[Linux-aus] Proposal: *voluntary* paid membership

[John Ferlito]

On Wed, Apr 27, 2011 at 11:17:40AM +1000, Mary Gardiner wrote:
> Our 2010 survey showed though that there are a reasonable number of people out
> there who would be willing to pay a small sum for Linux Australia membership.
> So what we'd like to discuss is creating a category of "Supporting Member"
> carrying a small sum fixed at the beginning of the year.

Thought it might be worth posting the relevant survey questions.

Q12. Membership to Linux Australia is currently free.  Linux
Australia's operating costs are covered by the surplus generated from
successful linux.conf.au conferences.  Would you be prepared to pay an
annual membership fee to help diversify our funding base?"

Answer   Percent   Response Count
Yes,     68.4%     296
No       31.6%     137

answered question: 433
skipped question: 95

Q13. If you would pay for annual Linux Australia membership, how much
would you pay?

Answer  Percent   Response Count
$5      8.4%      27
$10     30.7%     99
$25     41.6%     134
$50     13.7%     44
gt $50  5.6%      18

Other Responses:

Response   Count
$100       2
$120       2
$25        1
$99        1
$110       1
$125       1


answered question: 322
skipped question: 206


Q14. If you wouldn't pay for membership, why not?

answered question: 108
skipped question: 420

Other Responses:

Response   Count
Can't afford it (Student/Pensioner/Low Income)   23
Don't see the value or benefit   22
Don't want to be a member/not interested   12
Suggestion/Comment   12
Would need to see what was offered   6
Linux Australia should be self funding through conference and sponsors   5
I already pay a membership fee at my LUG   3
linux.conf.au is the only value Linux Australia provides   3
Should be a user pays for services model   3
I already provide payment in terms of time   3
FOSS is free  membership should be as well   3
Don't live in Australia   3
Don't want to pay   2
Only if there was a linux.conf.au discount   2
Don't know   2
Don't know what Linux Australia does   2
I don't want anything from Linux Australia   1
Linux Australia doesn't represent the broader FOSS community   1


Interesting responses:

Aside from running linux.conf.au I have no idea what LA does. I've been a Unix
SA for 10 years    Linux for 4 maybe 5, and I'd not heard of it at all until a
post to the SAGE-AU mailing list.

I guess I tend towards the BSD end of the spectrum and sometimes feel as though
the general open source community is sometimes too fundamentalist

I believe there are more effective ways to source an income for Linux members -
ie create a network for outsourcing Linux experts into the community -
businesses/schools/people pay per hour for Linux expert to consult % of fee
goes to Linux Australia.

There is a lot of strength in membership being free and run by volunteers.

I would encourage a 'hobbyist' and 'professional' membership - the former being
free    the latter funding LA.

Linux Australia is better for being a lean organisation    a regular membership
fee would encourage activity for activity sake.

Have levels of membership starting from free    with each level giving
privages

I don't think that I would get anything for it.  Also I understand that the
advocacy work is aided by having a large member base    forcing payment would
decrease this and thus the effectiveness of the advocacy.

That's the fastest way to become complacent    erode the goodwill, and kill the
organisation (been there with AUUG, it _will_ happen if you do this).  Running
on lca profit forces you to be relevant and responsive.

I don't think it is in the spirit of open source computing    although I can
see how it may be necessary to continue the society

Do you do MacOS?

I don't expect anything from the Organisation that isn't    or couldn't be
self funded. That is I pay for linux.conf.au and would expect to pay for
training if it is run. I guess I am saying anything I want from the org should
be user pays.

My wife would have a fit

Linux Australia has been successfully funded by runing LCA for 10 years now.
You would need to provide evidence as to why this is no longer satisfactory.

Poverty MUST NOT be a barrier to gateway free software information and or
groups. EVER.

Need money for BEER

Cheers
John


--
John
Blog                             http://www.inodes.org
LCA2012                          http://lcaunderthestars.org.au