From: William Plotner <gardens@molalla.net>
Sent: Jan 19, 2007 9:42 AM
To: aisdiscuss@aisboard.org
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Online Membership
I will add to this,
We also already have regional membership chrm. That should be
their
job as
the AIS membership chrm already sends this list to them and I am
sure
that
it is available to the RVP's.
All MY Best
Will
----- Original Message -----
From: "K. Loberg" <loberg@adelphia.net>
To: <aisdiscuss@aisboard.org>
Sent: Thursday, January 18, 2007 11:38 PM
Subject: Re: [AISdiscuss] Online Membership
Bob, Your comment about a "high tech way" is valid to consider.
Going from what John's proposal indicates, "The easiest
implementation
would allow anyone to get the region list", I can tell you it would
take
me
about 15 minutes to load that region list (from the web) into a
database.
And, combined with a number of public databases which can be
purchased, it
might take me another 20 minutes to 1 hour to match and extract
addresses
such that I'd have a new mailing list. High costs? Not really,
I
know
of
places to get public mailing lists from local government for very
low fees
(I worked for County government for two decades and I used to
provide
those
lists to entities who purchased them.)
So I don't want anyone thinking this is impractical or hard to
do,
because I could do it. I'm pretty sure there are commercial
vendors who
sell the "matching" service on a state wide basis.
So I don't understand the need to make this available on the
AIS
web
site. Does the membership secretary get a large number of
inquiries that
we're trying to eliminate or reduce? If the primary purpose is to
serve
the RVPs and affiliates, I suggest announcing the list web location
privately, and not open to the public on the AIS web site.
Sending
the
list via email is an easy alternative.
Are other plant societies doing this on a large scale? I'm
just
curious
to know.
Perhaps membership should be asked if they want their name
published in
a
public list. There could be a check box on the renewal form
giving
their
permission.
I appreciate John's thoughts for the unprotected approach for
simplicity
sake. I'm very hesitant as to whether it should be public.
Kitty Loberg
----- Original Message -----
From: <bobplankmail@aol.com>
John raises a valid issue. We do need a written Privacy Policy
(and
a
Liability Disclaimer Policy) covering the Internets.
I quote below from "Guidebook for Directors of Nonprofit
Corporations,"
second edition, published by the American Bar Association (2002).
"Confidential Information. The nonprofit corporation should also
exercise
care to protect its confidential and proprietary information.
Employees,
volunteers, and others may have access to trade secrets or
confidential
information such as donor or member lists, personnel information,
medical
records, patient or client information or other data or materials
that
must be kept confidential. The nonprofit corporation should
adopt a
confidentially policy and should take reasonable precautions (such
as
passwords, limited distribution, stamping materials 'CONFIDENTIAL'
to
protect against unauthorized dissemination of the organization's
confidential information." Page 159-160; Emphasis added.
Privacy is a hot button issue with many. The laws vary from state
to
state and are not static. That's not to say that a member list,
without
addresses, is "confidential information." So far as I have
determined,
such a list presently by law is not "material that must be kept
confidential."
I'm inclined to agree with John Jones, favoring the "simple
unprotected
approach just like the SJI does," because I do not view widespread
dissemination to be a commercial practicality because of the high
costs
that would be involved in matching my name with an address. I
would
object
(mildly) if it turns out that there is an inexpensive high tech
way
to
do
so, and as a result I got a flood of Invitations to Join from the
orchid,
rose, hosta, daylily, cactus, and gourd societies.
Since the law does not appear to be determinative of the matter,
it
should
be decided on other grounds, such as (a) whether rank and file
members
would strongly object on privacy grounds to their names, without
addresses, being available on the AIS web site; and if so (b)
whether
overcoming such possible objections are outweighed by the
complications
of
password protecting the data; or (c) whether just to continue
providing
the lists to the RVPs by mail or fax on hardcopy, and to continue
relying
on the members' own resources, or the RVPs, to remind them of the
need
to
renew.
Bob Plank
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