ThePortForum.com

For those of you whom receive the newsletter (no ... this is not an advertisement ) I would like to alert you that Derek raised a question for me to ask the Port trade. I thought it was going to be blown over with some simplistic answers from a couple of respondents. I must say I was very wrong.

The answers that Derek's question received are by far and away the most thought provoking and educational I've ever seen from the trade. Now if only they would respond to posts on either Forum, that would be quite fun, but we know that is not going to happen.

Anyway, this is a heads up for you folks to make sure to check it out as it is at the end of the newsletter and I don't want anyone to miss it. Thanks to Derek for a very provocative question ... which was about storing Port in Gaia vs. the Douro and the financial reasons for doing so. and asking for an opinion of which was more advantageous from a qualitative standpoint.

Roy,

Can you post a link to it?

Tom

I'm sure Roy will clarify, but I've just had a look and it seems to say only Subscribers can access it!

Oh well, Derek's question, and the resulting answers may be beyond us for the moment, but thanks for letting us know.

Edited by admin 28 June 2008

FTLOP website suggests the whole question and answer are not yet published but due in next 2-3 days. I think it will be in the subscribers section though.

Roy Hersh wrote:For those of you whom receive the newsletter

Roy's Newsletter and some other things are now subscribers only. Somebody has to pay for them!

Derek: please post here the content that isn’t subscribers only—starting with your original question.

jdaw1 wrote:Derek: please post here the content that isn’t subscribers only—starting with your original question.

Here's a link to the thread:

Derek's Question

Admin: Thank you for editing the post in this thread, I saw it earlier and found it objectionable, if only for the one word. I appreciate your efforts to provide a friendly environment for all here on .

Please let me explain one issue (one last time) before I get into the actual thread. From the end of 2003 when planning , the newsletter ... until April of 2008, I spent those years providing my newsletter and website content (July 2005) to thousands of people in 65 countries, for free. In early 2007, as most of you know, after discussions with my good friend and wine buddy who owns/operates CellarTracker, I followed his strategic advice and asked for "donations." I was very thankful for those that helped to support my efforts and time spent on providing the concept material ... now over 40+ pages in each newsletter and plenty more on the homepage.

Derek and others here, were very direct with me last year and let me know that they would much prefer a subscription basis as they felt it was far more "transparent." I heeded that advice and after nearly four years with little to no real income (beyond a six week project every year) changed to a subscription to defray some of my costs and provide me with the *wife points* so that I could keep my Port writing and web presence going. I certainly am not apologizing for trying to make a semblance of a living, but thought that this explanation might temper some of the gentle disdain I sense, for charging $ for a small portion of what I do.

There are ONLY 4 things on that are for subscribers only:
a. the newsletter
b. access to my TNs
c. ability to upload photos to PORTraits
d. a little if ever used PP Forum that is a non-sequitur

That is it. 90-95% of the website's content is open source. So, I hope that for the last time, people will understand that no income would've absolutely resulted in the closure of FTLOP's website and newsletter as there was no way I could continue to compensate folks who devote their time and energy to administering the site, plus the mounting operational and developmental costs.

We continue to add content and innovate and on Tuesday, PORTfolio, a new Port financial resource will go live on the site ... open to all, in collaboration with a Canadian company.

Now ... onto A Question for the Port Trade. As currently, 23% of The Port Forum members are subscribers to , I thought it germane to alert those folks as to what was coming up ... including Derek himself. It is my belief that the information contained in the responses from the Port trade, are extraordinarily enlightening and Derek's question provoked the most detailed answers I have ever seen come from the trade. I wanted to thank him HERE publicly -- for having raised such a fantastic topic and I hope that those who care to read their responses will make sure to actually read the newsletter that they already subscribe to. This in no way, was meant to pander to those that don't subscribe, as of course, they've already made up their minds. No harm, no foul.

Ben Read is correct, and the next newsletter will not be launched until June 30th or July 1st, but a "heads up" a couple of days ahead of time was nothing more than that.

I thank you all for allowing me the privilege of sharing my thoughts here!

In a gesture towards Port lovers everywhere ... if you will send me an email at roy@fortheloveofport.com ... requesting a copy, I will send you not only A Question for the Port Trade so you can see what the great responses to Derek's question is all about, but the full 52 pages of Port reports that went into this month's newsletter.

Fair enough?

Very generous - does that mean that the next newsletter has just been issued? I haven't finished reading the last one yet!

AHB wrote:Very generous - does that mean that the next newsletter has just been issued? I haven't finished reading the last one yet!

Indeed, generous, and RAH sent me a copy without being prompted. Thank you. But, as Alex hints, it’s a job reading them (so must be even more of a job writing them).

Roy Hersh wrote:As currently, 23% of The Port Forum members are

Somebody is watching carefully.

Alex,

Yes, the newsletter were converted back in April to release on the first or second day of the month instead of towards the end of the month.

I know the last newsletter was the typical size of 40 pages or so. This one is larger at 52 pages and I have a feeling that is why Julian commented that there is a lot to read. There are probably 60 TNs in the issue too, which adds space and photos do too.


Julian,

As you know from our past correspondence, having your email made it easy to send to you and I figured at worst you would just delete it. ; P

Again, the offer is open to Alan or others in that thread, actually anyone on The Port Forum who would like a copy of the full newsletter just email me (no PM please) and I'll send it straight away. I had Jacob's email so sent him a copy too.

As to the 23%, the day that the questions were raised in this thread, I checked the memberlist to beable to do the math, which was quite easy.

Roy