[Sigia-l] The Menace

[zapolsja at WellsFargo.COM]

	Patrick Neeman wrote:

> While I actually joined the AIFIA thing (thirty bucks, and it furthers the
> field, that's great!) I also believe some valid points
> were made about what might be perceived as a way of getting more money of
> a community that already has paid a lot of money in books,
> other memberships, et al to the same group that formed this new
> organization.
> 
And also wrote:

> - Claiming AIFIA members aren't making money off of it is invalid when the
> first book is sold.
> 
> 
> 
I think the books have nothing to do with AIfIA, frankly.  While I won't
argue that folks like Lou and Peter, Christina, and Jesse won't sell any
more books as a result of their relationship with AIfIA, I don't think the
desire to have more people purchase their books was cause for their
association with AIfIA.  The two may have some correlation, but this isn't
bad in my mind.    Writing books is part of what people like Lou and Peter
do for a living, just as practicing IA is what many of you on this list do
for a living.  If raising the profile of information architecture helps to
grow the field such that there are more opportunities for IA practitioners
of all kind (those who write about it, those who sell it to companies, those
who practice it in-house, etc.) to profit from it, I don't think that's a
bad thing, as long as the practice retains its integrity as the field grows.
I somehow doubt that anyone would complain if they got a raise because their
boss suddenly thought that what they did was undervalued and decided that
the company might spend a little less on the CEO and a little more on IAs.


My point isn't to suggest that AIfIA is about helping IAs get paid more.  It
isn't.  But it's wrong to suggest that if IAs (those part of AIfIA or not
part of AIfIA) do get paid more (in salary, from royalties, from consulting
fees, whatever) as an indirect outcome of AIfIA's activities that the people
who worked to help found the organization should be criticized as profit
mongers.   If you really think being part of AIfIA will help you make more
money, you're welcome to join, as long as you're willing to put in some
work.  That you contribute something is all we really ask.   In fact, to
help the practice of IA grow, you don't even have to pay the membership fee
to AIfIA.  You could just help make something useful and volunteer it to the
community.  For free.  But for those that find that prospect too daunting on
their own, AIfIA exists to help connect them with other folks who share
similar interests, and allow the small efforts of many to contribute to a
much larger whole.  And while you do have to pay to become a member, we're
certainly willing to promote the work of non-members if we believe in its
value.  (note the sample case studies posted on aifia.org for example, all
by non-members)   So rather than criticize people who puts years of their
work into writing with the belief that it would help practicing IAs, simply
because they might profit from that work, use the energy instead to do
something constructive yourself.  You just might get something out of it...

-jz