Goals discussion

[Phoenix]

This thread is for the purpose of setting/reviewing/modifying our goals for this committee and the proposed organization

[akashik]

How about for openers.

Setting a goal for a legitimate system that has a feeling of strength and stability, through a professional approach and attention to detail.

Having the ability for both members and ESPECIALLY the end-users to pursue people that break the rules. Ask around law forums and other business professionals for their requirements for believing in the system. WE think it's a good idea, but that's where the problem lies. Other people need to think that too.

Look at ways to check the validity of business licenses and other required information.

Look at end-users security when dealing with the member. (secure forms, etc)

Greg Moore

[Phoenix]

Some good ideas.

Let's start with the specific goals of the planning committee:

1) seat a planning committee to plan for the founding of a trade organization for the web hosting community
2) determine membership categories and requirements for the organization
3) determine a name for the organization
4) determine composition of and elect a board of directors
5)
6)


Once we have our goals firmed up, we can come up with some deadlines and then transition this over to the first board of directors.

[James]

This is more like it. We need some milestones! Anyone got a copy of MS project gathering dust ;)

Just an idea but our magazine launches in the US officially at the Internet World show in New York. I think this topic would make a nice feature article. We could make October an offical launch? I know this is an international effort, but its an excellent venue to create awareness.

[akashik]

I think an article would be a great idea. After all, print media for the right or wrong reasons, still lends an air of credibility to anything (maybe it's the spooky costs on print ads *lol*) If someone is writing about this endevour of ours - even if it's you or Tommy - could be enough to start a bit of a buzz.

When you sit back for a moment and think about it, this whole plan is quite a world shaker if done right, right up there with Opensrs, Verisign etc

"Why shoot for the moon when you can shoot for the stars. If you fall short, you'll still hit the moon anyway"

Greg Moore

[James]

Tommy and I leave our writing skills;) for the forums. We tend to use free lancers for articles.

but your right I think done right this could be big!

[Tommy]

There are a couple of months to go before the Editorial for the October issue has to be finalized so it's possible we could get something in. We could even speak at Internet World New York and launch it in the magazine.

[James]

We were going to run a regularly feature called "the round table" or something equally cheesy The idea was to create a panel of industry experts who would give their views on a give issue.

Time permitting I think you could change the "round table" for the web hosting ethics committee (new name when chosen). Each month we could raise issues that we wanted to get across to the public and hosting community.

What do you guys think?

[Sesran]

I am in favor of this.. How do we get a copy of this Mag?

[Tommy]

Sesran,

Send your full mailing address and Company name to chris.hill@webhostdir.com with Subscription in the subject.

Tommy

[Phoenix]

I definitely like the round table, how about "Web Hosting Industry Standards"?

How about we set a goal of Fall Internet World in NYC as the launch of the organization. By then, we should have all of our ducks in a row, and an executive board formally elected.

I'm close enough that I can come down for it on the Acela, woo hoo! high-speed trainage! We can have our first annual webhostdir drinkathon (followed closely by the first annual webhostdir hangoverathon), and as there will be a press room, executive board members can hand out press releases, give interviews, and perhaps even do a press conference. They can also talk to any web hosting providers that are exhibiting there and invite them to apply for membership.

The article shouldn't be that hard, all it requires is a good press-release from the board and then someone at your magazine (and whatever other media outlets it is sent to) will just need to edit it, maybe ask a few more questions, etc.

Most of the stuff for the press release can probably be found in all the rhetoric that was being exchanged on threads here and on WHT. And the rest, I'm sure will come from further discussions here.

One thing we'll need to stress is that this is a grass-roots effort to benefit us 'little guys' who make up most of the industry-which is why there are no Exoduses or Interland's on our planning committee. From what I've heard, Interland wouldn't be able to pass certification.

[James]

As you may have seen Webhostdir recently become an internet world media partner. We've already agreed the UK show deal and are in the final stages of the New York show agreement.

Essentially the show is going to get extensive promotion within our site and magazine. Total value of the promo, is around $30K. In exchange for the deal we get promotion within the Jacob K. Javits conference centre. I'm sure we could secure a meeting room as part of the deal and possibly even a presentation suite, to promote our cause.

[Phoenix]

I may be dropping in on the expo at Internet World chicago-I'm going to be out there at that time to meet with our sales/marketing consultant and I think that would be a good thing for him to see, as he's been more focused on brick and mortar businesses, and not service providers, particularly Internet ones. His day job is for a company that does promotional goods, so he can see what kind of swag is being handed out and I can collect my bagful of goodies.

I particularly like the fleshy rubber balls that light up when you bounce them.

-------------------------------------------------------

Back to business,

Let's set 6/15/01 or as the closing date for joining the planning committee. that will give us plenty of time for discussions, and enough time for the newcomers to catch up, and allow us to recruit any particular types of members that might be missing.

On 7/1/01 we will close the names discussion and vote on what we have, and get ourselves a name and a domain. A volunteer can then go forth and recruit a site-building committee, and we'll set goals with them for our site.

We'll also need to determine the composition of the executive board (I'll start a new thread for that): size and offices-I'd guess the usual: Chair/President, Executive Vice-Chair/President, Secretary, Treasurer, and a roster of VP's representing various consituencies: one for each Tier, elected from the members of that Tier; one for each geographical area (i.e. North America, South America, EU, Asia-or how ever that gets divided up) and some committee chairs with VP status: Standards, Mentor Program, Organizing, whatever.

Executive board members will be individuals (who must be on the staff of companies that are members in good standing), and we'll need to set term limits and such, to avoid ending up with too much political infighting, founding of dynasties, offices held for life, destructive internal alliances, and some of the other things that can destroy an organization.

The function of the Executive Board should be only to set policies, issue organization-wide press releases, and work for the good of the organization as a whole, nothing else, the real work of the organization will be done at the grass roots level, by state and local chapters (or whatever we name them) and by the individual VP's and their committees and consitutents.

Let's set 7/14/01, as the opening date for nominations/call for volunteers for the executive board. 7/21/01 as the closing date. We will then poll the committee to confirm uncontested candidates, and vote on any contested offices.

Effective 8/1/01, the executive board takes over and the planning committee becomes only a fond memory and our discussions only an archive.

Thoughts, opinions, on this timeline?