MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-07-28 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [hangout] Membership Handbook Update
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What is this document:
This is the handbook for NYLXS Members. In this document new members
will find the basic outline of what NYLXS is, what the roll is for its
members, and the rights and responsibilites which members have in the
relationship to NYLXS and and the general Free Software community.
If your reading this document, it means that you've taken an important
first step in your development as a good citizen of the Free Software
community and the world at large. It means that you've paid your NYLXS
dues, and have made a commitment to improving in a meaningful fashion
your future, and the future of others. Let me be the first person to
stand up, shake your hand, and welcome to to NYLXS. Your contribution
is apreciated.
Our generation has been lucky enough to have been born at one of the
critical junctions in human history when the decisions we make today,
and the technology which we are developing will alter pernamently
the fabric of our reality as a society and a civilization. With the
explosive growth of digital information, we have in our grasp today the
ability break long standing barriers to individual and social progress
through the wide spread of inexpenssive information and communications.
Computer technology has lowered to barrier of entry for nearly every
individual on the planet to become a full participant in the global
economy and are responsible members of the world community.
The very shape of human psycology and cultural reference is making
a massive shift do to the availablilty of inexpenssive digital
communications. This event has only taken place two other times in
human civilization. The first time mankind was on such a threshold
was with the invention of the written word. Prior to the invention
of writing, mankind existed as an undomesticated, wild species. Early
examples of prehistoric art and tools shows a fundementally different
species from the perspective of social fabric and individual thought.
Primitive cave art shares a free flow of form, without structure, horizon
lines or sufficticated organizations. The naturalistic styles of these
prehistoric civilizations, such as they represent a civilization, are
relatively devoid of abstract symbolism to the degree of post writing
civilization. In fact, writing itself was a great leap in abstraction
from pictorials and pictureglyphs of prehistoric man.
After the invention of writing, the change in civilization was sudden,
and dramatic. It reflects a new human species where the accumulation of
knowledge and the ability to create and work in the abstraction of written
language allowed for the not only a completely different fundemental
thinking process for the human species, but also allowed for organization
of society along classes of power and wealth. There is no way to think
about conquering your neighbor over the hill if you don't have the written
word to record and coney accounts of their assets and advantages, to
communicate remotely with your allies and enemies, and without a means
to construct a governing administration over a wide geographical area.
Obviously, those with the ability and resources to become educated
in writing could standardize their belief systems and enforce those
beliefs on those without such means available to them. In fact,
as soon as the ability to write is developed, the monopolization of
means of writing immediately becomes the tool of power and wealth.
After nearly a 1000 years of revolution, which cumumlates and finally
stabilizes with the advent of the Greco-Roman empire in the West, and
the great Chinese Dynasties in the east. Civilization cursed along in
nuetral for about a 1000 more years until the next great revolution,
which this time democratized greately the distribution of information
and knowledge. This next great technological revolution is rise of the
printing press in the West. The advent of the printing press sets off
both the Western Renaissance, the Age of Exploration, and the 400 years
of bloodshed which we euphamistically call the Protestant Revolution,
which expressed itself as not only a struggle between the knowledge rich
Catholic Church against the developing middle classes of Europe, and plays
itself out in a broader sense in the entire colonial era exploitation of
native peoples world wide. If you think to brush off the democratizing
affect of inexpensive paper books, consider the import that Southern
American slave owners put on keep their negor slaves illiterate.
The advent of the printing press unleashed a whole new kind of human
being, and a new kind of civilization.
And today, we are facing a new revolution in information, one where Al
Greenberg sneezes on the stock echange at 2:00PM in NY and prices in
world markets fall in stock prices at 2:01PM, even in Hong Kong.
Clarily the choices we make today will affect our civilization and
our species for hundreds, if not thousands of years into the future.
How will that world look, and how bloody will the the transition
for civilization be? This is the questions NYLXS is concerned with.
We believe Free Software is the key to keeping a Free Society into
the future, and is the best way to guarantee that we can maximize the
benefits of the digital revolution, while minimizing the potentional
pitfalls, such as those described in the important fictional work by
George Orwell in the book titled '1984'.
What is NYLXS?
NYLXS is a non-profit educational corperation incorperated in 2002 in
the State of New York. It is run by an elected board of members drawn
from the general membership. The organization is established for the
education of the public about Free Software. The primary mission of
NYLXS is education. We educate the public about Free Software and the
importance of Free Software in the three pillars of modern society:
The sphere of business, the sphere of the body politc, and the sphere of
education. The policies of NYLXS are designed to promote leadership in
Free Software Ideals. NYLXS is in the business of education as outlined
and as a basis for its basic charter with the State of New York.
