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Announcement: As a reader of NewMars forum, we have opportunities for you to assist with technical discussions in several initiatives underway. NewMars needs volunteers with appropriate education, skills, talent, motivation and generosity of spirit as a highly valued member. Write to newmarsmember * gmail.com to tell us about your ability's to help contribute to NewMars and become a registered member.

#1 2002-09-04 06:22:11

Adrian
Moderator
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: 2001-09-04
Posts: 642
Website

Re: Instructions for volunteers - How to go about sending letters

So you're a Mars exploration advocate and would like to help First Words? Step right up! What we need right now is for people to send off letters to prominent world figures asking for their 'first words.' To send off ten letters will only take half an hour of your time and a few dollars, and you'll get a warm fuzzy feeling afterwards.

It's a very simple process that I'm sure shouldn't need explaining for you intelligent folks, but to make it absolutely clear, here's exactly how to do it in ten easy steps. Before I start, let me stress that you do not need permission from me to send off letters. However, you must be a registered user on these forums, or else you won't be able to post to threads. If you are now, register here.


1. Download the template letter. It's in Word format. If you don't have Word, reply to this thread and we'll sort something out.

2. Go to the master list of prominent world figures thread and find someone you want to contact. Make sure that that person has not already been sent a letter.

3. Fill in the addressee's name at the top, and your name at the bottom. If the person you are writing to lives in the USA, you can delete the UK return address (beginning with 'Adrian Hon, Trinity College'), but make sure the formatting still looks good. If you are unsure of this, just leave it as it is.

4. If you want, customise the letter to suit the recipient. There's more information on this in the template letter thread.

5. Alter the page layout/setting in Word so that it corresponds to the size of printer paper you are using (e.g. legal). Make sure that the entire letter fits on one page - if it doesn't, try altering the page margins.

6. Don't alter the text of the letter, or the font or text size. It took us ages to get it like that  smile 

7. Before printing the letter, go and check the master list again, just to check again that no-one has written to your chosen person. Yes, it's unlikely but it's possible.

8. Quickly read through the letter to make sure you haven't made any mistakes, like leaving the wrong name or customization in. Print and sign the letter. Post it off.

9. Go back to the master list and reply to the thread with a post telling us who you have just sent a letter to.

10. That's it! Thanks! Now start again with someone else  smile


You can send off more than one letter at a time if you want - it's quicker to do it that way. Just make sure that the people you are contacting have not already been sent letters - we don't want to annoy anyone.

Remember that you must not email anyone - I'll be emailing people as it's not exactly difficult or expensive to use email, and it looks better coming from an @newmars.com address.

Once again, thanks for your help! If you have any questions, please reply to this thread.



Edited By Adrian on Sep. 07 2002 at 00:58


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#2 2002-09-06 07:53:49

Adrian
Moderator
From: London, United Kingdom
Registered: 2001-09-04
Posts: 642
Website

Re: Instructions for volunteers - How to go about sending letters

Hey guys, I just sent off five letters! It would've been more except I ran out of envelopes, and I intend to send more soon. My verdict - it really isn't that hard at all, and it's quite fun customising the letters (no, really).

It would be a great help if those of you in the US (most of you) could help out writing to people on the list there; posting letters to the US costs more money for me and the delivery time is longer. If you like these forums and New Mars and would like to help out in some small way, please do this! Thanks!


Editor of [url=http://www.newmars.com]New Mars[/url]

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