Dig It – It's Digital!

By Wendy LaFever

It's the biggest InSights news since 1981—and you're reading it here first!

What's This Form You're Sending Me?
In the next couple of weeks, you'll be seeing a mailing from us that your mom, dad or legal guardian should review, sign and return using the enclosed pre-addressed envelope. Why do we need to have them do this? The NRA values your online privacy and, in accordance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), we need to have permission from your mom, dad or legal guardian to keep your e-mail address and other membership information on file.

Although junior shooters and hunters carry on a proud American tradition that goes back hundreds of years, you don't do everything the same way your parents and grandparents did, do you? Your generation has a whole new level of technological savvy that we couldn't imagine when NRA InSights was first published 30 years ago. You're used to being able to go online and have a world of information right at your fingertips, whenever you want.

With that in mind, we've found a brand-new way to make NRA InSights bigger, better and easier to read than ever before. Beginning with the January 2012 issue, we are going all-digital! Starting with the October 2011 issue, each month you'll get an e-mail to let you know that your issue is online and ready for you to read...it's that simple. You'll also continue to receive print copies of NRA InSights through the December 2011 issue. The last print issue will be December 2011. This change will allow us to make America's best junior shooting sports magazine even better while helping NRA save money.

NRA InSights has had a website for many years now (www.nrainsights.org), but we're kicking things up a notch by making your entire magazine available online. What does this mean for you? It means no more waiting for the mail...no more accidentally getting your issue thrown out with the million catalogs that show up every month...no more little brother or sister stealing your copy.

Accessing the new NRA InSights digital edition is easy. When you click on the link in your e-mail, your magazine will open up on your computer screen. It will look similar to a paper magazine, only better. You'll use your mouse to navigate to stories, but you can also zoom in on photos, follow links to other related stories and websites, and even watch short film clips. Worried about being able to share articles with your friends and shooting club? Don't be...you will be able to forward the articles! Plus, because cyberspace is endless, your magazine is going to get bigger! We expect to have at least two extra "pages" a month, with even more room for your stories, photos and more.

So let's get started! We need your help and the consent of one of your parents or guardians to make sure you don't miss a thing. First, we'll need a valid e-mail address so we can contact you to let you know that your issue is ready. Please have one of your parents or guardians call us at (877) NRA-2000, or visit us online at www.nramemberservices.org, to provide the e-mail address to which they'd like us to send the notifications. (Never fear: Your NRA will never sell or lease your e-mail address to anyone else.) Keep an eye on your mailbox, too—we will soon be sending a letter with a form that your mom, dad or legal guardian will need to sign and return to us.

What else do we need from you? Your input, of course! Now that we have more space, what would you like to see us cover? Ideas, story suggestions, tips...lay it on us. Just drop us a line at insights@nrahq.org. We can't wait to hear from you!