============================================== Candidate: Michael Mason ============================================== Candidate Profile for Michael Mason (an956) ---------------------------- Candidate Profile for: Michael Mason (an956) I have been a National Capital FreeNet Volunteer for about a year now. Most of my work has been with NCF Fundraising, the biggest project being the November 1994 NCF Online Auction. It raised over $20000 for all the users of the NCF. I am currently working on another Fundraising project that will happen sometime in 1995 which should also raise a good sum of money that will once again be going to NCF. FreeNet really needs every cent it can get to maintain its current standards, and to expand current resources before increasing its capacity. Since access is an extremely volatile issue right now, I'm am and will continue to work exhaustively with Fundraising in order to get the money required to buy the computer power necessary to add extra phone lines. I bring administration and fundraising experience into the candidacy pool and I hope that my enthusiasm for the National Capital FreeNet and experience with Fundraising will bring me a seat on the Board of Directors. I am fluently bilingual and will therefore be able to serve you the member, in the language of your choice. We need new blood and new ideas and I believe that I can help lead NCF into its next stage in its life. Administrative Experience Relevant to Candidacy ---------------------------- In the past I have administered, in another organization, a project with a budget of about $25 000 over one year. I have learned how to budget money and spend it wisely in the best interests a given organization that I would be working with. I currently am working in an administrative capacity for a local company, working with accounts payable and related paperwork, as well as preparing documents to be sent to the head office of my company. I played a role in the 1994 Online Auction, working on the planning, organizing, running and aftermath. I went out to solicit donations for the auction, promoting NCF while doing that. I have been a member of the National Capital FreeNet for over a year now, and have been pretty active. I have been a volunteer for quite a while now, most recently working with the auction, as well as planning another fundraising project that will be unveiled some time in the future. Having the administration background that I have, with experience of leading groups of people through various projects, along with my experience with using and working for NCF, I think that I am a good candidate for the job of being on the National Capital FreeNet Board of Directors. My position statements on the larger issues are in my information areas, and I encourage all to go and see them if they have not already do so. I hope I can count on all of you for your support starting Monday, as you all will be able to count on me when I'm elected to the Board of Directors. Michael Mason 1995 NCF Board of Directors Candidate Position Statement on NCF Time Limits ---------------------------- Statement on Current Time Limit Situation -- HOW DO WE GET RID OF THEM? It seems that NCF has a growing number of users yet a static number of telephone lines and modems. That causes problems. More people try to access the same number of lines --> demand exceeds supply, therefore there is an increasing wait period before obtaining a phone line to give you access to the FreeNet. The Board of Directors have recently (February 6th, 1995) passed a motion that will limit users to a daily 2 hour limit. The reasoning behind this motion was that people who use FreeNet for more than 2 hours conceivably restrict access to someone else who may be attempting to log on. This time limit reduced the amount of time a user can use during a given day. 121 different users posted their views mainly on this issue on the unmoderated board discussion area. Most people were against the imposing of a time limit. A motion that the limit be amended to 15 hours per WEEK was defeated. If FreeNet MUST have a time limit, I will attempt to pass a motion just like the 15 hours per week motion that was defeated. However, I will try to put MORE focus on Fundraising that will ultimately give NCF the funds necessary to expand their resources and purchase the equipment necessary to alleviate the troubles and REMOVE ANY FORM OF TIME LIMIT. More money = more equipment purchasing = less stress on system load = NO LIMITS! You all control your fate, vote for Michael Mason and you'll be on the road to the NCF you've grown to know and love. Position Statement on "Corporate Advertising" ---------------------------- Position Statement on "Corporate Advertising" for Fundraising The National Capital FreeNet is desperate for donations. It needs over $400 000 per year to sustain its current size. It does, however need to expand. At fundraising meetings various "corporate