RE: PSUBS Organization

[Brian Danielson <BDANIELS@stb.com>]

Just a few comments :

In reality, being associated with PSUBS means essentially squat to
anyone outside the group, with or without 'business' cards. Without any
official body sanctioning the members through some set of specific
requirements (which, for building a psub, would be a set that most would
probably not qualify for), then all you have is an 'interest' group.
Which, in reality, is what PSUBS is.

Secondly, and I speak from experience here, setting forth more
organization can have the effect of creating a monster that ends up
requiring a lot more of the 'members' efforts to feed it than a simple,
more unofficial group does. The net effect is an animal that sucks the
members dry of time, patience, and worse, and ends up turning an
interest (okay, for some, an obsession) into a big problem that kills
the original intent.

I think 'business' cards are fine for those that want them, and it would
make sense that all who do want them share a common basic card design to
which they can add their personal information as appropriate. Such a
card is a simple means of providing contact information that 'looks
nice' and implies that you are reasonably serious about what you are
intending to do as it relates to PSUBS, and that you are in steady
contact with others like yourself. Beyond that, the cards would tend to
serve no useful purpose and surely do not present oneself as qualified
for anything.

Just some thoughts... would like to hear others...

Brian.


> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Jonathan Wallace [SMTP:jon@whoweb.com]
> Sent:	Thursday, May 14, 1998 11:07 AM
> To:	personal_submersibles@psubs.org
> Subject:	PSUBS Organization
> 
> 
> I have concerns about "just anyone" representing PSUBS and
> have been wondering if we should start thinking about organizing a
> bit more officially.  In other words, without structure, what exactly
> does having a PSUBS business card mean?  Anyone who wants to can go
> out and make up their own cards right now without permission from
> anyone.  In fact, everyone could have their own "version" of a psubs
> business card.  We have no organization or structure, we only have
> the mailing list to bind us.  Is that all we need?
> 
> For discussion purposes, I thought we might be able to talk about
> structure by differentiating between "Members" and "participants".
> 
> Participants would continue status quo, and have full access to the
> web site and mailing list.
> 
> Members would "register" and be trackable.  So when "Joe Member"
> went someplace and that place tried to contact the organization
> for whatever reason to see if "Joe" was legit, we could say
> "Yes, Joe Member is an official member of the PSUBS organization.".
> 
> We could provide members with a "yourname@psubs.org" email address
> that they could put on the "official" PSUBS business card as well
> as "Participating Member since 199X" wording or something similar.
> 
> I don't want to create a politicized organization with a bunch of
> red-tape crap and dictators.  We don't need that and it would doom
> what has been built up now from a handful of people to a group 
> that now reaches around the world.  Our simplicity is our greatest
> asset, but at the same time, disorganization can be a liability.
> 
> What do you all think?