[HCoop-Discuss] Goals and policies

[Adam Chlipala]

S. Taylor wrote:
> - a warning e-mail 30 days before their balance reaches zero
>   

I think this has been in effect already for years, with the exception 
that all balance-related stuff was frozen for a time span during initial 
set-up of the new servers.

> - a notification of suspension when their balance reaches zero
>   and how it can be re-activated. This is where a pre-defined appeals
>   process is needed - members who review appeals and advise the board of
>   their decision.
>   

This is an interesting element that I hadn't thought of.  This only 
matters if you expect that there will be cases where members claim to 
have paid while the board asserts that they haven't, right?  I don't 
think we've yet had any incidents of this kind.  Our bylaws would allow 
the members to immediately vote out board members who behave 
unreasonably in such situations, and I tend to think that's sufficient 
to curtail inappropriate behavior.

> Some kind of subject flag might better alert members to read their
> e-mail: [HCoop-Discuss] + something like [ANNOUNCE] or [BYLAW CHANGE]
> or [MEMBERS PLEASE VOTE].
>   

We have a separate hcoop-announce mailing list, through which you should 
have received several messages recently with subjects that start with 
[HCoop-Announce].  The general idea is that skipping reading 
hcoop-announce messages voids all guarantees of service for a member.  
This has been communicated inadequately in the past, and my latest 
effort is in this wiki page, whose URL every new member is e-mailed and 
asked to visit:
    http://wiki.hcoop.net/MemberManual/GettingStarted/AccountCreated
Feedback on (or direct editing of) the wording is appreciated.  (I may 
revert direct edits if they violate the rules of English or somesuch. :-])

> By the way, is there any vote-by-proxy or similar process? I ask
> because some HCoop Chat room Meetings have been Sunday afternoons; I'm
> nowhere near my computer at that time.
>   

It's only board votes (by board members only) that occur at meetings.  
General membership votes take place over periods of a week or more on 
our web portal.

Suggestions for alternate meeting times are welcome.  We settled on our 
current default time by considering the constraints placed by having 
many members who want to attend from all American time zones and the 
western and central European time zones.