[Town Meeting] Fw: Re: Town Meeting Members email address (fwd)

[Susan Doctrow]

I agree with both Alan and Brian.  The permanence of the "mailing list"
address and other aspects of the system have the advantages they both
cited.  It would be simple and convenient.  I participate in other
organizations that communicate this way and it works very well.  All members
are kept in the loop and it is easy to initiate private discussions with any
poster.  If something like this is implemented, the person who manages the
21 lists should still check to make sure there is good (and current)
participation by all TMMs who use email.  And, track down those TMMs who
haven't joined their precinct's list and ask them to do so.  Perhaps each
precinct TM chair, or her designate, could help with that outreach each
year.
I, too, want to thank those setting this up, whatever system we end up
with.  It is a tremendous idea for the town to provide an email TMM contact
option to constituents.
Sue

On Thu, Jun 4, 2009 at 12:18 PM, Brian Rehrig <brehrig at fieldspond.org>wrote:


> I agree with Alan.  His suggested approach also has the advantage, for

> citizens, of offering a permanent email address they can use to contact

> their representatives.  They don't have to check the website from year to

> year to gather up email addresses.

>

> Thanks to whoever's been working on this issue, and I hope it's not too

> late

> to consider this alternative.

>

> Best,

> ~Brian

>

> Brian H. Rehrig

> 28 Academy Street

> Arlington, MA  02476

> h: 781.646.4625

> w: 781.899.9990

> f: 781.207.0374

> c: 617.838.4767

>

>

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: townmeeting-bounces at arlingtonlist.org

> [mailto:townmeeting-bounces at arlingtonlist.org] On Behalf Of Alan Jones

> Sent: Thursday, June 04, 2009 11:43 AM

> To: townmeeting at arlingtonlist.org

> Subject: Re: [Town Meeting] Fw: Re: Town Meeting Members email address

> (fwd)

>

> In my opinion, this is not a good implementation. Among other problems, it

> will create unnecessary work for the Clerk and Webmaster maintaining the

> address base, and it will expose private emails to spammers who harvest

> from

> web sites. If we do this, I recommend that each TMM create a new disposable

> address just for this use.

>

> The purpose of publishing TMMs' addresses is to provide constituents with

> easy email access to their representatives, which is a good thing. I

> propose

> an alternative in which 21 mailing lists would be set up, one per precinct,

> with an address something like Precinct14 at tmm.arlington.ma.us. Then

> request

> all TMMs to sign up and maintain their own private addresses on these

> lists.

> When constituents want to offer their opinion on an issue to their

> representatives, they would simply send to their precinct's list address

> and

> it will CC to their precinct's TMMs. Individual TMMs can initiate a private

> conversation in response as they choose, thereby avoiding group

> deliberation

> by email. Presumably the list manager would provide a high degree of spam

> filtering for the lists.

>

> -- Alan (Precinct 14)

>

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