IT WAS about time! Times change and with them, it would appear, also change people's ability and willingness to stick to a task. Northern Dog News had a long run of who knows how many years, Racing Siberian Husky lasted for fifteen years as a mailout newsletter. Seppala Network published half a dozen issues over a couple of years. Seppala News lasted for two issues. Since then, nothing.
Having published a mailout newsletter, I know how much sheer hard labour is involved; I know, too, that it cannot be done well these days without being subsidised out of the publisher's pocket. Postage and printing costs are too high by comparison with folks' willingness to pay for what they get. Team and Trail, I suppose, still exists, although one hardly ever hears anything about it any more. Dogsled racing competitors are at least anxious enough to read the race results to guarantee a paying readership for T & T. But there is less urgency among those of us who care little about racing news. So the community of purebred and recreational dog mushers gets left without a newsletter.
The obvious answer to the dilemma is an online publication. It just takes a little bit of "thinking outside the box." Weblogging software can be used for more than just self-indulgent ranting and journalising!
So powered by MovableType, here is what may well be the prototype continuously-published newsletter for dog drivers! Not quite like any of its predecessors, Sleddog Legacy Online will attempt to offer news, articles, information, opinion, photographs and links to those who are interested in historic sleddog breeds, recreational dog mushing, sleddog training, dog breeding and genetics, canine health and nutrition, and similar topics. We hope to maintain a broad field of interest while offering in-depth coverage to the struggling sleddog minority breeds such as Seppalas and Chinooks. We shall offer a platform for public announcements and news from associations and websites concerned with such breeds. And we hope for input from those of you out there who share the interests we have just described.
There won't be any "issues" nor any "deadlines" involved. Material will be published as it becomes available, news as it happens, topics as they become relevant, links as we discover them surfing the Web. The newest items will always be at the top of the page. Older items will move down the page and ultimately will be archived (but still accessible). It should be a very flexible and responsive system, and we hope it will be an active one!
There's no champagne within reach -- but here's luck to the new endeavour anyway!
Posted by jjeffrey at August 3, 2005 08:18 PMGreat work Jeff. I know you put your heart and soul into this work for the education of the sleddogs.
Thank you so much