membership

[Sebastian Rahtz]

On Mon, Feb 25, 2002 at 08:34:22PM +0100, Fotis Jannidis wrote:
> are very limited. Maybe in the future new projects will 
> include in their applications for grants money for 
> the TEI membership, but there seems to be a problem 1) to have the 
> money 2) to rechannel it into the TEI membership. 

Much as I'd like all those Euros for the TEI, its even
more important that they use the TEI. They can do that, and join
in all discussions, without joining.

> organizations on the other.**" (my emphasis) Couldn't this 
> be the basis for granting this planned society the membership. 

I don't think this German society would be banned from joining,
but I do wonder whether its worth the effort of setting it all up
 
> > Sebastian:
> "> I am fairly surprised that the fee looks so high. "
> I do suspect a difference in academic cultures here. 
> It does look high for a German academic. 

considering we are in the same economic bloc, and considering
that German academics have traditionally been much better paid
than ones in the UK, I remain puzzled. $500 really isn't that much
money to you or I - its not as if we were talking about an academic
in Burkina Faso....

> > I am fairly surprised that the fee looks so high. Can you give us
> > some idea of the size of projects involved?
> Based on my conversations I think between 1 and 15 people.  

why not persuade them to forego all Microsoft software
and spend the money on TEI instead? :-}
  
> Not sure I understand this. Having this society would make 
> it easier to communicate with all TEI interests in Germany at once. 
> Communication is normally hindered by the 
> barriers of the academic disciplines and this society would cut across them. 

er, yes, but thats what the TEI is for! I'd *much* rather your editors
all joined as individual members at some low cost.
 
I am not against a local chapter of German TEI users, that would
be really great. I am just nervous of this extra layer of bureaucracy
caused by the society. Possibly I am scarred by years of 
dealing with the German TeX Users Group..!

Why not forget membership for now, but form a local chapter
(no fees etc) of TEI users, get them all enthused and then see
how it goes?

-- 
Sebastian Rahtz      OUCS Information Manager
13 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6NN. Phone +44 1865 283431