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Fred and others,<br>
<br>
We have been waiting for soooo long a membership management system,
which allow us to check that people exists...<br>
<br>
It is so easy to check that the e-mail address entered on the form is
still valid and to request from time to time for the person to re-sign
up and re-affirm its commitment to ISOC.<br>
<br>
I have been spending a lot of personnal time in running PICISOC, this
is my contribution to ISOC, I don't see the value of supporting
financially ISOC, because so far I see an autocratic system, which
relies on the base to support the top. I do value the actions of ISOC
but they are not doing much for the region where I live. I see some
changes however and I'm hopeful. I see some progress... May be I will
change opinion...<br>
<br>
Keith Davidson, summarised well our situation in the Pacific Islands.
It costs USD15 to pay USD5. Take Tuvalu or Nauru, Credit Card are not
processed in the country, you cannot do any fund transfer in USD and
some many more restrictions. USD75 in the Pacific Islands may be
equivalent to USD3,000 for a US citizen (based on average income). ISOC
membership MUST BE FREE! For all these people who are living in Florida
like states (Hi Roblimo,it was a great post!)<br>
<br>
However, I have seen a clear mandate from our members in previous
discussions, if the only way to become an ISOC member is to pay a fee,
then PICISOC and all its 300 members in 22 Countries will leave happily
ISOC.<br>
<br>
If we have a free membership and a possibility for people to support
financially ISOC, we will encourage our members to do so, but we will
never oblige them.<br>
<br>
Cheers.<br>
<br>
Fred Baker wrote:
<blockquote cite="midDDBA1C31-E8F9-4039-A12C-304E16332AFB@cisco.com"
type="cite">
<pre wrap="">On Oct 10, 2005, at 10:30 PM, Jeremy Hunsinger wrote:
</pre>
<blockquote type="cite">
<pre wrap="">but if the point of a fee is not to support the organization, then
it is to exclude people from participating.
</pre>
</blockquote>
<pre wrap=""><!---->
actually, no. It is to know who is participating.
At this point, there is a class of membership that is free. You go to
a web site, perhaps because you got there by accident, and enter some
information. Once you have done that, you are on a list of people who
have done that. But nobody besides you actually knows whether you are
participating, whether you continue to support ISOC's principles,
etc. All we really know is that once upon a time you came to a list
and entered your name.
If you periodically do so, and take the trouble to pay something, you
care enough to continue doing so. And someone can statistically say
"we have so many folks who cared enough to do so".
Personally, it is a matter of some pride with me. I am a member of
ISOC, have been since ISOC was founded, and have paid whatever dues
were laid on me. I have worked with ISOC in a number of ways, my
current status being only the most recent. The words at <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://">http://</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="http://www.isoc.org/isoc/mission/principles/">www.isoc.org/isoc/mission/principles/</a> are something I have put a lot
more money than dues into, and a lot of time and effort.
When I hear people say things like you say here, personally, my gut
reaction is to say "OK, so you want what we have worked so hard for
for free, and the only thing you can think of to do when someone says
it has value is to complain. But you don't value it enough to pay a
very nominal fee.". It's not a good feeling. What we're discussing
here is what ISOC membership is worth, and I think it is worth
something.
I'm among those who would call for a return to having all members pay
a nominal fee.
_______________________________________________
ISOC-members-discuss mailing list
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:ISOC-members-discuss@elists.isoc.org">ISOC-members-discuss@elists.isoc.org</a>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://elists.isoc.org/mailman/listinfo/isoc-members-discuss">http://elists.isoc.org/mailman/listinfo/isoc-members-discuss</a>
</pre>
</blockquote>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Franck Martin
ICT Specialist
<a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated" href="mailto:franck@sopac.org">franck@sopac.org</a>
SOPAC, Fiji
GPG Key fingerprint = 44A4 8AE4 392A 3B92 FDF9 D9C6 BE79 9E60 81D9 1320
"Toute connaissance est une reponse a une question" G.Bachelard
</pre>
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