[Chapter-delegates] [isoc-members-discuss] Fwd: Just another disenfranchisement

[Franck Martin]

Fred and others,

We have been waiting for soooo long a membership management system, 
which allow us to check that people exists...

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.

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...

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!)

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.

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.

Cheers.

Fred Baker wrote:

>On Oct 10, 2005, at 10:30 PM, Jeremy Hunsinger wrote:
>  
>
>>but if the point of a fee is not to support the organization, then  
>>it is to exclude people from participating.
>>    
>>
>
>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 http:// 
>www.isoc.org/isoc/mission/principles/ 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
>ISOC-members-discuss at elists.isoc.org
>http://elists.isoc.org/mailman/listinfo/isoc-members-discuss
>  
>

-- 
Franck Martin
ICT Specialist
franck at sopac.org
SOPAC, Fiji
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"Toute connaissance est une reponse a une question" G.Bachelard

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