Archive & membership

According to the list-discussion about the conferencepaper archive I just want to share a couple of comments as a member of a(o)ir.

Often people feel they want to belong to a group of interest, and some take initiatives to establish an organisation or similar. Others with same interests get information about this organisation's existence, and about the others (besides the social-professional community it self) advantages, and may then apply for a membership.

As an "internet researcher" I found membership in a(o)ir both interesting (for me personal) and important (for me professional). Among the advantages is the access to the archive.

I do like the idea of open source and sharing. I also like the idea of people acting together, in solidarity and/or in common interests. The a(o)ir is open for everyone who want to share their "internet research" to this interdisciplinary community, or that just want to be a passive receiving member. It's up to everyone self. Should it be any questions about opening membership advantages to non-members? Then the result could be that no one saw any advantage of membership, the organisation would be dissolved, as ended the archive discussion. In stead I hope that as many as possible with interests of internet research do participate in a(o)ir.

Unn Kristin Daling
Centre for technology and society
Department of interdisciplinary studies of culture
Norwegian University of Science and Technology
N-7491 Trondheim