[Sigia-l] IAI (now including blatant plug)

[Stewart Dean]

Hi Eric,

In theory the instituted should appeal to me but I'm not convinced by the 
benefits. I know you are not responsible for this but as an IA I find some 
of the benefits aimed more at those who want to be IAs or are looking for 
IAs...

My comments inline.


>
>* * * * * * *
>IAI Member benefits

>- Unlimited access to our industry’s most comprehensive directory of
>IA professionals – almost 1000 members and counting.

Why would I, as an IA, want a list of IAs? I would want that list to be in 
front of those looking for IAs for the team.

>- Unlimited access to IA Institute’s multi-language website,
>including local events calendars

This strikes me as content that should be free.

>- Moderated discussion groups where you can learn about the
>experiences of others, and share your own challenges and concerns

I'll gloss over this.

>- Professional mentoring program that gives you one-on-one contact
>with a seasoned practitioner so you can improve your skills

There are areas I would like to know but am strong in others - the idea of 
having a mentor doesnt appeal. The

>- Scholarships and research grants



>- Downloadable tools to help you improve the quality of your
>deliverables

Deliverables are very subjective - I've never seen any online IA 
deliverables I consider usable. In term of tools - I'm always interested but 
would prefer to know what these tools are and what they do. My feeling if 
they where any good they would be either open source or commerical programs.

>- Position papers, editorials and other documents to help you explain
>the basic concepts of IA to your colleagues and clients

Not a problem anymore I find.

>- Extensive online library to keep you up-to-date with the latest
>methods and best-practices

Potentialy interesting.

>- Direct access to our Job Board where you’ll find hundreds of
>listings for IA positions

For what geographal region?  I doubt it has a hundred Europe/London jobs.

>- Annual salary survey to help you benchmark your earnings against
>those of your peers

I find these counter productive as it depends on what your skills are, which 
country you work in, in what capacity and in which industry.

>- Discounts at industry events

I'm often too busy to attend events so doesnt appeal to me.

The other thing that put me off is that you have to use pay pal to join. Pay 
pal came about to enable online transactions due to the usability of the US 
banking system, it's something I've never used in the UK, even though I use 
ebay a lot.

Stewart Dean