advertising" ideas had been presented, but seemed to get put off or put onto the back burner. NCF keeps saying it needs money yet it finds ways to avoid getting it from much larger sources. The average donor is a person working earning a 5 figure salary. He/she cannot afford to donate a thousand dollars to the cause. What we need to do is go after larger money sources in order to increase our donations base. If we could not call it a donations base, then something like a corporate sponsorship programme should be established. As some have pointed out, the line sponsorship idea is a small step towards corporate sponsorship, though it is only a one-time donation, and they are being recognized. The opportunity to donate again comes up after a year, but how often does that happen? If elected to the board I will endevour to begin official discussions on this subject with the goal of increasing the cash flow of NCF by much larger proportions than it would through more aggressive fundraising. I will do both. More fundraising, but more pursuing of other sources of income. WE NEED THE MONEY. Let's stop deciding where we don't want it from. Position Statement on MUDs ---------------------------- Position Statement on MUDs I have read the arguments for and against MUDs in the board unmoderated discussion are over the last couple weeks. I also read the discussion about MUDs back when people were talking about eliminating telnet, or restricting parts of it anyway. I was sitting on the fence. I have read comments from another candidate, and have had an e-mail conversation with a few users (from both sides of the coin) and have come to decide that I will support the continual availability of MUDs on NCF. The social interaction on the MUD overrules the game aspect of the environment. One user has even gained administrative experience that has increased her ability to write letters and communicate with people from all walks of life. Other than the games and social aspects of a MUD, some elements can prove to be quite beneficial ***IF USED PROPERLY*** Anything in moderation is not a bad thing. If you have any comments or questions on this subject, once again feel free to take me up in e-mail or via the candidate forum discussion group. As in every other aspect of NCF, I am open to suggestions. Position Statement on User Fees ---------------------------- Position Statement on User Fees The National Capital FreeNet does not charge user fees right now. I do not believe that they are in its future either. Since the NCF relies on donations to live, I keep focusing on more agressive fundraising, including corporate funding, described above. Seeing that I wish to institute some form of corporate funding/sponsorship, which will give us the means to fix our hardware problems, I will ensure that they eliminate any possibility of instituting user fees. I do not, and will not support any form of user fees, since I believe that it is not in the nature of a FreeNet to do so. I also am a firm believer in donating. Donating is done much more willingly than a forced fee. Condensed Point-Form Version of Position Statements ---------------------------- Condensed Version of Positions on Various Subjects TIME LIMITS - NCF has a rising number of users EVERY DAY - NCF has a static number of phone lines - Every day more people try to call NCF. More people trying to access same # of lines causes more waiting for a free line - NCF Board passed a motion limiting users to a 2 hour daily limit - Al Seaman proposed a weekly 15 hour limit. Motion was defeated. - More aggressive Fundraising and new Fundraising avenues will allow NCF's bank account to grow and therefore be able to buy a computer and install more lines. - Until more lines and computer power are obtained, I will try to pass an amendment to 15 hours per week TEMPORARILY. When more lines become available, the limits shall be removed. - More computer power = lower system load = more phone lines possible - Lower system load + more phone lines = no need for time limit. Therefore time limit will be then removed. "CORPORATE" FUNDRAISING - NCF needs over $400 000 per year to SUSTAIN current use and equipment. - NCF desperately needs to expand its hardware and modem pool. - A potentially lucrative donation/funding/sponsoring market has been put onto the back burner or spurned completely by some people at NCF. - NCF keeps saying it needs money yet it keeps finding reasons for not obtaining money from corporate sources. - Individual donations are fine for keeping NCF the way it is now. We need to explore larger and more lucrative avenues to get more funding coming NCF's way. - I wish to pass a motion allowing NCF to pursue corporate sponsorship which will give NCF the money it needs to expand to more comfortable standards. WE NEED THE MONEY. LET'S STOP DECIDING WHERE WE DON'T WANT IT FROM. USER FEES - I believe in the donor system. I won't support any motion of user fees. My