Author: Association for Mormon Letters Date: To: amllist CC: aml-list Subject: [AML] Message from AML's President-elect
Dear AMLers:
In moving the AML list to a discussion board, our intention, as a board, was never to make list members angry nor to cause people to feel disenfranchised from the Mormon literary community. We simply wanted to move the AML list into the 21st century and employ the most current, and popular, technology. As a board, we all viewed the AML list as a "perk" of membership, even though we have not regulated that perk by requiring membership. In moving the AML discussion onto a more public forum we wanted to ensure that it reflects the opinions of AML members rather than those of the general public or those with less than noble intentions. I think we all know how easily these Mormon-themed boards can be invaded by people with ulterior motives. We believed that very few anti-Mormon trollers would care to pay the $25 membership fee in order to disrupt the discussion. This was the reasoning behind our decision.
We have, it's true, seen declining membership and had hoped that a more public presence would help encourage a more serious commitment to the organization, one that moves people to make their affiliation with AML concrete by paying dues. We anticipated that there would be some ruffled feathers with our move; however, we did not anticipate being so overwhelmingly persuaded by the arguments for rethinking the forum rules. Also, we were as much influenced by the people making the comments as with the comments themselves. The emails from former board members and list administrators carry added weight because we know these people not only have AML's best interest at heart, but they understand the operations of the organization.
I just got off the phone with AML's president, Eric Samuelsen (whose home email is not working at present), and we both agreed that arguments for keeping the discussion board open to both members and non-members are convincing and have decided to revise the rule. We will now allow all who care to contribute to the discussion to post on the board. However, to ensure the public presence of AML members is truly distinguished from those who are not members, we will be designating each user as either a "member" or a "visitor." We will also require that your user name be the same as your real name, so we do not have anonymous posters.
We do urge those of you who have not yet joined the Association of Mormon Letters to consider joining. And those of you who have let your memberships lapse, we hope will renew your memberships. If you care about quality literature, drama, poetry, film, art, or music, AML deserves your support. It is, I believe, one of the most venerable and relevant institutions within our Mormon community. It is almost unique in avoiding the polemical winds of our time, while maintaining its integrity. It has fostered discussion without creating enemies. It has promoted art while accepting varying conceptions of art. It has promoted standards of quality without becoming dogmatic, about either principals of faith or art. And, most important, it has fostered community.
We hope you find our new AML living room a warm and inviting place to gather and converse. Please enjoy yourselves, but please also avoid tracking mud onto the carpets, spilling Postum on the couch, or breaking Aunt Matilda's vase.
