STC blog discussing how to transform STC?

["Hart, Geoff" <Geoff-H -at- MTL -dot- FERIC -dot- CA>]

Bruce Byfield noted: <<You're assuming that the point is actual change.>>

As the idiom goes, "the proof of the pudding is in the eating". Let's see
how this exercise turns out before jumping to any conclusions. Personally,
I've gotten a strong impression from talking with STC leaders that they
really do want to change. If one attributes sinister motives to STC (i.e.,
wanting to gain new members and retain existing members), I think it's
clearly in their self-interest to address complaints by changing.

<<Considering the format...>>

Poorly chosen, I agree. I think Darren Barefoot's comments are right on the
money: a threaded discussion forum would work far better.

<<... and the lack of grassroots involvement>>

I fail to see how sending a note to the entire membership and allowing
anyone, even nonmembers like yourself, to inspect the blog and provide
comments, represents a lack of grassroots involvement. Seems to me like a
fairly open approach, n'est-ce pas?

<<I assume that the purpose is more to be seen to be doing something and to
give the frustrated a place to vent.>>

Assumptions make an ass of you and me, so I prefer not to assume, thanks
very much. I'll wait and see whether they actually take any action. If they
don't, I'll freely concede your points.

<<I take as a given that any group seriously interested in change does not
talk about roles in the twenty-first century.>>

I take as a given that using buzzwords doesn't inherently disqualify them
from fair consideration. Might disqualify them from being hired as my
marketing writer, though. <g>

<<Interesting, of course, that the complaints have reached such a volume
that a token response is given.>>

Any organization of ca. 20 thousand members is going to have a large number
of people with complaints. Even if only 1 in 1000 people have an axe to
grind (justified or not), that's still 20 complaints. I doubt any
organization has that high a satisfaction rate, but that's beside the point.

<<But it looks like the same old same old to me.>>

And it's been how many years now since you were last a member of STC and
actually participated in or tried to shape any of their activities? And this
qualifies you _how_ to pronounce on their motives and their current state?

As long-time members of techwr-l will note (see my SIG), I'm a strong
advocate of STC, and Bruce and I have disagreed vociferously about the
organization's worth over the years. Rather than relying on our opinions, I
urge you to participate in the discussion via the blog or by talking
directly with your local STC leaders--things never change unless we work to
change them. I doubly encourage you to participate if you've got a strong
reason for not belonging to the organization. Then draw your own conclusions
based on the results. Bruce and I are obviously biased, and not being privy
to the thoughts of STC's leaders, neither of us can really make a fair
pronouncement about their supposed intentions.

--Geoff Hart, geoff-h@ mtl.feric.ca
(try ghart@ videotron.ca if you get no response)
President, STC Montreal
Manager and Newsletter Editor, Scientific Communication SIG
Forest Engineering Research Institute of Canada
580 boul. St-Jean
Pointe-Claire, Que., H9R 3J9 Canada 

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