|
Grex > Coop9 > #20: 1996 Board Candidate Survey | |
|
| Author |
Message |
| 25 new of 94 responses total. |
tsty
|
|
response 50 of 94:
| 
Dec 11 06:36 UTC 1996 |
re #35 - your next year's donation to grex will answer the questions,
in full, i hope.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 51 of 94:
|
Dec 11 08:04 UTC 1996 |
As a person that started to pursue a 501(c)3 application for Grex (and I
still have some accumulated papers, though probably obsolete now), the
problem *was* some polarization among members about proceeding - enough to
dampen my motivation to proceed. Those opposed viewed Grex as a club
serving its members, though it is pretty apparent to me that it mostly
serves users for free. I think an application would be successful, though
it might take an iteration or two. One thing that has changed is that,
with BackTalk, the public conferencing Grex provides is more uniquely
charitable than when it was also wrapped up with other services.
|
davel
|
|
response 52 of 94:
|
Dec 11 12:52 UTC 1996 |
Come on, TS, those are reasonable questions. What's *with* you these days,
anyway?
|
kerouac
|
|
response 53 of 94:
|
Dec 11 16:34 UTC 1996 |
#51...exactly! most members seem to see grex as a private club,
a fraternity, but by simultaneously offering its services as a public
service, it is trying to be the opposite. I thought grex was a gift
from some talented AnnArbor computer programmres to the users of the
internet and the community. But it is now obvious that grex is only
open access to the public because there arent enough users otherwise
to keep it viable. If there had been a base of users already in place
to solidly support grex when it was started, I doubt it ever would have
been open access. If there was a way to cultivate and attract new users
without being open access, I bet most early members would have preferred a
dues payment evento get a login id.
|
kerouac
|
|
response 54 of 94:
|
Dec 11 16:37 UTC 1996 |
Or to be more blunt: Open access, and being a free service to the
public, is an ideal to some but a neccesary evil to others.
(set drift=off...back to the questions)
|
popcorn
|
|
response 55 of 94:
|
Dec 11 17:19 UTC 1996 |
I wish you'd been at the Grex founders' meetings. Free, open, public access
was one of our most basic, most important, goals.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 56 of 94:
|
Dec 11 17:22 UTC 1996 |
I should let the founders speak for themselves - but it was pretty clear when
I encountered Grex that the founders *intended* to provide a free, open
access, conferencing system, depending upon believers like themselves to
support it.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 57 of 94:
|
Dec 11 17:22 UTC 1996 |
Valerie slipped in with #55. Valerie is a founder.
|
chelsea
|
|
response 58 of 94:
|
Dec 11 17:26 UTC 1996 |
Valerie and Rane have it 100% right.
|
krj
|
|
response 59 of 94:
|
Dec 11 18:04 UTC 1996 |
"History is bunk." -- Henry Ford (?) :)
|
omni
|
|
response 60 of 94:
|
Dec 11 20:46 UTC 1996 |
In the 4.5 yrs that I have been here, I have not once been pressured, or felt
pressure to donate, or lose access. I think that this is a rare thing in this
day and age. Grex could easily go to pay for play, but the people who founded
it aren't that way.
There is a special community here, and I would hate to see it lost.
|
kerouac
|
|
response 61 of 94:
|
Dec 11 21:34 UTC 1996 |
oh I think the community is special too, or Iwouldnt spend so much
time here. And I'm sure open access was what many of the founders swanted.
Bt runnign from 501(3)(c) status is a straneg way to show that you are a
community and not a private club.
|
chelsea
|
|
response 62 of 94:
|
Dec 11 21:42 UTC 1996 |
I don't see anyone as running from the status. Rather just
wanted to be clearly informed, upfront, about what filing
as (c)3 would do for Grex. We shouldn't just assume it's
a good thing to have because it's difficult to get.
I'd like Grex to consult with a professional after clearly
defining our goals before making any applications for
tax-deductible status.
|
scg
|
|
response 63 of 94:
|
Dec 11 21:42 UTC 1996 |
Telling us over and over again that we're all a bunch of horrible evil people
is a really strange way to show that you like what we're doing here.
|
scg
|
|
response 64 of 94:
|
Dec 11 21:45 UTC 1996 |
Mary slipped in with response 62, which I agree with (FWIW). My last response
was a reaponse to Richard's number 61.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 65 of 94:
|
Dec 11 22:21 UTC 1996 |
Would someone that was a founder of a 501(c)3 corporation, president of two
(for 4 and 10 years), a founder and Secretary of another, and serving on the
board of four, count as a professional? Oh! You mean, they have to have been
*paid* too?
|
chelsea
|
|
response 66 of 94:
|
Dec 11 22:55 UTC 1996 |
Nope, sorry Rane, I'd want to hear from a tax professional
who would be able to tell us how abiding by 501(c)3 would
dictate our practice, whether that be good or bad. I'd want
to know why some organizations, like the Junior League, have
been advised to drop (c)3 in order to better be able to
do their charitable duties without lots of constraints.
I'd want an unbiased opinion from someone who has seen
far more examples of how this works.
|
robh
|
|
response 67 of 94:
|
Dec 11 23:15 UTC 1996 |
Asked to drop their (c)3 status...? Yes, I'd definitely want
to hear what the reasoning behind that was.
|
brighn
|
|
response 68 of 94:
|
Dec 12 01:41 UTC 1996 |
I'd jus tlike to say that 54 and 55 are among the most absurd statements I've
ever seen posted anywhere on the Internet.
|
kerouac
|
|
response 69 of 94:
|
Dec 12 02:27 UTC 1996 |
scg, I have never once said you were all a bunch of horrible, evil
people. sheesh. talk aboutbeing oversensitive!
|
brighn
|
|
response 70 of 94:
|
Dec 12 02:47 UTC 1996 |
*sprinkles everyone in co-op with hapy dust*
You know, people live in destitutiona nd povertya ll around the world, and
we argue so much...
*is on some drug or something, but just let him be...*
|
chelsea
|
|
response 71 of 94:
|
Dec 12 03:05 UTC 1996 |
I misspoke in #66. I don't know anything about the Junior
League's status. It is the Ann Arbor Jaycees which were
advised to drop (c)3 status. This information from the most
recent past president. Not that such information speaks
in any way as to what would be best for Grex. We'd need
to be very well informed how it would conform to our
goals and methods.
|
kerouac
|
|
response 72 of 94:
|
Dec 12 03:12 UTC 1996 |
would grex have to make soem sort of financial committmentto
charitable or community activities to qualify as a 501(c)(3)
could do somethinglike m-net's K12 program
I suppose
|
rcurl
|
|
response 73 of 94:
|
Dec 12 06:43 UTC 1996 |
No, just providing community access is sufficient. Grex also meets the
income rules (more than 1/3 of income from public donations). One gets
more "points" by having specific charitable activities, such as the
purpose of education in the Articles, but there is a lot of tutoring
going on here.
|
rcurl
|
|
response 74 of 94:
|
Dec 12 06:54 UTC 1996 |
Oh yes - re #71: I don't know any specifics about the Jaycees either, but
they are in business to support one another's success in profitable
businesses. I would think they would find it hard to meet the income
and expenditure rules for 501(c)3 status. But I'd like to hear the
details, if anyone has them.
|