Who owns the AAW Forums? The answer, of course, is WE do . . . the members of AAW.
If that premise is, in fact, accurate . . . then a provision needs to be included in the Bylaws Revision. The proposal that I will be submitting to the Committee will address the following issues:
a. Abolishing the present "Internet Committee" which is chaired by the current webmaster, Ed Davidson, and comprised of Board President Tom Wirsing, Board Member Kurt Hertzog, and John Hill.
b. Formation of a five member Information Technology Committee which oversees the AAW Website, including the Forums.
c. The duties of the Information Technology Committee will include, but are not limited to, overseeing the content of the AAW website as well as the operational procedures of the Forums, including rules for posting and being banned from the Forum.
d. The Webmaster and Forum Moderators will provide input to the Informational Technology Committee.
e. The Webmaster and Forum Moderators will fulfill the operational procedures as mandated by the Informational Technology Committee. Operational procedures include such activities as deciding what content will appear on the AAW website, video broadcasting and recording of BOD meetings, and forum rules and usage guidelines by members, including rules regarding posting by members.
f. The Webmaster and Forum Moderators will refrain from expressing their personal views and ideologies when posting. They will remain neutral during any debates and will manifest behaviors that are impartial and objective.
g. The five member Information Technology Committee will be comprised of one Board member who presents the decisions of the Information Technology Committee to the Board. All Committee members will serve a two year term and may be elected for two consecutive appointments. This Board representative will be selected by the Board. The remaining four members of the Committee will be elected by the AAW membership.
The voting will take place online in the Forum. Eligible candidates will have been AAW members for at least two years and have made at least 50 posts prior to their nomination.
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To all who read this . . . please note that I wrote to Ed, Steve, Kurt, and John 24 hours prior to this post. I sent them the following message . . .
"I have become increasingly concerned by the role of the the Webmaster and Forum Moderators. It is my thinking that those positions play a very specific and important function in maintaining the Forum. However, I also feel that those members holding those positions should remain neutral during times of debate.
While I respect each of you and appreciate the many hours that you put into the Forum, I think you've crossed the line by presenting your personal views.
I think this is a matter that the Bylaws Committee should consider. Who owns the Forum, how should it be run, and what is fair play in regards to the management of the forum.
Most importantly, please understand that my post is not meant to be personal. As I said earlier, I respect each of you. I just felt that you should know that my post is coming . . . It will not be an attack on you."
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Please do not turn this thread into a debate about personalities. I would greatly appreciate it if we kept the focus on the Bylaws revision that I am proposing. Making comments about the individuals involved, will not be acceptable.
I look forward to your comments about my proposal.
Thank you.
If that premise is, in fact, accurate . . . then a provision needs to be included in the Bylaws Revision. The proposal that I will be submitting to the Committee will address the following issues:
a. Abolishing the present "Internet Committee" which is chaired by the current webmaster, Ed Davidson, and comprised of Board President Tom Wirsing, Board Member Kurt Hertzog, and John Hill.
b. Formation of a five member Information Technology Committee which oversees the AAW Website, including the Forums.
c. The duties of the Information Technology Committee will include, but are not limited to, overseeing the content of the AAW website as well as the operational procedures of the Forums, including rules for posting and being banned from the Forum.
d. The Webmaster and Forum Moderators will provide input to the Informational Technology Committee.
e. The Webmaster and Forum Moderators will fulfill the operational procedures as mandated by the Informational Technology Committee. Operational procedures include such activities as deciding what content will appear on the AAW website, video broadcasting and recording of BOD meetings, and forum rules and usage guidelines by members, including rules regarding posting by members.
f. The Webmaster and Forum Moderators will refrain from expressing their personal views and ideologies when posting. They will remain neutral during any debates and will manifest behaviors that are impartial and objective.
g. The five member Information Technology Committee will be comprised of one Board member who presents the decisions of the Information Technology Committee to the Board. All Committee members will serve a two year term and may be elected for two consecutive appointments. This Board representative will be selected by the Board. The remaining four members of the Committee will be elected by the AAW membership.
The voting will take place online in the Forum. Eligible candidates will have been AAW members for at least two years and have made at least 50 posts prior to their nomination.
****************************************************
To all who read this . . . please note that I wrote to Ed, Steve, Kurt, and John 24 hours prior to this post. I sent them the following message . . .
"I have become increasingly concerned by the role of the the Webmaster and Forum Moderators. It is my thinking that those positions play a very specific and important function in maintaining the Forum. However, I also feel that those members holding those positions should remain neutral during times of debate.
While I respect each of you and appreciate the many hours that you put into the Forum, I think you've crossed the line by presenting your personal views.
I think this is a matter that the Bylaws Committee should consider. Who owns the Forum, how should it be run, and what is fair play in regards to the management of the forum.
Most importantly, please understand that my post is not meant to be personal. As I said earlier, I respect each of you. I just felt that you should know that my post is coming . . . It will not be an attack on you."
***************************************************
Please do not turn this thread into a debate about personalities. I would greatly appreciate it if we kept the focus on the Bylaws revision that I am proposing. Making comments about the individuals involved, will not be acceptable.
I look forward to your comments about my proposal.
Thank you.