desire for corporate funding should eliminate any need for user fees anyway. Profil de Candidat pour Michael Mason (an956) ---------------------------- Profil de candidat: Michael Mason (an956) Je suis une personne qui s'est porte volontaire pour la Libertel de la Capitale Nationale depuis plus d'un an. La majorite de mon travail avec la LCN etait avec les levees de fonds. Mon plus grand projet etait celui de l'encan, qui a amasse plus de 20 000$ en fonds qui ont ete investis en la LCN. Je travaille aussi en ce moment sur un projet qui promet d'amasser encore plus de fonds pour notre Libertel. La Libertel de la Capitale Nationale a vraiment besoin d'autant d'argent que possible afin de maintenir ses standards d'acces ainsi pour pouvoir agrandir dans les mois qui suivent. Puisque l'acces au LCN est un sujet de discussion plutot important en ce moment, je travaille et je travaillerai sans cesse pour la LCN afin d'acquerir le plus de fonds possible pour acheter les systemes informatiques necessaires avant de se procurer davantage de lignes telephoniques. J'ammene de l'experience dans le cadre administratif ainsi que dans les levees de fonds au sein de la LCN. J'espere que mon enthousiasme pour la LCN et mon experience avec les levees de fonds vont me donner une victoire dans cette election. Nous avons besoin de nouvelles idees ici, et je crois que j'ammenerai ceci et que je pourrai aider a guider la LCN dans sa croissance continuelle. Enonce de position: Limites d'usage quotidienne ---------------------------- Enonce de Position: Limites d'usage quotidienne - COMMENT S'EN DEBARASSER? Il semblerait que la LCN a de plus en plus de nouveaux membres. Cependant, sa capacite telephonique demeure pareille. Ceci a le potentiel de creer des problemes. Plus de personnes essaient d'obtenir l'acces aux meme nombre de lignes. La demande pour ces lignes telephoniques est beaucoup plus grande que la quantite de lignes disponibles a n'importe quel temps. Le temps qu'il faut attendre avant d'avoir acces a la LCN devient de plus en plus long. Tout recemment une motion a ete passee (le 6 fevrier, 1995) qui limitera chaque membre de la LCN a deux heures par jour. La raison derriere cette motion etait qu'une minorite de membres utilisaient une fraction assez elevee des ressources de la LCN. Ceci avait l'effet de restraindre l'access a quelqu'un autre que lui-meme. 121 membres ont demontre leurs opinions sur ce sujet dans le mois dernier. La majorite de ces membres avaient des opinions CONTRE cette limite quotidienne. Une motion qu'une limite HEBDOMADAIRE de 15 heures a ete defaite. Si notre Libertel doit avoir une limite, je pense que nous devons essayer de nouveau d'amender cette limite, la mettant a 15 heures par semaine. Je vais cependant mettre ENCORE PLUS d'attention aux levees de fonds afin de donner a la LCN les fonds necesaires a resoudre leurs problemes d'acces. Le but de ceci va enfin donner la chance D'ELIMINER les limites. Plus d'argent = plus d'equipement achetee = moins de stress sur notre systeme = PLUS DE BESOIN POUR DES LIMITES! Vous controllez votre futur. Votez Michael Mason et vous serez sur la route vers la prosperite economique de votre LCN. Le resultat de cette prosperite sera plus de Liberte dans votre Libertel. Enonce de position: "Commanditation" de la LCN ---------------------------- Enonce de position: Levees de fonds La Libertel de la Capitale Nationale a desesperement besoin d'argent. Il a besoin de plus de 400 000$ chaque annee afin de maintenir sa grandeur actuelle. Elle a cependant, le besoin d'agrandir. Durant des discussions a propos des levees de fonds des idees de donations provenant des compagnies ont ete terminees en mettant ces idees en reserve pour le futur. Il se voit que l'interet dans ceci est plus ou moins faible. La LCN dit continuellement qu'elle a besoin de l'argent, mais elle trouve toujours des raisons pour refuser des sources plus larges. Les donateurs a la LCN sont en general des personnes qui obtiennent un salaire de 5 chiffres. Il/elle ne peut pas donner 1 000$ a la LCN. Ce que nous devrions faire est le suivant: si nous ne pourrions pas appeler ces gens des donateurs, nous pourriouns les appeler des commanditaires. Un programme de commanditaires doit etre mis en vigueur des maintenant afin d'acquerir l'argent necessaire pour l'agrandissement. Plusieurs ont mentionne que le programme de commanditaire de ligne telephonique est un petit pas vers la commanditation de la LCN. Ils donnent un frais fixe par annee, et ils sont supposes de renouveler a la fin de chaque annee. Si je suis elu je promets d'etablir la communication necessaire sur ce sujet. Le but de ceci est d'augmenter l'entree de fonds monetaires a la LCN, qui est presque impossible avec la situation courante. Nous avons besoin de l'argent de commanditaires AINSI que les levees de fonds plus agressives. NOUS AVONS BESOIN DE L'ARGENT. 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