MESSAGE
| DATE | 2003-07-08 |
| FROM | Ruben Safir Secretary NYLXS
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| SUBJECT | Subject: [hangout] Membership Handbook - 1st Drafts
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This is a first draft of the opening of the new Memebership Handbook.
It's in an open office file and I'll be making it available on the website
a little later.
Ruben
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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 os 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.
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