NYLXS is also in the business of developing leadership, both for
the present, and for the future. Leadership skills in Free Software
advocacy is the primary membership benefit. New members are trained to
lead by sharpening their skills in public presentation, in organizational
skills, in writing skills, in technical skills, in collaberation skills,
and in political skills. These skills are developed by applying lessons
to real world problem solving.
What does NYLXS offer me a member?
NYLXS offers you nothing as member accept for the opportunity to make a
differrence in the world and to learn leadership/ Although members of
NYLXS often achive some personal satisfaction, or other minor benefits,
anyone joining NYLXS expecting direct benefits, or to become rich, is
going to be largely disappointed. NYLXS was established as a vehicle for
you to make meaningful contributions to others. In exchange, we hope you
find commradery, friendship, and a sense of individual accomplishment.
But other than that, NYLXS is focused on contributions that we make to
the public, not achivement of individual goals.
Is NYLXS a techology organization?
With certainty, the answer to this question is no. NYLXS is an
educational organization. Teaching the public about the importance of
Free Software is this mission of NYLXS, and teaching about the political
orientation with regard to digital information in which Free Software
needs to survive and which has succeeded to propel it into a world-wide
phenomena. While the disemination of technical skills to professionals
and the public as a whole is a part of the over mission of NYLXS, it is
only one goal of many, and not even the largest goal of the organization.
How does one become a member of NYLXS?
Voting membership in NYLXS is achieved by paying a $40 annual membership
fee, plus giving 20 hours of approved volunteer hours within the framework
of the NYLXS's committees. In addition, new memebers need to attend
a 2 hour orientation session. Committee heads need to attend a 2 hour
leadership seminar anually.
NYLXS sounds like serious business.
Yes it is.
NYLXS Membership Code of Conduct
1.Do no harm: Members of NYLXS are expected to represent the organization
and members in a positive way. Public remarks disparaging other
members motivations, religion, creed, sex, or other affiliations is
stickly forbidden. The main NYLXS mailing list, hangout-at-nylxs.com,
as well as the FSCC and the learn mailing lists are considered public
and not the place for rigorous organizational disagreements. While it
is encouraged that members participate in orgnizational business on
the hangout mailing list, and even voice disagreement and engage in the
process of government, the following activities are highly discouraged :
Attacking to motivations of a member for an actitivity or action they take
in their duties. Public discussion of private or personal matters for
the purpose of embarassing a member or in the course of discussing other
matters between members and then having private issues filter into the
public discussion. Statements made designed to hinder the effectiveness
of another member in the course of their duties, or designed to give a
member a leg up on another member in the group. Statements designed to
harm another members business, job or client relationships 2. Follow the
NYLXS Charter in word and spirit: NYLXS, Inc is different from most Free
Software organizations. NYLXS is a legal entitity with a legal charter,
trademarks and copyrights. In addition, NYLXS has chatel (legaleze from
real property) with includes multiple computers, a video camera, sound
equiptment, and more. As a member of NYLXS it is your responsibility
as a member to familarize yourself with the charter and other rules.
This handbook is designed as a general source for this information,
but it is not likely to be complete. In addtion, NYLXS has specific
goals and an overall plan as to how to accomplish its stated mission.
These specific goals might evolve over time, but as a member of NYLXS you
will be expected to support the organizations specific methods and goals.
Even as a member of the NYLXS board, one needs to keep in mind that
your a temporary holder of office, and you should respect the tradition,
and efforts of the organization. NYLXS affords you many oppurtunities
to develop both leadership and exercize your voice as a voting member.
It is within the structure of the NYLXS governance that you have been
granted the priviledge to affect policy and direction. Nobody, even the
NYLXS founder, is bigger than the organization. 3.Work To be Better
Tomorrow: One of the key elements to an effective organization, may it
be in business, politics or any other venue, is that the organization
is able to recruit and develop talent from within, and to train its
members in the fundementals of leadership and administration. Much of
NYLXS's success has been directly atributable to tight organization,
and well thought out planning. Furthermore, our organization has grown
in its ability to represent itself to government, beurocrats, business
leaders, Congressmen, city officials and the public. If you think
you've learned everything there is to know about influencing others,
making presentations, and leading in the field, then NYLXS is not the
organization for you. NYLXS needs people capable to leading and capabile
of following. In fact, the first lesson of leadership is learning how to
follow effectively. NYLXS has a great need for leutenents in the field,
as actions, in setting up functions, in doing the leg work. These are
all skills which you can later apply to all other aspects of your life.
The basic people skills which will lead to success for your NYLXS carreer
will serve you in every other organization you will ever be come part of.
