[Sigia-l] Official Launch of the AIfIA

[karl fast]

> | AIfIA has no intentions of being the Borg of IA. We are about
> | connecting things, not engulfing things.
> 
> Somewhere down the line it is inevitable that AIfIA will have to
> make decisions about whether to provide value to its members or to
> produce value to the community at large.

An excellent point. 

We have a responsibility to members. That's the whole point of
membership. And we need members to help us figure out what what
activities and services will provide this value (we have ideas).

However, it is *expected* that some AIfIA activities & services will
benefit non-members. For example, how many people on SIGIA are
members of ASIS&T?

AIfIA is interested in serving (in this order):

  1. The IA community as a whole to further the profession. Members
     and non-members will benefit from our strategic initiatives
     which seeks to legitimize, promote, and advance IA. These
     benefits are directed at the discipline level, not the
     individual level.

  2. AIfIA members. Membership has it's benefits. These are benefits
     for individuals.

  3. Non-AIfIA members. Again, this is at the individual level. So
     some activities may benefit individual members and the
     community as a whole, but not necessarily individual
     non-members.

Does that make sense? 

But you're right...decisions have to be made. These decisions are
made by the board and leadership council, and is driven by members.


> My main concern about a project like this is that it seems to pave
> the way for a "privatisation" of a lot of places which until now
> have been open to anybody who cared enough to join a mailing list
> or read a web page. It would be a shame if that were to change and
> AIfIA were to become an exclusive club for "professionals" in the
> field with a high cost of entry.

Yes, yes, yes.  We are aware of these issues and have discusssed
them. Thank you for raising them (and with such clarity).

Some thoughts:

 - We wanted to get AIfIA "out there" before we got too far along.
   We wanted to lay the groundwork first, then call people to join.
   
 - AIfIA could create it's own "private spaces" with services to
   members. And it probably will. These services must balance the
   needs of individual members with the needs of the IA commmunity.
   As noted above, the IA community as a whole (members or not) has
   first priority.

 - BUT, membership should not become a subsidy for community
   services. What I mean by this is that paying members should
   benefit in ways that non-members do not.  Otherwise, why become a
   member other than altruism? (altruism is good, but that's not the
   point of membership; that's the point of donations).

 - This is a tricky balance. Member services must be beneficial to
   individual members, but not damaging to the community as a whole.
   Members will shape our direction (reason to join). But as our
   first duty is to the larger IA community there must be public
   dialogue as well (like this).

Hope this helps. 

We are (a) listening and (b) trying to engage people in dialog over
these questions and concerns...especially in public forums.
   

--karl