Google Drive Letter Package Solution
Other Benefits
write as much as you want (eg 100 pages w/250 picasa photos and slideshows, etc.). You would never say this with another type of letter package.
easily read on smartphone, tablet, downloaded as PDF or word, etc.
web based - so, you can read some on your iPhone and later some on your laptop, you are not storing images of your friend's children, etc on your laptop that might get stolen. If you buy a new laptop, you still have access to the multi-year package.
only letter author can add, delete, edit, format letter - these actions can be taken by the author 24/7 even years later.
easy to coordinate - make a yearly directory, email just the link and tell folks to drag their letters into the directory.
no need to resize images because they are too big, merge PDFs or Docs into one monster file, set up servers and security, etc.
security is good so people write more freely and are more liberal with including contact info or photos. For more information about security with the Google Drive solution follow this link.
Drawbacks
coordinator cannot assist authors to drag their letters into the correct directory (authors must do it themselves).
it is not super-easy to explain to the group how to add the letters
in any given year, authors can see who already added their letters and may hold back until some magic number has been added.
Note that in early testing, before adopting Google Drive, these drawbacks were not an issue.
You can find more detailed information in subpages shown below.
Optional solutions: using email, postal mail, Google Group email, putting all the letters in one PDF, etc. simply won't allow for a multi-year package. For example, the size of a PDF containing 7 years of letter sets would be so large you couldn't even email it to anyone. You would have to make only one password for the whole group - kind of ridiculous. Password protection with PDFs does not secure the document contents well.
Main BenefitLehlohonolo believes the primary benefit of the Google Drive Solution over other letter package solutions is, over time, you have multiple years of organized annual letter packages that are easily and securely accessed, searched, browsed, etc.
Malealea Band — a Basotho band in Mafeteng. 2008.
Photo: Di Jones - photo under creative commons lic.