[Wikimedia-l] WikiVoyage Association as a thematic organization

[Federico Leva (Nemo)]

Manuel Schneider, 11/03/2013 08:49:
> Am 10.03.2013 20:45, schrieb Federico Leva (Nemo):
>> Chapters have fees because associations have fees; they should follow
>> the laws and customs of their geography and a one-size-fits-all global
>> regulation would be a big mistake. (It might even be illegal in some
>> jurisdictions for some associative forms.)
>>
>> I also question your secondary premise that interested people are left
>> out by fees, and I encourage you to demonstrate this claim.
>
> my point of view is that sometimes it just makes sense to have fees just
> as a principal: If you are a serious organisation you need serious
> people. Having to pay a (small) fee is a certain "filter" to get people
> who are more serious than those who would become a member just because
> it sounds fun and is free anyway.

Yes, and a very minimum filter is IMHO needed if you're serious about 
involving people (rather than just inflating statistics) in order to get 
stuff done and be democratic.
A chapter board member wakes up every morning wondering what interests 
or could interest members more, and periodically chases members one by 
one. It's hard enough with hundreds of possibly interested and dozens of 
slightly-engaged people (in a non-huge chapter), it's impossible if the 
signal:noise ratio it too low. Think of the board members' health, their 
job is a hard one. ;-)

Nemo