IRC conference on channel #arise, 16 August 1997

Please note that this was an unofficial conference involving people from inside and outside the JMS; it did not represent or decide JMS policy.

The conference began at 23:00 GMT. Cade Hannan was there and summarised the conclusions of the participants.

The discussion revolved around membership packages, user groups, PR and the M-Plan, as well as other minor subjects.

What is the JMS

The JMS should be the link between the users, developers and the owners (GW/AI). The JMS would keep the Amiga community (JMS members) informed as to what is happening with regards to GW/AI and other companies and developers. The JMS should formulate working groups from JMS members which will work together to initiate projects within the Amiga community (such as shows, demonstrations, publicity and anything else that would require assistance from the JMS).

Membership - ideas

There should be 2 forms of membership packages:

Individual Members
It was agreed that asking individual Amigans for $20+ will deter them. It was suggested that an Individual Member pays $5 half yearly or annually.
User Group Members
It was suggested that user groups pay between $10 and $20 half yearly or annually. User groups often have trouble receiving money from their members, thus killing off user groups. If we ask $10 (or around this amount) it would perhaps encourage more people/users to join user groups to save money, thus strengthening the Amiga user groups once again.

Once you have paid your free and joined the JMS you should receive and Official JMS Membership Card as well as an Amiga sticker (if possible). JMS members would be encouraged to wear their membership cards to shows and computer expos to show their support for the JMS and Amiga.

Joining the JMS would entitle you to joining the JMS/Second Wind mailing list as well as taking part in working groups that will be working on various projects in the future. We will hopefully be able to offer special discounts for software and hardware to JMS members in the future as well as raffles etc (the usual fund-raising stuff).

Joining the JMS will enable the Amiga user to get involved with the Amiga's future.

The future

Most people have suggested the M-Plan to be the best choie for the next JMS project/initiative.