[Chapter-delegates] Upcoming board meeting and various things...

[Alan Levin]

Hi all,

On 05 Oct 2006, at 6:16 AM, Franck Martin wrote:
> There is an upcoming board meeting on 11 and 12 November.
> What do you want to know?

Regular reports of membership, and type. How many global members,  
paid/gold members and breakdown per chapter would help improve our  
organizational intelligence.

I would also be keen to get regular information on the business  
models. I have alot of thatin my head but how chapters sustain  
themselves will also be useful, together with any new models.

A little off topic but we're soon launching a Spammer Bounty Hunter  
programme. A reward (of R15k) is going to be offered to anyone who  
manages to get a successful conviction (ito our local legislation  
where Spam is a criminal offence).  Very exciting project idea some  
of you may wish to explore...

> Where do yo want to go?

I would like to see HQ supporting the chapters to become better  
(managed) civil society organisations (ito the pillars of ISOC).

> Yes, the membership system is a high priority, but this is an  
> operational issue and not a strategic/policy one. While I can  
> request an update on the progress in implementing a correct  
> membership system, this will not go too far in strategic discussion.

<rant>
I'm sorry but this is such a legacy problem, I cannot agree that it's  
operational. It may have been an operational issue 5-8 years ago, but  
it's well beyond that now. There has been NO movement on this for  
well over a year.... that makes it extremely strategic. This was  
supposed to be an easy way of assisting the chapters, it's been a  
disaster and I have little confidence that ISOC can actually (or  
wants to) help us as a National chapter.

After being asked if any of our members would represent SA at the  
IGF, I received this from a colleague at a sister (NGO) organization  
- just a couple days ago: "And it really is a shame not to have the  
South African internet governance community or ISOC ZA involved...  
ISOC int is putting loads of resources into the process.. and have in  
fact asked us to speak at one of their workshops.  Why don't they  
invite national chapter with expertise on the matter! I find them  
hard to fathom at times :)"   .... I am so ashamed.
</rant>

Sincerely,

Alan



---------------------------------------------
Alan Levin
Tel: +27 21 409-7997