The page I linked to in my opening email - http://uk.wikimedia.org/wiki/Membership/Promoting - discusses this exactly and suggests how we could describe the benefit of membership to potential members.

So, to return to Stevie's point, when Gordo, says:

"This issue is not about privacy or openness. It is about what a member gets that others do not.  At the moment, voting at the AGM comes to mind, paying dues and not much else." (my emphasis) the question that historically we haven't answered is: should members get privileges? 

How does that square with the fact other wikimedia chapter memberships don't really seem to get specific benefits and privileges? Would it be consistent with what the movement and our chapter in it are trying to achieve? 

I think the answer is 'probably not'. It's not up to me to decide, but I don't think we can afford to keep getting stuck/vague on this point. It will harm recruitment.  

I think the descriptions of what people can gain through joining that I laid out on the page sum up why new and established editors would benefit from becoming members without offering them discounts, private emails, special extras etc. 

I am up for the idea of a lapel pin though - it might be nice for people to have this to demonstrate their support. 


Katherine Bavage 
Fundraising Manager 
Wikimedia UK
+44 20 7065 0752

Wikimedia UK is a Company Limited by Guarantee registered in England and Wales, Registered No. 6741827. Registered Charity No.1144513. Registered Office 4th Floor, Development House, 56-64 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4LT. United Kingdom. Wikimedia UK is the UK chapter of a global Wikimedia movement. The Wikimedia projects are run by the Wikimedia Foundation (who operate Wikipedia, amongst other projects).

Wikimedia UK is an independent non-profit charity with no legal control over Wikipedia nor responsibility for its contents.



On 28 June 2013 15:37, Gordon Joly <gordon.joly@pobox.com> wrote:
On 28/06/13 15:31, Stevie Benton wrote:

Thanks for your email. The membership email is made openly available in accordance with our values. To ask a genuine question, do you think members in general would prefer it to be private and would you prefer it to be private?


This issue is not about privacy or openness. It is about what a member gets that others do not. At the moment, voting at the AGM comes to mind, paying dues and not much else.

Oh, and that warm fuzzy feeling and something to tell the grandchildren about....


Gordo


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