[Ambassadors] EMEA Membership Questione

[Jeroen van Meeuwen]

Robert M. Albrecht wrote:
> Hi,
> 
> Sandro "red" Mathys schrieb:
>  > Thank you Christoph, I already thought I'm the only guy who's thinking
>  > something's going terribly wrong there.
>  >
>  > +1 on everything, especially the €128.
>  >
>  > Even though I can afford that money quite easily, I really have no idea
>  > how that helps me to save money for travels to events a.s.o.
>  >
> 
> The membership fee is astronomicaly high, thats correct. For many people 
> or countrys is out of the question. And I think it`s the highest 
> membership fee I ever saw.
> 
> The interessting question is, what happens with this money ?
> 

The most interesting question is, what do you think is an appropriate
membership fee? Without that kind of feedback, I can only guess. Talk to me.

I can't believe we're having this "discussion", while all I hear is "the
membership fee is too high". Maybe it is, maybe it's not.

I know there's reasons for the membership fee to be 128 EURO/year. Other 
people agreed with the proposal back in the day when we founded this 
NPO. We've had new members join since, and obviously they agree with the 
membership fee. They think it's important the NPO is doing the right 
thing for everyone out there more so then they think it's important for 
the NPO to do what they personally think is right.

Are you just bluntly disagreeing or is this based on every possible
argument you could think of? Do you know what it means to have a low fee 
so that everyone can afford to join, although it isn't necessary, nor 
required, because decisions made by the NPO and it's members is already 
supposed to, if not required to, follow upstream, which is you, your 
peers, or anyone else that does or does not join?

How does one, given a low membership fee so that everyone can join, 
arraign a General Membership Meeting requiring a two-third majority of 
all votes cast (not just all attendees)? The consequences of lowering 
the membership fee are rather obvious, as too many members against low 
fees will not be able to gather on such General Members Meeting, thereby 
practically eliminating it's mandate.

What if the membership fee is lowered to anything anyone can afford, and 
it's members, whom have the ultimate power, start disagreeing with the 
Fedora Project Board, or even FAmSCo? Do you think that's beneficial to 
anyone? Don't you think it is really, really important to prevent that 
from ever happening? Could not be one way to prevent that from ever 
happening, be, to say:

"We are an NPO that does RAISE and SPEND money about which we decide not
on our own, but follow our upstream, our peers as well as report back to
them, because that's where every single contributor, our target, can
vote, discuss, elect and be elected, and in order to do so, before you
become a member of this NPO, you should realize that you are becoming a
puppet of the community".

Not the Fedora EMEA NPO, nor it's board, nor it's members, are pulling
any strings. Don't forget that. You are. As it should be.

Now what about that membership fee? Talk to me.

I understand you are becoming a member, for which I'm very grateful. 
Note that this mail is not as much a reply to yours, as well as a reply 
to everyone expressing similar concerns.

We'll talk some more at LinuxTag, in real life, and when we do, I'm sure 
you'll appreciate the dedication the people involved have with regards 
to this NPO, their passion and vision, whether a member of the NPO or 
not. I'm excited!

Kind regards,

Jeroen van Meeuwen
-kanarip