--- /dev/null
+#pragma section-numbers off\r
+\r
+This page describes the minimal efforts you must take after creating an account in order to remain in good standing at HCoop.\r
+\r
+[[TableOfContents]]\r
+\r
+The most important thing to remember is that '''if you don't read all e-mail sent to `you@hcoop.net` promptly, your account may be removed'''. Here "promptly" probably means "at least once a month," but we do tend to assume that most members check their e-mail daily, and that almost everyone checks it at least weekly. With an all-volunteer staff, we just don't have the means to contact members otherwise, and we sometimes need your help on short notice to keep your sites running.\r
+\r
+= E-mail forwarding =\r
+\r
+You shouldn't read the above as an unreasonable requirement that you check Yet Another E-mail Account every day. Most members fall into one of the following categories:\r
+\r
+ * They choose to use HCoop as their primary e-mail provider. This often goes along with owning their own domains that they host with HCoop and use for their primary e-mail addresses.\r
+ * They run `echo my.primary@email.address > ~/.forward` to set up forwarding of all HCoop messages to their preferred e-mail addresses.\r
+\r
+We want to have a simple recipe for how to reach any member. This is "e-mail `member_username@hcoop.net`", and we hold you responsible for configuring your e-mail settings so that this method for reaching you is effective.\r
+\r
+= A Cautionary Tale =\r
+\r
+It happens fairly often that a new member stumbles down this unfortunate path:\r
+\r
+ 1. Bob joins and reads about our voluntary-subscription mailing lists, such as hcoop-discuss.\r
+ 1. Wanting to contribute to the HCoop community, Bob uses the portal to subscribe to the lists.\r
+ 1. N months later, Bob notices that the lists can get quite a lot of traffic.\r
+ 1. Bob concludes that "HCoop sends him too much e-mail," forgetting that he can unsubscribe from the voluntary lists at any time on his portal preferences page.\r
+ 1. Bob stops reading all HCoop mailing list messages, including the hcoop-announce list that we sometimes use for important time-sensitive announcements; or, even worse, Bob originally decided that he didn't need to forward HCoop mail to his main e-mail account since he would just check his HCoop mailbox regularly, but now he ends up not reading any HCoop e-mail at all, even hand-crafted personal messages from desperate admins, who will always assume that `bob@hcoop.net` goes somewhere that Bob reads regularly.\r
+ 1. Bob misses a message asking him well in advance if he'd like to object to an increase in member dues, or Bob misses a message telling him he must make a dues payment soon or be expelled from the co-op, or Bob misses a message telling him that he must modify how his web site is set up or it will be taken down, etc..\r
+\r
+If Bob just unsubcribed from the voluntary lists, he would be down to less than a message a month on average from our announcements list, plus a low balance reminder once a month if he gets behind in payments. We don't consider this to meet any reasonable definition of "too much e-mail," so we'll hold you responsible for problems that arise from your not reading messages of either of these two remaining kinds promptly.\r
+\r
+= Now, About Those Lists... =\r
+\r
+Many of our members are gung-ho about receiving many e-mails each day related to HCoop, and they '''do''' subscribe to the discussion lists without trouble. We encourage anyone interested to visit [https://members2.hcoop.net/portal/pref the portal preferences page] to subscribe to voluntary lists. Just remember that you can revisit that page to unsubscribe at any time.\r
+\r
+= Sliding-Scale Pledges =\r
+\r
+We have members with a variety of financial situations. To help keep dues low, we allow members with more financial resources to pledge to pay higher dues than normal, thus lowering everyone else's dues. Visit [https://members2.hcoop.net/portal/pledge the portal's pledge page] to learn about this system or make a pledge yourself.\r
+\r
+= And All the Rest... =\r
+\r
+Our MemberManual should contain everything else you need to know to use your HCoop membership effectively.\r
HCoop / hcoop / zz_old / ikiwiki / blobdiff