4.Help others: As a member of NYLXS, and as part of the NYLXS mission,
we are always looking for ways to constructively help others in the
Free Software community. Your participation in other groups in the
New York area which advocate Free Software such as NYLUG, NY Wireless,
Perl Mongers, NYPHP, GNUBIES, etc, as a member and representitive of
NYLXS is highly encouraged. There are exceptions to this, however,
and you should check with NYLXS leadership for more details on this.
5. Don't Just Think About Doing Something, Do it. NYLXS has a motto:
We are Do'ers. In organizing events, and getting things done, NYLXS
always has more to do than we have hands. Pick up the slack. Ask how
you can help. Schedule some extra time. Review the calender of events
frequently and anticpate the needs of committee events and be ready to
help. This is the organization which held a 14 hour installfeast (until
4 in the morning) and followed it up a trip to Washington DC. And some
of our members would describe that as a regular day in the organization.
The NYLXS Program:
NYLXS has an over program of specific activitieswhich compliment
and enhance the overall missionn of the organization. This section
will familiarize the new members with the various programs of NYLXS,
and explain each efforts relationship to other programs and the
benefits to the public for each activity to NYLXS and the mebership.
Most activitiesof NYLXS are run by committee chairmen. The structure
of the NYLXS committes and board will be discussed in the last section
of the handbook.
NYLXS has 4 areas of concentration in its educational efforts: Education,
Public Policy, Social, and Commerce. By bringing increased awareness
and education to each of these areas, NYLXS creates a broad front of
reinformcong activites in the general goal of educating the public about
Free Software.
Education: NYLXS, as a stated previously, is primarily an Education
non-profit. It's goals in the field of education is to support a
fundemenal change in the kindergarden through 12th grade schooling,
as level as impacting on college level stuidies, with regard to
how technology is integrated into all curriculum for students in all
study areas. It is not focused on the pursuit of randam installations
of Free Software servers into schools. Instead, NYLXS is interested
in the long term goals of general education for children and adults.
The NYLXS program, therefor, has 5 main activities:
1.The support and finding of studies which can demonstrate the most
effective means of integrating Free Software technolgoy into the
classroom for the enhancement of edication as demonstrated through
standardized testing. 2.The promotion of computer sciencees as a
standard and required area of study in undergraduate and k-12 education.
3.The training and education of teachers in the basic concepts of
computer sciences with a proproprietary platform nuetral agenda.
4.The reduction of educational costs through the implimentation of
Free Software information delivery systems for learning material.
5.The creation of a student curriculum for the education of computer
sciences in all levels of study, and to work with teachers in the
development of new curriculum for traditional areas of study with the
ingetration of technology into traditional areas of study.
The areas of adult education and professional development is covered in
the public educational segment of this handbook. An effective pursiut
of this program with enhanced Free Software greatly by providing a
sound foundation of knowledge and familiarity for future generations of
of adults. In addition, it can provide for enhanced earning potential
for Free Software Consultants, while promoting a rational thinking
process by future technology decision makers which is wholey inadequate
today. The long term employment outlook and business opputunities
for Free Software users depend onm a braoadly educated public about
the possiblities and limitations of technology in real world use.
The achivement of this broad goal is ultimately the only protection the
public has against the unethical business practices and disinformation
which has been foisted onto the public.
Public Policy Education:
The NYLXS public policy program originates in the earlier efforts of our
Founder, Ruben Safir, with New Yorkers for Fair Use. New Yorkers for Fair
Use was founded by Ruben to create an organized political powerbase to
fight the errossion of information ownership rights in the digital age.
As NY Fair Use developed into a recognized power broker on the Digital
Rights on Capital Hill, the lack of a Democratic structure allowed for
other members of NY Fair Use to commadeer it's trademarks and copyrights
for unproductive and increasingly radicalized efforts.
NY Fair Use was donated to NYLXS over the Summer of 2002 by it's only
founder. Doing so gave put it under the more stable and organized legal
structure of NYLXS, Inc.
The public policy efforts of NYLXS is based strongly on the tradition
of NY Fair Use. It's policies are centralist, and pointed at Soccer
Mom's. It works through traditional, local political activities and
is mainstream. NYLXS attempts to raise issues on the local grassroots
level through community awareness. It uses a stratergy of grassroots
efforts formulated on well tailored and specific sound bytes designed
for public consumption. NY Fair Use and NYLXS recognizes that it has
limited resources. The charter of NYLXS is also one of an educational
non-profit corperation. NYLXS is not a political organization, and
it supports no political parties. It is completely independent of
any political party, and is completely independent of lobbying groups
and special interest groups which would include, but is not limited to,
the EFF, Free Software Foundation, or any other organizations which have
interests in the area of Digital Rights and Computer Use.
NYLXS's political goals is to support policy which enhances the
adaption of Free Software in society, and which protects Free Software.
