REPLY Income based membership dues (SD6664)

[SDMAIL Richard Stevenson]

Posted by  Richard Stevenson <richard at cognitus.co.uk>

>I can see the reason behind Richard's concern. But I understand this was
>a very well thought out and discussed idea, not something that was
>hastily implemented. It is based upon an honor system. Each member is
>essentially entitled to designate their own membership fee. Those that
>can afford to pay more, will. Those that cannot, won't.

My objection has nothing to do with honour.  Nor with the fee itself.
It's a good idea to encourage students and those in the third world to participate.
By all means have different membership grades - e.g. student, personal, corporate etc.

My point is that the "income banding" approach is both intrusive and dumb. Oh - 
and it clearly reflects a US$ orientation.

It's intrusive because personal declared income has nothing to do with the SDS.  
It is also downright naive to say, "I am sure their system will not disclose the 
brackets that individuals fall in, but rather focus on the numbers of individuals 
in each bracket."  Here in the UK, the government itself is faltering because the 
personal details (bank account numbers included) of twenty million people have just 
been lost on two DVDs, lost in the post!  Personal information is not to be 
entrusted lightly - and if you don't need to know you should not ask.

It's dumb because it makes the SDS appear to be a "penny shop"  rather than a 
professional organisation.  It cheapens the whole thing.  But then all those of 
us who despair of ever having a properly run, properly funded, professional SD 
institution will not be so surprised.

Last, the US$ orientation.  The dollar is the US currency and increasingly less 
useful as a measure of income in the rest of the world.  I'm losing track now of 
how many US$ my income will buy - and why should I need to look up the exchange 
rate on the day I write a subscription cheque?

Whoever thought up this scheme clearly had not thought about "unintended consequences".

Richard Stevenson
Valculus Ltd
UK
Posted by  Richard Stevenson <richard at cognitus.co.uk>
posting date  Fri, 7 Dec 2007 18:56:54 +0000