One issue here, for those who are trying to pay the bills -- mostly with membership dues -- is providing services to persons who have not become members of Inliners International.

The Twelve-Port News functions as a perodical in service to members of Inliners International. To place the technical articles written by members online with unrestricted access allows those who never intend to become members to feed on the knowledge of members at their expense. Such a free service, without requiring any recompense, is perhaps admirable; surely it is altruistic and generous; but it does not pay the bills either for the website or the periodical. They both cost time and money.

We should surely encourage every visitor seeking assistance for an Inline project to become a member of Inliners International. Obviously we cannot -- and should not -- compel anyone to become a member or renew membership. Yet we can -- and perhaps we should -- restrict access to technical articles from The Twelve-Port News to those who are helping to pay the freight. We should encourage "freeloaders" to get in on the conversation here -- which should help them to see the value of of our work -- and at the same time communicate to them the value of membership.

One value of membership can and should be access to articles online, "reprinted" from The Twelve-Port News. The effort to provide that will take time and cost money.

God's Peace to you.

d
Inliner #1450