What do you think about the new FSW membership protocol?

[MamaLiberty]

Thanks, John... but I must disagree that it's not possible to "arm twist" on a forum. I've seen some on our own forum - as well as on others. The big difference is that with mental arm twisting, the target can simply log off and refuse to be coerced. I'm afraid it's just an idea I'm very uncomfortable with.

As for Paul - he's welcome to come over any time! I always have home made bread to share. We can arm wrestle and see who gets to wash the dishes! 

[Boston]

I take y'all's point about the not liking a 2A org requirement.
I was never totally comfortable with the idea myself, but it points towards
something helpful:  to wit, that a real person has coughed up some dough
somewhere to a worthy cause.

Am looking for some non-FSW "pre-approval" since the donation req.
has been dropped.

I think after the nonexistent Casper "Marvin" we'll all be a little less
gullible about such enthusiastic folks who nobody has ever met. 
Meaning, just because somebody is a new FSWer, let's not get all
gooey about their pledge until they've become a known quantity
both here and in real life.

Maybe the best idea is to simply keep the membership protocol as
simple as it is now, and let the free market of forum opinion assign
value and trust to new FSWers as time goes on.

_____________
Mari PMed me that I'd neglected to upgrade her in June to FSW Associate,
so I've just done so.  She is the 13th, and last.  Welcome Mari!

Boston

[Boston]

Just heard from another lost FSW Associate, grimjack.
Welcome and thanks for your support!
We've 14 FSW Associates.

May/June was a hectic time for me, so are there any others whom I've failed to upgrade? 

As my January 29, 2006 post explained:

http://www.fundamentalsoffreedom.com/fswforum//index.php?topic=144.msg382#msg382

So, register as a Guest, and PM me with your FSW status as Associate or Member (Wyoming bound, or In-Wyoming), and I will upgrade you as soon as I confirm receipt of your SofI.  Then you will have access to the Member and/or Associate forum boards.

You must private message (PM) me with your SofI's name and email address to get upgraded.
I won't do it automatically because I cannot recognize all these forum nyms. [/size]

Any others?  Please PM me this week.

Thanks,
Boston

[Mari]

Thanks, Boston. It?s actually my fault that I got lost. I sent in the SofI after joining the forum, and then set everything aside until after I retired. That will happen on November 2, 2007. 

Mari - The 13th Associate

[Boston]

Heck, Mari (the 13th Associate), if I hadn't been ponzing off to
Africa to hunt/kill/eat their game, I'd have upgraded you in June.

Congratulations on your imminent retirement!

__________
A generic hint:  Join the FSW before I skip the country next time!   

__________
I should issue consecutive numbers to all the Associates:  001, 002, etc.

With as much attention as they're getting, they probably won't want to be
"upgraded" to mere "Founding Members", huh?

This issue is fast on its way to solving itself.
I love it.

Boston

[PatriotAR15]

Neato. So how many founding members are there?

[Blaineus]

I should issue consecutive numbers to all the Associates:  001, 002, etc.

With as much attention as they're getting, they probably won't want to be
"upgraded" to mere "Founding Members", huh?

This issue is fast on its way to solving itself.
I love it.

Boston

Tell me I'm 007... I'll stay associate forever!   

[Boston]

lol, I knew that somebody would pipe up to be 007.
Somehow, I'm not surprised that it was Blaineus.
Funnily enough, I think that he's probably very close to
having been the 7th Associate, anyway...

Boston

[Blaineus]

Bloody well fantastic!

[Paul Bonneau]

I guess different people mean different things with "arm twisting". I was thinking of it as "vigorous persuasion". Maybe that's not the normal usage. Example: "Other members might think you are weird, maybe mentally deficient,  if you don't belong to GOA or JPFO. Just thought you'd like to know." 

