What is up with NKCA's website?

Bryan · Post by **Bryan** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 3:34 pm

I wonder what happened with the National Knife Collectors association's website...? It went trrough a pretty dramatic change in design and content a few months ago. Now it is back to the old style... Anybody ever visit them?
http://www.nationalknife.org/default.cfm

Bryan

PA Knives · Post by **PA Knives** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 4:52 pm

HEY!

I heard that you can get in via different address but I don't have it. It was on a knife sales site that I was on. Not sure just what is going on????

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Mon Jul 18, 2005 5:21 pm

That IS strange. I had recently deleted the old site, in favor of the new site, in my Favorites. Now I get an error message with the "New" listing..

Bill

Bryan · Post by **Bryan** » Sat Aug 06, 2005 5:16 pm

I emailed them about this, but never got a response. I emailed again today.
Here is what I wrote...

Hello,

I emailed a question from here about two weeks ago that I did not get a response to. I am a paying member of the NKCA, and I would like to know what is going on with the redesign of the NKCA website. It went through a dramatic change, and now it is back to its original format. The newsletter that was sent out this month was asking me to donate money. I am concerned about how this money will be spent. This project must have cost us valuable resources. Did we decide to scrap the project? Essentially throw away the money??? I am very in tune with the importance of having a successful website. With the growth of the internet, it is unquestionably vital to success. I am concerned about the future of the NKCA.
Bryan

I feel like a troublemaker for sending an email like this, but as a proud member of the NKCA, I am genuinly concerned about the direction that we are taking. One of these days, I would like to be abe to contribute more to the organization, but, I want to make sure that the support is going to the right place.

I hope this does not offend anybody...
I'll post the NKCA's reply if I get one.
Bryan

Bryan · Post by **Bryan** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 3:22 pm

NKCA responded with the following...

Thank you for your e-mail concerning the future of the NKCA and its website.

You are correct, we did in fact have a company that came forward and asked to reinvent the NKCA website. Their offer included no payment up front, but when advertising revenues from the website started coming in, they would accept 20% of those revenues as their payment. They unfortunately did not think that the 20% advertising revenues were enough to make it worth their while to continue working with our Association, so we no longer are working with this particular company and have in fact gone back to our original web host.

Although our old website is not as "spruced up" as the newer site was, we are continuing to have new members join the NKCA and support our organization. We are in the process of updating our website and adding new and inventive ideas and hope that our membership will remain patient while we work with our new designers.

The donations that are sent to the NKCA or the NKM are used to help support our programs and services, such as everyday utilities, rent, staffing, mailings, knife shows, advertising, and other day-to-day expenses. Since more than half of our membership are lifetime members, our monthly revenues are small and that is the reason we ask for donations and sell club knives each year. We only have approximately 4,000 members with 2,800 of those as lifetime members, which pay no annual membership fees. We appreciate your concerns and as many nonprofit organizations, we oftentimes struggle with our financial situation.

As you are probably aware, the NKCA and the National Knife Museum are total separate entities, so the proceeds from the sell of our Museum property are not available to the NKCA. The NEW Museum (in Sevierville, TN) will hopefully help educate the public about the NKCA and its programs and services and we hope that it will enable us to increase our membership tenfold.

Bryan

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 4:07 pm

It is appropriate that you have a nice watchdog as your newest avatar....good job on the letter.

(formerly known as Bill's icon..

.)
I am not so sure about the museum and some of the folks involved...

...but I guess we shall see.

Oh yeah, Bryan.....
It's a good thing you changed your avatar, because you probably would've been banned from post season participation by the NCAA...

Bill

CapCase · Post by **CapCase** » Mon Aug 08, 2005 11:08 pm

Bryan, Thanks for sharing with us the NKCA response to your email. I joined the NKCA this year and their constant begging for money has put me off. I'll probably renew my membership with them next year but, so far, I doubt that I'll be with them after that. I'm not impressed with them. Your website has been a hundred times more valuable to me than my membership in the NKCA. I will give them a chance but if they put another plea for money on the front page of their newsletter I am liable to cancel my membership right then.

Sorry for griping.

James

El Lobo · Post by **El Lobo** » Tue Aug 09, 2005 12:18 am

Hey there James,

I only saw someone else's newsletter, and I too thought it was well, ah, like begging. It has kept me from joining. I guess we'll see what the future holds for NKCA, and the museum as well. I think Rich Langston probably has more historical cutlery than the musuem....

Bill