Re: AFFS

I am in a similar situation to Marc. I joined AFFS at the LinuxExpo, but don't 
recall receiving any membership number or renewal reminder.

I did spend a little time helping on the AFFS stand, and had several discussions 
regarding the AFFS. It appeared to me at that time the AFFS was looking for a 
way to dispose of the subs in a way which can best help free software in 
general. It appears this hasn't actually happened.

Without people willing to actually carry out functions of supporting free 
software in the UK under the aegis of the AFFS, then it appears to me the 
overhead of managing an organisation structured like the AFFS is a diversion of 
resources away from anything useful.

The AFFS could still exist as a free-standing informal arrangement, or perhaps 
as an informal arrangement under the formal aegis of FSFE?

At the end of the day, unless we have someone who energetically wants to animate 
AFFS, then it is a space probably best left as a vacuum to be occupied by 
someone who has the time and energy to make things happen, with those who have 
ever been a member, or expressed interest, being invited to this list, which can 
be the remaining manifestation of AFFS.

If the notional functions of the AFFS become the domain of FSFE, then perhaps 
the remaining money should go there. It isn't a huge amount, and we shouldn't 
get bogged down by it.





Marc Eberhard wrote:
> Dear John,
> 
> I have stopped paying my subscription to AFFS when it failed to invite
> members to an AGM. As far as I remember it was a requirement for AFFS to
> hold at least one annual meeting. So the situation might be really tricky in
> legal terms. I also have not received any information from AFFS until August
> 2006 (when my postal address changed) and I have not received a confirmation
> that my address update sent to [email protected] has been acted upon. I
> have never received a reminder about outstanding subscription fees and I
> never received a letter that my membership has come to an end. So, frankly,
> I don't know if I'm still a member with outstanding fees or no member
> anymore.
> 
> All the best,
> Marc