[Chapter-delegates] [Fwd: Re: [isdf] Just another disenfranchisement]

[Patrick Vande Walle]

Franck and Gene,

This has been discussed at length by the board. See:

http://www.isoc.org/isoc/general/trustees/mtg36.shtml
http://www.isoc.org/isoc/general/trustees/mtg45.shtml

As you will see, the board had concerns about the unfairness of the fee
for people originating from developing countries. I note however that
the minutes of meeting 45 mention that "management could adjust the
program to address many of the concerns". So, there is work being done.
Add to that that payment by credit card is unfair by design, but other
methods of payment are too expensive to process. The main issue is that
paying members are easier to identify. We know they exist since they are
paying. This is crucial if the we want legitimate votes.

Non-paying members are identified only by their e-mail address. As long
as it does not bounce back e-mails, we think they exist but we can never
be entirely sure they exist. There is a joke going around saying that
even your pet could be a member of ISOC. When allowing non-paying
members to vote, you risk seeing the election process captured by
specific groups. The ICANN at-large elections is a good example of this.
Although I agree that direct democracy is desirable, it is very
difficult to implement in the virtual world of the Internet.

<Putting chapter hat on>
In my chapter, e-members do not vote. From a legal point of view,
"e-members" cannot be considered as  members. This is prohibited by law,
because a statutory member *has* to pay a fee, however small it is. YMMV
of course.
</hat off>

Best,

Patrick

Gene Gaines wrote:

>YOU BRING UP A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE.
>
>PERHAPS IT IS TIME TO TAKE A HARD LOOK
>AT THE WHOLE ISSUE OF FAIRNESS AND EQUITABLE
>TREATMENT IN ISOC.
>
>THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS ISSUE.
>
>I will reiterate the position I stated some time ago.
>
>I will not pay $75 to be a member of ISOC so long as
>there is no equitable consideration given the cost of
>membership in other countries.
>
>I will be pleased if the Indonesian ISOC chapter would
>permit me to be a member, and would be pleased to send
>them a check for $75 for that privilege.
>
>But so long as a voting membership costs US$ 75 for a
>person from Indonesia, or Nigeria, or Gabon, or any
>country, then I judge ISOC to be an exclusionary and
>racist organization, and I will not "go along".
>
>Failing to protest such inequity is tantamount to
>supporting it.
>
>Gene Gaines
>gene.gaines at gainesgroup.com
>
>On Thursday, September 29, 2005, 6:39:01 PM, Franck wrote:
>
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>>Please confirm the news below.
>>    
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>>I think we were clear that non-paying members will not be second class
>>citizens to ISOC. I hope it is only a mistake.
>>    
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>>Cheers
>>    
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>>On Fri, 23 Sep 2005, Stefan Probst wrote:
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>>>Howdy,
>>>
>>>just saw that ISOC is implementing yet another step of getting rid of any
>>>influence from developing countries: 3 BoT seats for paying members.
>>>      
>>>
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>>>http://www.isoc.org/members/
>>><quote>
>>>The Sustaining Member Level [SP: US $75.00 annual charge] will, in
>>>addition, be able to participate in election for ISOC Board of Trustee
>>>members as follows: once there are 500 such members together with 500
>>>individuals joining under or Organizational Membership plan, this group of
>>>membership will elect one ISOC Trustee each such year (for up to three such
>>>Trustees overall).
>>></quote>
>>>
>>>My English is probably too poor to understand this sentence with the "500
>>>individuals joining under or Organizational Membership plan",
>>>      
>>>
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