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From: rcd@ico.isc.com (Dick Dunn)
Newsgroups: comp.org.ieee,comp.misc
Subject: Re: Is ACM broke?
Summary: not that surprising...
Message-ID: <1990Oct10.003028.5644@ico.isc.com>
Date: 10 Oct 90 00:30:28 GMT
References: <1990Oct7.205143.27609@msuinfo.cl.msu.edu>
Distribution: usa
Organization: Interactive Systems Corporation, Boulder, CO
Lines: 29

newman@frith.msu.edu (Tim Newman) writes:

> I just got my ACM membership renewal form and noticed they have
> decided that all us members will be making a donation for a
> TV program they are co-sponsoring.

Well, yeah, anyone who doesn't notice and cross it off will be making a
donation.  But you should have been forewarned about this sort of thing by
the "suggested donation" that's been there for several years now--already
added in for you.

> Also, should we expect this sort of behavior to become a yearly
> event for the ACM?

Pure speculation:  They found that the original donation sca^H^H^Htech-
nique worked, so they're going to expand it.

I don't know...I really have a strong negative reaction to this sort of
fund-raising.  If they asked for the donation, I might consider it.  When
they add it in by default and expect me to take an explicit action if I
don't want to contribute, I automatically reject it as underhanded.  But
then I'm a surly sort...I also regard ACM as devious for continually
sending me ads for insurance and credit cards when I've asked for my name
to be restricted to announcements from ACM and related professional
societies.  (I'd like a professional computing society to be circumspect in
avoiding this sort of game.)
-- 
Dick Dunn     rcd@ico.isc.com -or- ico!rcd       Boulder, CO   (303)449-2870
   ...Worst-case analysis must never begin with "No one would ever want..."