Re: [Fsfe-uk] Membership

[ian]

On Sat, 2003-05-24 at 10:59, MJ Ray wrote:
> ian <address@hidden> wrote:
> > Actually, I joined the AFFS so how did you know I wasn't a M$ spy
> > planted to disrupt? ;-). There isn't actually a vetting system at the
> > moment to check members understand the details of the GPL etc is there? 
> 
> No, but without a working set of orders and rules, things are arbitrary
> enough to deal with anti-free members if we need to.


We are bound to get disagreements as the organisation grows. It happens
in all political organisations - just look at New Labour! The working
set of rules and orders need to evolve to further the aims. Life is full
of risks but some risks have to be taken, without risks there is no
change. I would have thought people joining to be malicious is a very
low risk and not worth putting before the potential benefits of mass
membership.

>  Longer term, that
> needs addressing, but I failed in trying to sort that out early on. 
> Committee members can be removed for working against our aims, although
> not too easily either.

Probably no more difficult than for Tony Blair to sack Claire Short ;-)

> > All this aside, has the AFFS set targets for membership? If so what
> > strategies are there for recruitment? (Maybe I should have asked that
> > first before muddying the waters with associate membership :-) )
> 
> No targets afaik, apart from a fuzzy "all computer users" one.  I'm not
> sure that there is a recruitment strategy either yet, so please help!

I think we have to sort out from these discussions what in principle is
acceptable to the AFFS. If we do that then we have a broad mandate for
action. Recruitment strategy is no different from planning say a new
app. You don't just say we'll make a new DTP application without
breaking the problem down into small sections and setting targets to
complete these. That is why a federated model is attractive. It gives
some independence but makes maximum use of existing links and networks.
Just like free software development really :-)

-- 
ian <address@hidden>