Re: July AIS Bulletin for Emembers

[Robert Pries <robertpries@embarqmail.com>]

I am delighted that members should want e-membership. Perhaps we have created something of value. But apparently it is not enough value to pay for it. I am a life member. When I joined with life there was no e-membership. There was no Iris Encyclopedia and there was no Iris Register.  The amount I paid did nothing to provide for these services. Even though there was a period of high interest rates after I joined as a life member these were not enough to pay for all the bulletins I now enjoy. In fact presently AIS looses money on Life members with interest rates as low as they are at present. It is disappointing that Life members would feel cheated. They are receiving services now that their membership did not pay for. To think they cannot help to pay for new services is discouraging. I guess we all want something for nothing. I do not mind paying for things I use. I am sure there are life members who have no internet connections and perhaps cannot afford them. They are proba!
 bly perfectly happy with the bulletin. Originally it was believed that e-members would help to subsidize, at least a little, the costs of regular print membership. Although with the amount we spent on e-membership from, grants, donations, etc. I am not sure it has turned out to help much. But e-members are helping to pay the costs of what print members are getting, but the print members are crying foul that they should get what e-members get all for free. Who is trying to cheat whom.

----- Original Message -----
Gerry,
    I think we should have listened closer to what you were saying
because that 
is what I am hearing now.  Most of the folks that are unhappy
feel like they are 
getting cheated.  They bought and paid for "full"
memberships and now, there are 
things they can't get to unless they pay
again, and again, and again, every 
year.
    I go back to my previous
question and I'll add a few more that I have been 
asked.  

	* What do these
electronic services cost us?  
	* Is the cost covered by our e-members dues?  
* How many e-members do we have?  
	* How much do we need to charge our
regular members for this service?  
    Since my first post, I have received
several additional emails from folks 
thanking me for bringing it up and
stating that they feel the same way.  I 
think there are a lot of people
unhappy about this that just haven't spoken out.

Thanks,

Dana
   
Dana Brown
ddbro@sbcglobal.net
Malevil Iris Gardens & Kennels
www.malevil-iris.com

 I
own a dog and I vote!!

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