It promotes the use of Free Software in business and government. It does
not attempt to wiegh in on all issues, or to lobby government on all
regulatory events. Instead, it attempts to change the direction of
political discourse by introducing a sensible lexicon to the political
debate.
NYLXS's roadmap for public education in the political arena include a
focus on private ownership rights to digitial copies for public works, and
the right to manipulate, copy, and share information in digital formats
for non-commercial purposes, and for education without restriction.
It's New Yorkers for Fair Use section is working on introducing into
the public lexicon, Digital Rights Management is Theft, We are the
Stakeholders (in copyright), and the support and introduction of a solid
Fair Use Bill based on a computer users Bill of Rights. We accomplish
this with very tight political activities in testimony to government
agencies, demonstrations, and grassroots outreach.
In addition to the Fair Use and Copyright issues, NYLXS supports a
government agenda which is friendly to Free Software and which promotes
the economic development of Free Software, and Free Software vendors.
Within these efforts we have protested the inclussion of Microsoft at
the E-GOVOS conference in Washington DC, the threat to Free Software
in business by Adobe's use of DMCA to have developers arrested, and
the closing of free markets to Free Software through legal threats,
intimidation and dishonest commercial campaigns by private corperations
which unfairly attack Free Software.
NYLXS supports public education on the impact of Free Software on public
education in the kindergarten through 12th grade, and on the unversity
levels. We do this in support of the Educational Committees activities.
In regard to this agenda, NYLXS promotes the support of an educational
system uninhibited by licensing agreements with regards to licensing
systems which impair students ability to gain a sense of ownership and
poccession of their books, works of arts, and information. It supports
the adoption of an educational curriculum which maximizes the use of
modern digital equiptment boardly in all areas of study, including
history, science, art, music, and math.
All NYLXS public policy activities are strictly controlled by the NYLXS
Board and the NYACSH/NY Fair Use sub-committee. All discussion and
debate are held in the venue of the committee meetings and the board
meetings. Breaking rank during the activities of the organizations
efforts is frowned upon and is likely to bring action on members from
the committee and the board. All primary sources for publicity and
public representation is to be on the NYLXS.COM website.
Professional Development:
NYLXS has a professional devlopment program designed to support
individuals in the advance needs for professional and educational
development. This program is called the NYLXS In Service program,
and NYLXS members are expected to both attend and make presentations
for this program.
An In Service presentation is a lecture dedicated to the advanced
presentation of relevant research or practical application of Free
Software tools implimented in the work of individual NYLXS members.
The ability to make these presentations is part of the NYXLS leadership
development program. The presentations are themselves designed to benefit
all members of the community in their criticle need to stay on top of the
most recent developments in Computer Sciences and the Free Software world.
The ability to make public presentations is a key component of Leadership
Development for individual members. Repeatedly within the course of
NYLXS public activities, members are called upon speak in public in
order to educate the public or to present rational arguments to business
and government officials. The NYLXS In Service presentations allows
the membership to develop these skills within friendly confines and on
topics of their choosing.
In addition to the oral presentation, written and electronic presentation
materials are to be made available to the audience and a follow up article
is requested for the NYLXS Quartly Journal. Members are supported in
these efforts by the NYLXS leadership as needed, and workshops will be
made available for the success of the individual presentation.
In Service Presentations will be recorded for the NYLXS library by video
camera and allowed to be viewed by the membership as part of the NYLXS
library. Copyright of these tapes will be jointly owed by NYLXS and the
individual member, abd be released to the public under a libral copyright
license which is consistant with the NYLXS principles of Fair Use.
NYLXS Publcations:
NYLXS has three major publications for members to public on and to view.
The first publication is the NYLXS Quartly Journal which is printed
quartly on paper and available for subscription. In addition, the
Journal is also available in electronic post script format and HTML as
time and resources permit. The Journal has a broad number of authers
from the New York City area and the subject matter is both technical,
and political commentary. NYLXS In Services are published in the Journal
and often Biographical information on NYLXS leadership is also availlabe.
In addition to the Journal, NYLXS runs a weekly radio show on the
internet. The content of the Radio Show is usually a review of
-- __________________________ Brooklyn Linux Solutions
__________________________ DRM is THEFT - We are the STAKEHOLDERS
http://fairuse.nylxs.com
http://www.mrbrklyn.com - Consulting http://www.inns.net <-- Happy
Clients http://www.nylxs.com - Leadership Development in Free Software
http://www2.mrbrklyn.com/resources - Unpublished Archive or stories and
articles from around the net http://www2.mrbrklyn.com/downtown.html -
See the New Downtown Brooklyn....
1-718-382-0585
____________________________
NYLXS: New Yorker Free Software Users Scene
Fair Use -
because it's either fair use or useless....
NYLXS is a trademark of NYLXS, Inc
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