I am a member of AML because I've been helping proofread Irreantum
and I wanted to be able to see the final product (that's an interesting
recruitment tactic, actually ;) ). I also felt a little guilty about
participating here without being a member - I had no idea that many
active participants were not members. I am only here as a reader and an
occasional reviewer, not as a writer like many of you are, but I have
enjoyed participating. However, if I were not a member, and I were not
involved with Irreantum, I probably wouldn't be willing to
shell out the money either. I definitely agree that some advance notice
and discussion would have been beneficial.
- Trevor
Jonathan Langford wrote:
I'd like to write about a somewhat wider issue that this
current situation raises.
Katherine Morris wrote:
Marianne (and others),
Thanks for expressing your concerns. You're conflating two issues into
one, however. The AML board did not decide to move the discussion to
another forum in order to charge people for using it. They (1) decided
to move the discussion to a new forum and (2) discussed how this forum
could benefit members.
[snip]
Again, thanks for expressing your concerns.
As a college student with a full load of classes and barely enough time
for a part-time job, I empathize with your financial concerns. I would
hate to see anyone feel like they've been "turned away" from the list
because of money. That was absolutely not our intention.
The problem I see here is that regardless of INTENTIONS, the effect has
been to make a fundamental change--not merely changing the location of
a community, but kicking half or more of its members out--without
opening up the discussion to the members of that community, and with
only two days' notice.
I was thinking that perhaps there had been some prior notice that I had
somehow missed that only paying AML members would be able to take part
on the new discussion board. The comments by other AML-List members
makes it clear that if this was mentioned, it was only in an oblique,
not widely understood--or discussed--way.
I can understand the desire to make paying AML members feel that
they're getting a benefit from their membership. I doubt that it will
serve AML well (see my earlier email), but I can understand the
motivation.
Unfortunately, the way this was done casts the AML governing board
itself in a poor light. Was there any thought of raising this point for
discussion on AML-List itself--the group most affected by the change?
Was there any thought to discussing the possible change with others who
have contributed to AML-List in the past (i.e., Benson and myself), and
might have some thoughts on the issue?
I understand that these issues may have been debated extensively by the
governing board. I would have no way of knowing that, not being on the
board (or in a position to be, given my geography). Unfortunately, it
is cold comfort to know (or believe) that issues have been discussed in
a forum where I have no voice.
Lest this be seen as carping from those who are not the ones actually
doing the work, I would point out that at least three of those who have
expressed these concerns--myself, Ben Parkinson, and D. Michael
Martindale--have EACH dedicated hundreds of unpaid hours to AML. While
none of us is currently involved as a volunteer, we are part of the
pool of past and (potentially) future AML workers. We are part of the
organization's human capital. And at least two of us have intimate
knowledge of the particular issue under discussion: that is, the
running of AML-List.
I do not want to criticize those who have stepped up to the plate to do
the AML governance things that are needed right now. AML very nearly
died as an organization, and I am grateful to those who prevented it
from happening. But I have to say to the board members: y'all are
alienating a lot of us who would like to think of ourselves as part of
the AML community, both with regards to this decision itself and in the
way it has been announced. That's not smart long-term thinking.
Jonathan Langford
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