<div dir="ltr">Special Interest Group idea vs chapters<div>Recently a group of us via the University of Calgary, IEEE and IEEE SIGHT saw it more appropriate for us to create a global group that is a SIG vs the idea of a local chapter in Calgary. The group is global in scope and reach and we all share a common interest in Community WIFI, MESH and HAM Radio vs the idea of local and national policy issues which Chapters tend to have a special interest in their own right<br></div><div><br></div><div>Glenn</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr">Glenn McKnight<br><a href="mailto:mcknight.glenn@gmail.com" target="_blank">mcknight.glenn@gmail.com</a><br>skype gmcknight<br>twitter gmcknight<br>.</div></div></div>
<br><div class="gmail_quote">On Thu, Feb 25, 2016 at 9:07 AM, Sam Lanfranco <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:sam@lanfranco.net" target="_blank">sam@lanfranco.net</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div bgcolor="#FFFFFF" text="#000000">
For progress here we should start by asking the question: What
is ISOC’s role in a local context, and what is a local group’s role
in ISOC?
People have long come together as independent Special Interest
Groups (SIGs) or
Birds of a Feather (BOF), grouped around a common mission or vision,
since the
early days of this digital revolution. The core issue here is how
ISOC and its
chapters move forward within the wider ISOC mission and vision.
There is more
of a win-win in dialogue and collaboration than in silence and
isolation. ISOC
should keep that channel open, not just to IGF, ICANN, WSIS, etc.
but also to regional
and local constituency groups with potential chapter prospects. <u></u><u></u><br>
<br>
For China there are two issues. One is the use of the ISOC
brand, and the other is the distance between its own practices and
the ISOC mission
and principles. There is a middle ground here, apart from the
branding issue. Adherence
to ISOC’s principles is a condition of official chapter designation.
There are situations
where national policy constrains local potential ISOC groups from
adhering to all
of the ISOC principles. It is likely that a number within such
groups see the
ISOC link as a way to stay engaged to activities within those
broader principles.
It is unlikely that they see engagement as just a free-ride on the
ISOC brand. <u></u><u></u><br>
<br>
Many interested groups are not ready for ISOC membership
either because they have not reached critical mass, or because they
face
national constraints. Rather than distance itself from those groups,
ISOC
should promote engagement and dialogue. It might be unwise to
designate such
groups as “pending ICANN chapters” since that would focus on
progress toward chapter
status. It would make more sense to simply designate them as
collaborating
groups and potential chapter prospects. It should continue to engage
them in
dialogue and collaboration within the remit of the ISOC mission and
vision. That is the win-win consistent with ISOC's mission and
vision. <span><br><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888">
<br>
<i>Sam Lanfranco</i><i><br>
</i><i>ISOC Canada</i></font></span></span><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><u></u><u></u><br>
<pre cols="72">--
<small><i>------------------------------------------------
"It is a disgrace to be rich and honoured
in an unjust state" -Confucius
------------------------------------------------
Dr Sam Lanfranco (Prof Emeritus & Senior Scholar)
Econ, York U., Toronto, Ontario, CANADA - M3J 1P3
email: <a href="mailto:Lanfran@Yorku.ca" target="_blank">Lanfran@Yorku.ca</a> Skype: slanfranco
blog: <a href="http://samlanfranco.blogspot.com" target="_blank">http://samlanfranco.blogspot.com</a>
Phone: <a href="tel:%2B1%20613-476-0429" value="+16134760429" target="_blank">+1 613-476-0429</a> cell: <a href="tel:%2B1%20416-816-2852" value="+14168162852" target="_blank">+1 416-816-2852</a></i></small></pre>
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