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Grex > Coop11 > #146: Results of the 1999 Board Election | |
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| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 90 responses total. |
spooked
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response 19 of 90:
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Dec 17 02:35 UTC 1999 |
Thanks Daniel (dang)
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janc
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response 20 of 90:
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Dec 17 03:02 UTC 1999 |
I'm willing to consider Presidenting or Secretaritizing next year. I've
done both jobs before though, so a new face would be nice.
Pre-Arlo I'd have been willing to Treasurify, but post-Arlo I just can't
see where I'm going to find the time. It isn't really all that much
time, but even finding an hour a week is beyond my capacity these days.
I'd encourage Greg, Eric, and John to think about the treasurer's
position.
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janc
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response 21 of 90:
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Dec 17 03:04 UTC 1999 |
I think this confirms two of my basic theories about getting elected on
Grex: (1) Post a statement, (2) Don't post a statement saying you don't
want the job.
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gypsi
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response 22 of 90:
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Dec 17 05:13 UTC 1999 |
Oh, I apologize. I thought people kept their offices for consecutive terms
unless they wanted to leave it. My mistake... =}
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keesan
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response 23 of 90:
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Dec 17 20:49 UTC 1999 |
(3) go to one meeting. Everyone who did, got elected. It demonstrates a
basic interest.
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scg
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response 24 of 90:
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Dec 18 00:49 UTC 1999 |
Some who didn't get elected have been to board meetings.
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jep
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response 25 of 90:
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Dec 18 03:26 UTC 1999 |
Thanks to everyone who ran, and congratulations to those who won seats
on the Board!
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mooncat
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response 26 of 90:
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Dec 21 13:59 UTC 1999 |
(<coughs politely> I went to a meeting... <grins> Course it was the
final night of voting...)
Congrats to those who won. :) I know you'll do well.
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richard
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response 27 of 90:
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Dec 21 17:49 UTC 1999 |
why not change the bylaws so one board member position is an "at-
large" position who could be voted on by all grex users, not just
members in a separate election. Wouldnt be unlike a city council where
there are usually one or two council members who dont represent
districts, but are voted on "at-large" by the entire city population.
This would increase the likelihood of diversity on the grex board. And
we are only talking about one position on a seven member board, so
the membership wouldnt be ceding any real power.
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keesan
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response 28 of 90:
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Dec 21 21:37 UTC 1999 |
Grex does not have districts, it has people who feel grex is worth supporting
monetarily, and people who do not (or cannot afford it, meaning they live in
poorer countries). I would not be opposed to having one additional board
member elected by non-paying grex users, on the condition that this member
did not vote on grex policy, just attended meetings. The non-voting board
member could be elected from a pool which includes non-paying grex users.
I repeat my offer of six dollars' a month worth of work to any local grex user
who thinks they do not have enough money to become a grex member. Or a
'scholarship' to anyone too ill to work one hour a month for me.
Non-smokers only.
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albaugh
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response 29 of 90:
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Dec 21 22:05 UTC 1999 |
(richard forgot to take his grex-tourette's medication again...)
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gypsi
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response 30 of 90:
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Dec 21 22:47 UTC 1999 |
<laughs out loud>
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richard
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response 31 of 90:
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Dec 21 22:58 UTC 1999 |
but see grex does have users who dont become members for other reasons--
such as international users in places like India where $6 a month is a
lot more money and its difficult to convert their currency into dollars.
Or users who live out of the area and decline to become members because
it isnt physically possible to come to meetings and voice opinions about
how the money is being used.
Having one seat out of seven, just one, as an at-large would not dilute
the paying memberships ability to exclusively make policy.
I guess the underlying question, is that if dues are defined as "donations"
and as being "voluntary", how do you call them "mandatory" for membership
at the same time. There is no such term as "voluntary mandatory" If
grex was really enlightened, membership would be open to anyone who is
willing to provide validation of their identity and has been a user of
grex for six months or more.\
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don
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response 32 of 90:
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Dec 21 23:40 UTC 1999 |
That's not it. Membership is a reward for voluntarily giving up your money.
