions that the regular policy does, unlike the AMA policy for the landlord which is a true primary policy with no exclusions.

Ah, yes! You're using Netscape as a browser!

Ask me how many years ago I pointed that flaw out to HQs! :-(

(Hint: it was before this current site went public and I was asked to "take a look" via a straight IP address.)

Bill Lee

Thanks, Roger.

The District VIII web site costs AMA (out of D-8 budget) less than $100/year.

And it is that site which hosts and supports the AMA online membershp renewal system as well as several other tools for all of AMA.

Less than $100.

Bill

The 49K quoted for the web site needs some explanation. Those that have web sites, know that it doesn't take that much . . . unless they are figuring in the salary and benefits of those that maintain the website on the Muncie pay roll. What puzzles me even more is that the AMA seems reluctant to use expert help from their member pool of talent.

Bill, How hard did you have to fight to get them to use your membership verification tool?

There is so much that Muncie could do better if they just recruited some volunteer help from the ranks . . .But you would need someone with good management skills to take full advantage of this underused resource.

Red S. D-V Leader Member

Personally, I don't see any flaw. The Drop-Down menu simply informs one what items are there. All one has to do is click on any top-of- page option and the site opens to a page where one can continue to pursue the items as one desires. The drop-down is simply information to inform what one will find if one is looking for something. Works for me.

The Competitions section is the best in the business. Very easy to find anything one would want.

The Members Only log in is a pure farce, as I can clear all cookies and then use any name and associated AMA number to enter. Any non AMA person can enter by using an AMA number and name picked up off these or other forums. Still NBFD, as there are no super secrets in that section. Who would give a small rodent[s posterior if everyone went through the section? Just more smoke screen that fools so many that can't get by the hanging chad.

HC

Well, they send all the VPs to the CA. show and charge that to AMA Officer Expense so the "Show" shows more profit. Maybe I am wrong, but isn't the web site contracted out? 501(c) (3) units usually are the best targets for contractors. The units usually pay very well. "Profits" and stockholders are not to worry about. Even in business, same happens. Look at the stuff going on here in Houston. Some real big players are going to eventually do some time. OTOH, what's a 10 mil fine and 10 years when there is another 50 mil. in the bank. Besides when things smooth over, it's easy for some cash to pass under the table and in a couple years, comes the probation thing. Of course AMA ain't yet in that league. Ha Ha. Yep, them accountants don't always get 4 when they add 2 + 2. (;-))

What you mean, Boy? They definitely use the SIGs to do all the NATS labor, volunteers to do all the Contest Directing that keeps the interest, Clubs to do all the negotiations for flying sites, PLUS be the Sales Force to bring in the dues $$. IMO that is making great use of the free labor market.

Now if you're speaking of the administration, they are the top experts and don't want any of your input. They are darn good at making all kinds of rules to screw up as much as possible. They do that so well, and your help is not required. Just like government!

Or it would take someone that will remove oneself from the keyboard and get out in the field and solicit VOTES. SF did well with that technique. I did not do what I knew I should be doing. In the year before no one wanted to face the facts about AMA monies. Management has no reason to be good. After all there is no one that will be replaced. Horrace D. Cain

************************ "A Liberal is someone who feels a great debt to his fellow man, which debt he proposes to pay off with your money." -- G. Gordon Liddy