Summary Meeting of the Membership Advisory Committee 18 February 1999

Summary of February 18 Membership Committee Conference Call

Prepared by Molly Shaffer Van Houweling, Committee Staff

Present:

Izumi Aizu
Diane Cabell
Daniel Kaplan
Siegfried Langenbach
Nii Quaynor
Molly Shaffer Van Houweling (staff)
Jonathan Zittrain (Berkman Center liaison)
Greg Crew

Molly Shaffer Van Houweling gave a brief report on the meeting between MAC members Cabell and Kanchanasut and members of the Berkman Center study team in Cambridge on February 17. She reported that the Berkman Center team had worked with Cabell to put together a preliminary report on membership issues. Crew indicated that the report is thorough, but needs to include more answers and recommendations. He suggested that the next step is to ask the MAC members to respond to the questions posed in the report. Cabell agreed to collect member comments on the preliminary report and to add them to the report (or perhaps include them in a separate report. Zittrain added that the report(s) should include alternatives other than the three models on which the committee has largely been concentrating. Crew added that the report should spell out the pros and cons of each model. Izumi suggested that the preliminary report should be posted publicly so that MAC members can solicit comments on it. Cabell agreed to post it later in the day.

Crew reported that a few members of the committee had responded to his request that they indicate which one of the three models they prefer (and what key changes they would favor). The responses tended to favor the individual model, with some variations. Crew suggested that perhaps the ideal model would be one that had a simple mechanism for formal membership, accompanied by a mechanism for limited input from non-members.

Next, the committee members discussed their planned working sessions and meetings in Singapore--including an afternoon working session on Feb. 28, an all-day working session on March 1, and an all-day (1000-1600) open-meeting on March 2.

The committee discussed ways to encourage public participation, especially by local participants. Aizu offered to help in this regard. Zittrain asked whether real-time translation would be helpful. Aizu responded that there are too many languages; the important thing is to speak English slowly.

The committee members agreed to exchange contact information for their hotels in Singapore, after which the call ended.