[Sigmet-officers] migrate to an alternative platform outside ASIST?

[Smalheiser, Neil R]

Philippe publicly raised the possibility of moving the SIG MET listserv not to ASIST but to an independent venue that does not require ASIST membership for participation. (Or perhaps you mean to create a second, parallel listserv which goes both to ASIST as well as to outside participants??)

I think it would be great to allow nonmembers to remain part of the group. However, there are some serious issues that need to be discussed among the officers.

First, are we allowed to do this as part of our charter as a SIG? Is our role as a SIG to foster ASIST first, or the broad community first?  By not requiring membership we are diminishing the potential numbers of ASIST (and SIG) members; viewed another way, the listserv could be viewed as an important reason to pay the membership fees. We are gaining benefits from ASIST and passing them on for free. So, Philippe, please read the charter and rules very carefully and let me know if this scheme will be permissible. If you think it is, then I will approach the hierarchy to ask for permission to set up a listserv that broadcasts beyond current members [or at least grandfathers in the existing audience].

Second, who is volunteering to host the non-ASIST listserv for a significant number of years into the future? Someone needs to step up and make a longterm commitment or else this is not a viable option.

Third, does one need to be an ASIST member to join SIG MET?  Possibly we can see if listserv participants can pay just the latter fee (and get just this benefit, without other benefits of SIG membership which ordinarily go with ASIST membership).

All - let me know your thoughts. I think it is terrible that the migration will lose the majority of our audience, but on the other hand, they really should be ASIST members anyway?!

I will separately write an email saying how to join ASIST and the SIG, regardless of the above.

Neil
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