BOD

[Hulk]

Originally Posted by Trollhole

I think you would get a lot more participation from fringe BOD members if you have a forum for them. Not that the e-mail list is not needed.
It's worth a try. Isn't it?

I have made that point as well. If we're trying to encourage participation, we need to go with what works for the majority. The majority of the Cruiser community prefers online forums to mailing lists. The people have spoken. They vote every time they post to ih8mud rather than the LCML.

TLCA cannot afford to cling to old technology. Everything we can do to foster chapter participation, we need to do. A BOD forum, in addition to the list, might well attract more participation from our silent chapters.

[Green Lantern]

Matt wrote:
They vote every time they post to ih8mud rather than the LCML.

Howdy folks!
I just want to clarify that the BOD and the elected officers & contractors utilize specific mailing lists dedicated to them, not the LCML. Woody also provided private forums for them to use as well. It appears that the delegates, officers, and contractors are happy with the mailing lists.

Member participation is different. I believe 30% to 50% of TLCA membership actively participate on MUD. TLCA is trying to encourage more "silent" members to participate through the website.

Forums are great and I agree we should encourage forum use by our members. Yet, as an officer with restricted Internet usage, I really prefer a mailing list for the BOD. My two cents.
Happy Trails! N

[Romer]

Originally Posted by Green Lantern

Matt wrote:
It appears that the delegates, officers, and contractors are happy with the mailing lists.

I don't know how you can say this Nick. The officers are happy and a couple of the delegates, but I would not agree that everyone else is. Noe even the majority is.

It seems that everytime this comes up the feeling is it's either Bodreps or Forum and it's not. Again, the proposal is bodreps and a forum to augment. Augment in a way that doesn't lose Alan or you. I have talked to jen and forums are no longer a problem for her.
Mt proposal is to use the forum to take things off line to work and then bring them back to bodreps when a proposed solution is reached to run it by Alan and the rest of the BOD.

The forums woody provided are inactive and not in use because of that and not because the bodreps members prefer mailing lists.

I undertsand there are those who prefer e-mail and those that prefer forums. I am trying to propose a compromise to at least see how it works. If you don't like the compromise, propose a different one rather than just saying no.

[Buckru]

A forum for discussion and bodreps for evrything official.

Buck

[Trollhole]

I'll post this in two places to try to cover the mailing list and MUD

Our club wouldn't be as big as it is today without this forum. It is by far the best and easiest way of communicating to our members and sorting out issues. Before this the club had only an e-mail list which I still e-mail information to. But it wasn't nearly as effective as this forum.

I'm assuming in the beginning the TLCA used the phone as the main communication point. At which time it grew and added more clubs. Then it moved to e-mail and the phone. Why? Better communication to sort out to many issues in an one hr allotment. How many people original baulked at the idea of using e-mail at the time? But hey it is the main form of communication for the BOD currently. But even it has a limited life. If you don't look for ways to include more people in the TLCA we all are going to lose.

Sure people are going to say using the forum it is not as easy. But I bet you look back to when TLCA started the e-mail list you would still have gotten the same kind of complaints. Moving these sort of discussions over into a forum cannot happen over night. But if no one complained about it you would never know there might be a better way. Might I say.

Right now IMHO I don't think your getting to everyone using the BOD list. It might be worth posting in every individual chapters section and asking them.

[Green Lantern]

Romer wrote:
"If you don't like the compromise, propose a different one rather than just saying no."


It's not a question of what I like. You don't have to please everyone. You certainly don't have to please me. I sincerely believe that the BOD is okay with the mailing list because we achieve more "participation" with it. By participation I mean more people, not necessarily more enthusiasm.

In my experience, every group has people that are very active and people that lurk. Bulletin Boards have a lot of drama that I find annoying. So, I guess that makes me a lurker. We all have the same vote, no matter how many posts we've logged.

I hope you will make a motion at the next conference call on September 21st. Let's get the discussion on the table and vote on it.

HTH

Happy Trails! N

[Romer]

Originally Posted by Green Lantern

Romer wrote:

I hope you will make a motion at the next conference call on September 21st. Let's get the discussion on the table and vote on it.

HTH

Happy Trails! N

I have sent this to the Bodreps per your suggestion:


There has been a lot of discussion going back and forth on forums vs e-mail lists for a long time. There is a current thread on the forum discussing this. There are two camps. I want to propose the following compromise and place it up for vote at the TLCA meeting. Please recognize this as an attempt to compromise and bridge the gap.

Proposal:
1) Continue use of Bodreps for current TLCA business. Issues and items needing BOD members interaction.
2) Utilize the forum for long term planning and discussion amongst the TLCA for items not ready to be brought to the BOD for a vote or review. The BOD can and likely will participate in the forum discussion. BUT, when a consensus is reached, the matter is brought back to the Bodreps for review and comment.
3) At the Presidents discretion, he can have a discussion taken off line to be worked and then brought back to the Bodreps upon consensus for review/Approval by the BOD.
Thank You for your consideration,

Ken Romer
Rising Sun Delegate

[Romer]

Please note thats what I feel is a compromise. I personally would prefer to delete the bodreps and replace it completely. I know that doesn't work for Alan or Nick. I know Jen can now do forums. I also agree with marshall that it would increase participation. However, I know that will never fly at this time. That is why I offered the compromise.

I consider it a small experiment to at least try it

[Green Lantern]

Cool!

I think you've captured the concerns and priorities very well.
Now, let's figure a way to get those silent clubs to join into the discussions.

Happy Trails! N

[Felix]

Speaking from one of those more "silent clubs," I thought I'd throw my $.02 in.

I think Ken's idea of a BOD forum where the Pres could send issues for long-term development sounds good. Personally, I would much prefer a forum to the mailing list. On the mailing list, especially when there's a lot of back and forth over a long time, I find it hard to sort through and understand when it's in digest mode. When I turn off digest, I get way too many emails.

But, I'll try to participate as much as I can, regardless of the medium.

Felix Stump
Capital Land Cruiser Club

[LIVERUST]

I'm going to reply, just so people will know Wasatch Cruisers has a rep lurking. I'm easy. I see the emails and can come over here too. Whatever works for you all. Had a couple things come up at the last minute with the phone meetings the last couple months. I should be there on the 21rst.

thanks,

now back to lurk mode.

Troy

[meluhha]

Howdy!

Speaking as a "very" new BOD rep (as of yesterday, in fact) for Toyota Trail Riders, which has been one of the "silent clubs" here recently, I would like to agree completely with Romer on this...it should be a compromise. Let's give it a try and see what kind of "par-ti-ci-pation" we get (said with a Kowboy twang to it).

There is no reason why what is said here can't be relayed, in condensed form, to the BODreps email list for those that cannot or refuse (for whatever reason) to access the forums.

I cannot receive personal email at work, but I can view mud all day long (go figure). So this makes it much easier for me to follow along with a forum format, because when I get home I really don't want to sit in front of a computer any more than I have to...just my 0.02 cents.

All that being said, I will try to represent TTR in whatever format the majority is in favor of...

Cheers,
Matt W.

BTW: Kowboy is doing a great job getting us slackers in gear and motivated to participate more with the TLCA!!

[Felix]

Let me also admit that my preference for an additional BOD forum is based in the fact that I'm already on MUD all the time anyway. Once I get a new job where I actually have to work for a living, I might think that strictly email is the way to go.