I know I have a really good analogy somewhere in my head, but it's not coming
out right now...
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gypsi
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response 33 of 90:
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Dec 22 00:31 UTC 1999 |
To use your examples, if someone isn't a member because they're from India
or out-of-state, chances are they aren't going to attend a board meeting.
Board meetings are open to the public, which include non-members. They don't
get to vote. How would being a non-member, non-voting member of the board
be any different?
You donate money to Grex and gets perks. That's like donating money to PBS
and receiving a monthly newsletter and discounts at bookstores. Or, like
donating money to a marching band for a little card that gives you 15% off
at area music stores. Think of it that way.
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other
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response 34 of 90:
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Dec 22 00:39 UTC 1999 |
try this: your donation represents sufficient evidence of responsible
goodwill toward grex that it is what qualifies you to be eligible to serve
on the board. though that donation does not in any way constitute proof, i
think it is reasonable to ask a certain minimal financial commitment to the
organization before the responsibility of board membership can be conferred.
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spooked
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response 35 of 90:
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Dec 22 01:09 UTC 1999 |
Two points:
Richard's suggestion, even if it had merit, wouldn't work in practice as
user's are annonymous, and someone could vote themselves 100 times in
different accounts.
I think there has to be more incentive for non-local Grexers to take up
membership. Sure, they can vote in election, but they can't stand on board
because they're non-local. Outbound Internet services aren't significant,
because they would've had to have telnet to reach us in the first place -
similarwith other Internet services.
Just food for thought.
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cmcgee
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response 36 of 90:
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Dec 22 15:34 UTC 1999 |
Er, I'm not sure that the current "incentives" are really what cause local
users to take up membership.
I support Grex for the same reason I give money and time to other service
organizations: they are doing good, and I like the good they do slightly more
than the good done by organizations I don't have enough money to donate to.
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keesan
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response 37 of 90:
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Dec 22 17:04 UTC 1999 |
I support grex because I want it to continue existing.
Sarah, you got my little joke about non-voting board members.
You do not have to attend board meetings in any capacity in order to discuss
grex policy issues. Join coop. Present your ideas to the board members
and/or the voting members.
How many grex users from India voted (as non-members) in the last election?
That was a good point made about anyone being able to open 100 new accounts
to vote for themselves anonymously.
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gypsi
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response 38 of 90:
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Dec 22 17:41 UTC 1999 |
Yeah, I hadn't even thought of that. I had wondered why you had to be a
paying member to vote (besides it being a perk), but that makes complete
sense. You can regulate it based on the list of members. If there are x
amount of members, there should be x or fewer votes.
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richard
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response 39 of 90:
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Dec 22 23:09 UTC 1999 |
you could open voting to all "validated" users (those who send in proof
of identification to validate their login) Then all validated users
would be eligible to vote for the at-large board post, while only the
paying members would be allowed to vote for the other six.
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gypsi
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response 40 of 90:
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Dec 22 23:11 UTC 1999 |
Do you have any idea what a pain in the ass that would be? Besides,
they could create fake ids and send in photocopies of their friends'
ids.
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gypsi
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response 41 of 90:
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Dec 22 23:23 UTC 1999 |
Oops...ambiguity... by "fake ids" I meant "fake account names", not
fake drivers licenses or state ids.
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spooked
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response 42 of 90:
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Dec 23 02:19 UTC 1999 |
I support Grex also because I think it's cool and want to see it continued
existence. I certainly gain nothing from the Internet services (I never need
to use them, having faster connections for free where I am). The voting is
neat, though I am one of a very few International Grexers to have met quite
a few local Grexers. I'm just suggesting that some people, not me, are driven
by incentive (and not just warm-heartedness), and we could do well to
*consider* this issue in bringing more non-local memberships in.
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mary
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response 43 of 90:
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Dec 23 02:57 UTC 1999 |
When you start encouraging members to join, for perks, you then
start selecting for voting members who think perks are great and
wonderful things. In time I suspect a majority opinion along those
lines would leave us with a less diverse community which sees Grex
more like a for-pay than a non-profit service.
My opinion - we don't need members who are here for perks.
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