[planetaryjim]

Dear Boston,

I really like your ideas of not having a centralized fund, not having a central repository of records, and not having a lot of paper evidence.  It seems to me that the handwriting on the walls speaks loudly to us of tyranny, increasing capital controls, worsening economic and political climate, and even the fair tidings from Ron Paul's Fifth of November money bomb (hey, you have a fifth, you can get bombed too!) are not enough to dissuade me from my view that we have a police state on our hands.  So, good ideas, glad you took the time to have them.  You continue to impress me with your leadership skills and foresight.

With regard to a pre-qualification, I think there are a number to consider.  How about purchasing a book from Javelin Press as an alternative to membership in some overt 2nd Amendment group?  Some of us aren't really joiners.  I've actually joined the NRA, through the Montana gun range near Three Forks back in 2004 when we got together at Grand Western Conference II.  But, not because I wanted to be a part of it.  Rather, because they wouldn't let me shoot otherwise.

Here are some more things I think would qualify someone to be considered suitable for membership.  Not sure how I'd prove each one in some instances, but they work for me.  And there are presumably other worthy criteria:

 Bought Boston's Gun Bible, Molon Labe, or another Javelin Press book.

 Wrote a letter or essay published at:
    The Libertarian Enterprise
    Strike the Root
    Lew Rockwell (dot com!)
    Freedom's Phoenix
    Rational Review
    similar...

Made a contribution to Ron Paul's political campaigns for Congress or president (1988 counts)

Got 150 or more on Bryan Caplan's Libertarian Purity Test

Qualified as Rifleman

Joined one of the gun rights groups you mentioned, or another one not mentioned in your list.  (Didja list Pink Pistols?  Second Amendment Sisters?)

Bought more than $10,000 of gold from Vertoro.com.

Invented a cryptographic protocol.

Built and operated a Galt's Gulch community of more than one person.

Was ever found to be admirable in any quality by Claire Wolfe.

Was not one of the federal agent plants in Laissez Faire City.

Went to HoHoCon and found the fed (must have T-shirt to prove it).

Regards,

Jim

[JenS]

Well Jim, if you add any requirement such as "buy a book from Javelin Press" then FSW is going to be slammed again as just a branch of Boston's business, which for privacy reasons alone would not be a good thing. I don't think Boston would think it a good idea, either. But of course I am guessing.

I sometimes join things, but only if I find much value in them. That's why I sent in my $25.00 for FSW, and my $40.00 for the Jam. To require membership of a gun org would be almost the same thing. I am not a member though of any of them...I may be later, but I feel that's my business.

Any political requirement is a bad idea...

Some people do not like to write...

I of course DO, but only when I deem it necessary and timely for me.

I do not know how you can suggest anything worthy to replace the $25.00, the SOFI is fine, but extra requirements will be someone's extra job to keep up with. 

[MamaLiberty]

I suspect that all external "requirements" would prove cumbersome and counterproductive. The only real requirement, it would seem to me, should be living up to the statement of intent, both here on the forum and after joining the rest of us in Wyoming. Integrity - being a good neighbor.

Any fool, troll or agent provocateur can register for the forum, write the SOFI and provide proof of anything that might be named as a requirement, but that won't actually prove their intent or demonstrate their character. Only interaction and real life can accomplish that.

Let's keep it simple and require substance over display.

[John]

Any political requirement is a bad idea...

But we already have one!  "...forsaking fraud, theft, and aggression ? desire to peaceably co-exist as reasonable neighbors for the goals of political liberty, free trade, and voluntary cooperation."

That rules out 90% or more of folks from being members, if they really understand what the statement means.  Which, of course, they may not, since it's written in libertarian code.  For that reason, it may be a good idea to require a certain level of libertarian purity in a more clear and spelled-out way, such as the Caplan test.

[Paul Bonneau]

Well, the objection to other requirements is really that they are extraneous. This requirement is central. It's what defines FSW. We're clearly not going to get rid of that.

I don't think it is written in "libertarian code" either. The language is quite clear to almost everyone (intentionally I'm sure), although it's possible a few might be confused about it. Even then, any mistakes are quickly self-correcting. People who think we're something else have only to read our forum to get straightened out.

John, give us a link to this Caplan test. I'd like to look at it.