-----Original Message-----
From: Billie R. McNamara <mcnamara(a)usit.net>
Date: Saturday, January 23, 1999 8:15 AM
Subject: [USGENWEB-ALL-L] Another twist on the "rules"
I feel that this proposed new set of "rules" is wrong. The
"advisory"
board has assumed that it needs to bother itself with monitoring our pages
now. The by-laws, as adopted by the voting membership, very clearly state
in the section entitled ARTICLE IX. GUIDELINES/STANDARDS FOR
WEBSITES/MEMBERS what "standards" we must meet. We, the project
"members,"
consider ourselves bound by those rules and nothing else. The "advisory"
board has no right, under the by-laws, to amend them without a full vote of
the membership. In essence, this is exactly what they are attempting to
do.
In addition to violating our first amendment right to free speech, the
"rules" won't fly for several other reasons. Most interesting is the fact
that they just can't be enforced! According to the by-laws, any
genealogist who is on-line is a member of the USGenWeb project. Some of
you may remember that I brought that up during the whole discussion fiasco.
Anyway, the advisory board can't legislate millions. It won't work. What
sanctions are they going to take against people who are "members" but who
don't have a project-linked page?
ARTICLE IV. MEMBERSHIP
Section 1. The only requirement for membership in The USGenWeb Project is a
desire to assist in gathering and disseminating genealogical and historical
information for free online access by researchers.
What happened to all the talk of bottom-up management? So far, it seems to
me that it hasn't worked, regardless of who's currently in charge. With
each administration, we've had "advisors" who tried (and succeeded in some
attempts) to establish protocols that slammed the door in the face of the
members. If the "advisory" board feels justified in ramrodding this
current document through without input from the membership, I strongly
believe that we, the members of this project, have two options: first, we
can move to impeach the entire board; second, we can ignore their action as
null and void in light of the by-laws.
My biggest gripe is that they are trying to pass something that the by-laws
as approved by the voting membership does not give them the right to do. I
maintain that their attempts to adopt any kind of document that purports to
bind the membership of this project, without a vote of the membership as a
whole, is both a heinous disregard for the members and a totally illegal
action.
ARTICLE VIII. ADVISORY BOARD PROCEDURES
Section 3. The responsibilities of the Advisory Board shall include:
addressing any problem issues as they arise, aiding the state projects upon
request, overseeing elections, advising and mediating, if necessary, any
grievances or appeals, and appointing a Webmaster to maintain the national
website.
I've given my heart and soul to this project for going-on three years now.
I've invested thousands of hours of my life that can never be returned to
me. The "return" was in participation and its inherent rewards. One of
the rewards has been having the ability to speak freely and be a part of
the project's growth. I feel that is being ripped away from me.
I refuse to be a Stepford Volunteer. I am sad to think that, within a few
days, I will no longer be a part of this project if the "advisory" board is
allowed to continue with its current action. It won't be by my choice;
rather, it will be because the "advisory" board's behavior pushed me away.
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