Theos-Talk Archives (September 1993 Message tl00008)

I read the back-mail from the group last night. Here's my
first comment.

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The membership database is confidential and I doubt that online
access will ever be generally available.

Although the membership has been asked if it is ok to release their
names, and the assumtion made that if they did not reply it was an
implied "ok", the names have never been given out except to
selected one-time-use purposes, like

1. an annual mailing by the Theosophical Book Gift Assoc. for the
   Blind

2. an annual mailing by the Theosophical Order of Service,

3. a district-wide list for use by a Directory of the region (e.g.
   all Southeast District names to the current Southeast Director),

4. a city-wide list for a one-time mailing to a local theosophical
   group, approved on a case-by-case basis, for some special
   promotion.

Many of the people in charge in the past were not computer literate,
and dependended on their friends for advice. That advice was not
always, though, for the best. I have brought up, over the past
years, the suggestion to Wheaton that they get an T.S. network account
on PeaceNet (which has email access to internet), which might have
only cost $10 to $20 per month. The suggestion was never taken up.

There are printouts of membership information at Wheaton for the
various departments to consult, but no online access. (I may help
setup something for the Library to access current membership info.
later this year.)

A public directory of people interested in Theosophy might be
more practical, and that does not have to be limited to members of the
TSA. (I did something on this line with setting up and managing
the database for the Theosophical Network, which the Theosophical
Network Directory was generated from, which Rick Nurrie later took
over when it moved from San Diego to Oklahoma.)

The problem with a directory, is who has the time to build, maintain,
and electronically (and in paper) publish it?

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                                 Eldon Tucker
                                 eldon@netcom.com