What are the benefits of membership?
On 6/17/06, Brad Patrick <bradp.wmf(a)gmail.com> wrote:
< you get to "belong" and call
yourself a member.
I would say this sums it up well. Not necessarily based on dues; the
definition of membership helps people identify with a group or cause.
Some people like the foundation and would want to be members. Others
would not. Those that would, might be glad to have a little icon or
<cough> userbox to put on their user page, might be willing to answer
some basic information about themselves such as a general survey,
might be glad to have the opportunity to sign up for regular
information or to be reminded about events such as fund drives and
conferences. By making a small effort each year to identify as
members, they would have a stronger sense of participation in the
Foundation.
When becoming a member of my local NPR affiliate, I have the 'right'
to be solicited by them to renew my membership. I'm not aware of any
other rights I have; though I get some member-related swag.
Nevertheless, I feel good about said membership process, better than
just saying "yes, I'm a listener".
As to anonymity...
> in, required or otherwise, I think recent history
has shown that part of the
> lingering appeal to many in the community is that anonymity will be
> respected.
I don't know anyone actively interested in being a member of the
foundation (whatever that means) who wants their identity to be hidden
*from the foundation*. Hidden from other editors and from the general
public, perhaps. I can imagine the former being the case in a
theoretical sense; but I would like to know of a single example so
that we're not setting up a complete hypothetical as a strawman.
SJ