Re: MR: Disc: Pay-to-Fight

[Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy@abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU>]

Poster: Mark Schuldenfrei <schuldy@abel.MATH.HARVARD.EDU>

Greetings from Tibor.

Konrad asked:
  What are the many distressing side-effects?  The only thing I have heard so 
  far  is not wanting to pay $20 for an associate membership to be able to 
  authorize.

I believe it has a number of distressing side effects.

  It Balkanizes us, by encouraging an attitude of division between
  those that pay, and those that don't.  I'd rather see a seamless
  Society, myself.

  It encourages the repetition of baseless and false facts and figures
  about the status of the Society.

  It encourages us to add additional requirements, that might risk our
  tax status.

  It provides yet more cash to a Board that has a long history of poor
  custodianship of its funds.

  I believe it diminishes out souls, by encouraging us to dictate to
  others how we are to conduct ourselves.

  It encourages people to overvalue a cash contribution, instead of a
  Society where we all volunteer to help each other.

  It encourages people to say things like "If they can't afford a
  membership, then maybe they should find a different game to play".
  (Oh, have I heard this a dozen times or more...)

We are a Society of people of Principal.  This is one of the personality
traits that we want to encourage both within and without the game.  I believe
it reflects poorly on our Principals to create a world with such tragic side
effects as those listed above.

	Tibor
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