03-30-2003, 12:14 PM
It isn't just because he has such a good name, but I agree with a lot of whay Ed has to say about the reluctance of OMSA to aggressively police any kind of standards. You may not be aware, but the OMRS has been asserting just the same sort of abject cowardice.
Part of the problem -- and it is not restricted to these bodies -- is that dealers, by their nature, come to play an important role in our field of stufy ("hobby"). To take the OMSA as an example, they are able to attend all the meetings (they, after all, MAKE money from the gatherings, rather than SPEND money), they come to be known, and they come to be elected to society office. Also, everyone these days is frightened of liability issues, and this embraces both societies and internet communities.
A secondary function of these societies -- I see their major function as the journal -- is to establish and police a set of standards for the community. This requires a sort of courage which seems absent, I agree. Moreover, they just don't want to talk about the problem.
I am not so sure that cutting off the flow of information that these societies represent is the best way to deal with their lack of fortitude, however.
I'd suggest you expand your comments above and send them to the OMSA journal for publication! Seriously. They only danger is that you might find yourself elected to office.
Ed Haynes
Part of the problem -- and it is not restricted to these bodies -- is that dealers, by their nature, come to play an important role in our field of stufy ("hobby"). To take the OMSA as an example, they are able to attend all the meetings (they, after all, MAKE money from the gatherings, rather than SPEND money), they come to be known, and they come to be elected to society office. Also, everyone these days is frightened of liability issues, and this embraces both societies and internet communities.
A secondary function of these societies -- I see their major function as the journal -- is to establish and police a set of standards for the community. This requires a sort of courage which seems absent, I agree. Moreover, they just don't want to talk about the problem.
I am not so sure that cutting off the flow of information that these societies represent is the best way to deal with their lack of fortitude, however.
I'd suggest you expand your comments above and send them to the OMSA journal for publication! Seriously. They only danger is that you might find yourself elected to office.
Ed Haynes
