[SFDXA] ARRL Creates New Online Groups for Members to Communicate with Leadership

[Bill]

    ARRL Creates New Online Groups for Members to Communicate with
    Leadership

10/22/2019

ARRL’s Committee on Communication with ARRL Members has opened new 
online forums where all radio amateurs — ARRL members and non-members 
alike — can discuss issues and topics in two-way conversation with ARRL 
leadership. The new groups are aimed at enhancing communication among 
ARRL leadership, staff, members, and prospective members, in a manner 
that enables timely updates and collegial discussion.

This project was based on the success over the past several years of the 
ARRL-LoTW (Logbook of The World) Group in responding to Amateur Radio 
operators’ questions and generating discussion on ways to improve that 
program. “The LoTW initiative has clearly demonstrated the effectiveness 
of online Groups as a means of achieving the desired interaction,” ARRL 
said in announcing the new groups.

ARRL has added three online groups:

  * *ARRL-Contesting <https://groups.arrl.org/g/ARRL-Contesting> *—
    moderated by ARRL Contest Advisory Committee Chairman Dennis Egan,
    W1UE.
  * *ARRL-Awards* <https://groups.arrl.org/g/ARRL-Awards> — moderated by
    ARRL Radiosport and Field Services Manager Bart Jahnke, W9JJ.
  * *ARRL-IARU* <https://groups.arrl.org/g/ARRL-IARU> — moderated by
    IARU Secretary Dave Sumner, K1ZZ.

The existing *ARRL-LOTW* <https://groups.arrl.org/g/ARRL-LoTW> group, 
which has about 4,750 members, remains hosted by Groups.io but has moved.

Everyone who subscribes to an ARRL Group is also automatically 
subscribed to the “ARRL Groups” group. This administrative feature will 
allow ARRL to convey routine announcements relevant to subscribers of 
all ARRL groups.

ARRL IT Manager Michael Keane, K1MK, worked with Groups.io to set up the 
new groups. Since these new groups are hosted on a Groups.io platform, 
those wishing to subscribe must use a Groups.io username and password, 
if they have one, or create a Groups.io account if they don’t.

In the months ahead, the Committee envisions creating more online groups 
to support two-way communication focusing on areas of additional 
interest to radio amateurs, including ARRL activities, services, 
initiatives, and policies.

ARRL currently hosts members-only online forums that include Awards and 
Contesting. While these forums will continue to operate, participants 
will be encouraged to post new threads in the appropriate new groups.

Participants will be expected to adhere to some basic ground rules:

  * All questions are welcome, no matter how many times they have
    already been asked and answered, or how obvious the answers might be
    in the documentation.
  * Neither personal attacks nor foul language will be tolerated.
    Violators will immediately be placed on “moderated” status, meaning
    their subsequent posts will require Moderator approval until the
    Moderator's trust has been regained.
  * Individuals posting are reminded that these forums are open to
    everyone, including prospective hams and operators who are not ARRL
    members but may be thinking about joining. Civility and courtesy are
    expected, even when you may take issue with a post or thread topic.

The Committee on Communication with Members believes that providing more 
opportunities for two-way discussion between ARRL leadership and the 
broader Amateur Radio community will assist the organization in truly 
serving the needs of this community.

http://www.arrl.org/news/arrl-creates-new-online-groups-for-members-to-communicate-with-leadership