[chapter-delegates] Fwd: [ISOC-members-announce] INTERNET SOCIETY LAUNCHES EXPANDED INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM

[Alan Levin]

Hi All,

Are there others that would support the setup of a blog/webboard where 
ISOC members can all put their comments about this announcement?

I am going to post a chapter announcement about this global 
announcement.

I would like to add what Franck has sent out asking members to post to 
Lynn. Would anyone else like to collaborate on a joint statement?

Begin forwarded message:
> From: James M Galvin <galvin at elistx.com>
> Date: 3 March 2005 23:27:31 GMT+02:00
> Finally, a few people have called for ISOC to withdraw the new paying 
> membership level.  While I appreciate your passion, since that is what 
> makes Chapters so successful, and I understand your concern that 
> Chapters will suffer if members join ISOC instead of Chapters, let me 
> just reassure you that growing and supporting Chapters and the 
> Associate Members that go with them is a top priority of ISOC.  
> Chapters are the means with which ISOC members act locally in support 
> of a global mission. We need and want the free membership level so 
> that Chapters can continue to do the job they are doing without being 
> burdened by an ISOC fee.

Am I the only one that finds this patronising?

This has nothing to do with 'competition' it has to do with civil 
society, Internet society rights, power and control. We use the ISOC 
global membership application form as our application form. We do not 
charge a fee and we just make it simple for people to join using a 
single form.  We want to be part of a global organisation and these  
ISOC actions and words suggest to me that we must consider separating 
our membership?

On 2 Mar 2005, at 22:41, Franck Martin wrote:
> As Richard is pointing out, the membership fee will see the start of a 
> schism in ISOC.
> As in Open Source may be we should fork? ISOCFE: The Internet Society 
> For Everyone.

If others agree, we're ready to float this idea with our ~250 members 
and could suggest this in the statement and see what the response is.

regards,

Alan





Begin forwarded message:

> From: ISOC Notice <isoc-news at isoc.org>
> Date: 3 March 2005 19:42:31 GMT+02:00
> To: isoc-members-announce at mailman.isoc.org
> Subject: [ISOC-members-announce] INTERNET SOCIETY LAUNCHES EXPANDED 
> INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
>
> PRESS RELEASE:
> INTERNET SOCIETY LAUNCHES EXPANDED INDIVIDUAL MEMBERSHIP PROGRAM
>
> Reston, VA - 1st March 2005 - The Internet Society is pleased to
> announce the launch of its expanded Individual Membership Program.
>
> A new membership level, called ISOC Members, is now available
> worldwide at a membership fee of US$75 annually. Through this
> new membership level ISOC Members have an important opportunity
> to contribute directly to supporting ISOC's programs and activities.
> Membership fees will be used to enable greater support of activities
> that meet the challenges facing the Internet and ISOC today
> - for example the Internet governance debate and the Internet
> standards process. ISOC Members will be reinforcing their
> commitment to ISOC's goals of keeping the Internet open and
> benefiting people everywhere. They will also participate in the
> elections process for ISOC Board of Trustee members and
> further additional benefits are currently under consideration.
>
> ISOC's free membership level will remain just as before and
> will now be called Associate Members. ISOC Members and
> Associate Members will share the goal of supporting ISOC's
> Mission and Principles. All members will have on-line
> access to ISOC's announcements, briefings, and newsletters.
> ISOC's surveys and discussion groups remain available to all
> members. ISOC's Chapter program will continue to help ISOC
> members participate in activities that are both important and
> local to them.
>
> A complete statement regarding the benefits of the new class of
> membership will be sent to the current membership in the near
> future, with specific instructions regarding how to change
> membership status or join at the new level.
>
> The online membership application for both levels is available at:
> www.isoc.org/members/
>
> ###
>
> ABOUT ISOC
>
> The Internet Society (www.isoc.org) is a not-for-profit membership
> organization founded in 1992 to provide leadership in Internet related
> standards, education, and policy. With offices in Washington, DC,
> and Geneva, Switzerland, it is dedicated to ensuring the open
> development, evolution and use of the Internet for the benefit of
> people throughout the world. ISOC is the organizational home of
> the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and other Internet-related
> bodies who together play a critical role in ensuring that the Internet
> develops in a stable and open manner. For over 13 years ISOC
> /has run international network training programs for developing 
> countries and
> these have played a vital role in setting up the Internet connections 
> and
> networks in virtually every country connecting to the Internet during 
> this
> time.
>
> ###
>
> FOR FURTHER DETAILS
>
> David McAuley
> Membership Director
> E-mail: mcauley at isoc.org
>
> Internet Society
> 1775 Wiehle Ave.
> Suite 102
> Reston, VA 20190-5108
> USA
>
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> resigning ISOC membership.
>
---------------------------------------------
Alan Levin
Tel: +27 21 409-7997


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