Re: [atlarge-discuss] Membership fees

["Richard Henderson" <richardhenderson@ntlworld.com>]

I think you're right Paul

The only peripheral 'sweeteners' for contributing money should be things
like a public acknowledgement, or a webpage profile, or advertising, or
things which do not effect the fundamental all-equal democratic impulse for
a bottom-up users' organisation

Membership itself - and particularly the right to participate and vote -
should be open to all... the other way we will put off thousands, and
devalue the real strength of our democratic argument

We should avoid - at all costs - "being like them"... if you play their game
by their rules, they always win!

We should not be a sophisticated club, we should be a people's movement - a
people's movement full of information and driven by the case for democratic
representation in the way *our* internet is administered

Yrs,

Richard H

----- Original Message -----
From: Paul <notmyopinion@btinternet.com>
To: <atlarge-discuss@lists.fitug.de>; <sirenj@earthlink.net>
Cc: Paul <notmyopinion@btinternet.com>
Sent: Sunday, June 15, 2003 1:25 PM
Subject: Re: [atlarge-discuss] Membership fees


> I'm not so sure this is a good idea...
>
> Jan Siren wrote:
>
> >Walter Schmidt wrote:
> >
> >
> >>On Sun, 8 Jun 2003, Dassa wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>But their could be two or more classes of membership.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>   ...Dassa, a good idea! We could also:
> >>
> >> - Set suggested contribution levels by country
> >> - Those who join, join.
> >> - Those who join and contribute the minimum get a
> >>Certificate-of-Membership, along with...
> >> - Those who contribute at the Sponsor level get...
> >> - Those who contribute at the Major Sponsor level get...
> >> - Those who contribute at the Key Sponsor level get...
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >
> >Not bad.  In my view:
> >
> >"Those who join" can participate in (non-binding) on-line opinion polls.
> >
> >"Those who join and contribute the minimum..." can join and chair
committees, have voting privileges including eligibility to vote for Board
members, and can stand as candidates for the Board.
> >
>
> That doesn't sound very egalitarian. It reminds me of the "all about
> money" approach of too many interational standards bodies. I prefer the
> IETF approach, myself.
>
> I know that things cost money, but that sort of entrance fee for
> democracy just seems wrong. I don't like the idea of the more you pay,
> the more democracy you can have.
>
> I guess there are things we need money for, and it has to come from
> somewhere. I work with some organisations that do quite a lot with
> little or no money. There is an important difference between being
> professional and efficient on the one hand, and paying commercial rates
> (particularly western or US commercial rates) on the other. It's
> important not to lose that distinction!
>
> Perhaps I'm an idealist?
>
> regards,
>
> Paul



---------------------------------------------------------------------
To unsubscribe, e-mail: atlarge-discuss-unsubscribe@lists.fitug.de
For additional commands, e-mail: atlarge-discuss-help@lists.fitug.de