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Mike, let's look at this a little differently.  The members on Ridecamp and
AERC Members forum at the most INFORMED members in AERC. In addition, they
represent a variety of views from across the country.  You couldn't ASK for
a better, more informed cross section of the membership. 

For years, I worked as a Consultant.  My field is networking and I
specialize in Fiber Optics in K-12 schools.  I don't do that much anymore,
but at one time I was probably one of the best in the country.  I GOT that
way by doing my homework, spending lots of times on forums, in classes, etc.
There are lots of people who install fiber....if you were a school
superintendent, would you call the local cable installer for advice....or
hire a KNOWLEDGEABLE professional?  Who has the best chance of getting it
right?

What the board has here is 477 "Consultants" who are knowledgeable about
every issue in AERC. It would behoove them to listen carefully to that
small, vocal minority, especially since we have the most uninformed general
membership of any organization I have ever belonged to. That IS the way the
organization should work. INFORMED, KNOWLEDGEABLE OPINIONS ARE THE KEY TO
SUCCESS OF ANY BUSINESS. (Somebody said that, but I forget who)

The number of board members is an even smaller number of the membership, and
we depend on them to do the right thing for AERC.  (IMHO, they have done an
abysmal job, but that's another subject)

To dismiss the forum members as a "small vocal minority" that "doesn't
represent the membership" is a disservice to AERC and IMHO, inaccurate. 

Jim, Sun of Dimanche+

Richard T. "Jim" Holland
Three Creeks Farm
175 Hells Hollow Drive
Blue Ridge, Ga 30513
(706) 258-2830
www.threecreeksarabians.com
Callsign KI4BEN
________________________________________
From: AERCMembersForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:AERCMembersForum@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Michael Maul
Sent: Monday, April 02, 2007 11:04 AM
To: New_Aerc; ridecamp
Cc: Vonita Bowers-USEF
Subject: [AERCMembersForum] AERC and International

I always read the AERC members forum and I scan the Ridecamp 
Digests due to time constraints. A number of the BoD members read 
the forum - fewer read Ridecamp feeling that the volume of posts 
is too high.

Good discussion is always welcome on topics pertaining to AERC. 
The topic concerning AERC and International is one. But I'd like 
to put something in perspective with respect to what we read on 
the forum first.

AERC has about 6550 members. The number of members on the Forum 
now is 477 which is as high as it's ever been. That's about 7.2% 
of the membership or about 1 in 14 of our members is on the list.

Of those 1 in 14 - most are lurkers. In the past month, about 50 
members of the 477 have posted - or 0.76% of our membership.

Of the 50 posting, the message count comes mostly from 8-10 
members of the list. These members are generally articulate and 
care passionately about the topics on which they post.

But they represent a *very* small number of our membership. If 
the BoD listened to and responded on the basis of these postings - 
I think we would be responding to the "wheel making the most noise 
on the wagon". While that's sometimes what happens - it's not the 
best way for an organization to work.



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