Starting May 1, 2009, a mandatory fee of $25 per member will be required to participate in Park Slope Parents, which is in its 7th year and is 10,000 Brooklyn parents strong. The founder and a 15 person volunteer advisory board felt strongly that the people who work full-time on PSP need to get paid.
It seems that a lot of people don't like to pay for their online content. Especially at a social networking site like PSP that in many ways runs off of the energy and information of its contributing members.
But the truth is, online communities don't run themselves. There are people behind the bandwidth who are working full time to make it all run smoothly. And Park Slope Parents is more than just a list-serve. There are the off-line components, the face-time events that contribute to the sense of community and forge an enduring link between what goes on online and the real world. These events include the Harvest Festival, Spring Fling, kids' music concerts and clothing swaps.
There are also partnerships with non-profit organizations to provide
child-related items (e.g., clothing, cribs, blankets) for needy families.
Judging from some of the comments made during a fierce debate that went
on during the last week, many people would prefer to have advertising
in their face than pay for membership. Personally I think advertising would be inappropriate on a site that encourages free democratic discussion and honesty about products, services, and issues related to child rearing.
While I don't think $2 a month (which comes to $25 a year) is a lot to ask for PSP, I do think that there should be financial aid for those who can't afford the fee no questions asked. Perhaps, members who can afford it, can donate more than $25 per year, which would cover the costs of those who can't afford it. That's what we do at public school for class trips. PSP should be as inclusive as possible and adding a fee will, unfortunately, turn people away. I also suggest that there be 2-week grace period so that new members can decide whether they do or don't want to become members.
So that's my $2 and here's the press release hot off the presses from Park Slope Parents, LLC.
Susan Fox, founder of Park Slope Parents, LLC along with the 15 person volunteer
Advisory Board announced last week a change in the structure to the online
parenting community they run on Yahoo! Groups. After years of research,
organized fundraising attempts, and much deliberation they concluded that a
mandatory $25 annual fee per member will be instituted on May 1, 2009 to keep
the group, which has 13,000 unique email addresses, afloat. "This is the
best way to serve our members. It might look like information travels by
itself on the internet, but several people work for PSP, like a job, to keep it
running smoothly," Fox says.
When first announced the new fee
generated over 130 emails of varying support sparking a debate that has spread
to the media regarding the uniquely inquisitive nature of PSP, the value
of online content, ownership of community groups, and the concept of a free
internet. "Creating a supportive, environment with high standards of
civility and integrity is more difficult than it appears. It's not just the
time involved in counteracting the tendency to over react or flame that on-line
communication is so famous for, but the fact that discussions on the list
can have a dramatic impact on the local community. We want to continue to be a
community resource rather than be a commercial venture where advertising
dollars drive our decisions." says Nancy McDermott, Chair of the Park
Slope Parents Advisory Board. To date the overwhelming majority of the Park
Slope Parents membership is in favor of the change as a way to support the
incredible resource PSP provides and looks forward to taking a qualified role
in the amazing community they have all worked to create.
FAQ found here:
http://parkslopeparents.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=479&Itemid=1
It’s hard not to have mixed feelings about this. Of course, $25 is not technically a lot of money! But the information that is shared comes from the list members collectively. What if they said, I’m not going to tell you x, y or z unless you pay me? … I help moderate a list serve with 40,000 members and I belong to volunteer groups that put on events and we … volunteer. That’s part of the deal and that’s why we do it. This group is already salaried. It somehow doesn’t seem right and I can understand the uproar. (I am not a member of the PSP list but am on many list serves.)
“While I don’t think $2 a month (which comes to $25 a year) is a lot to ask for PSP, I do think that there should be financial aid for those who can’t afford the fee no questions asked.”
It is already planned that those who cannot afford the fee will be able to join at a very reduced rate and that people who volunteer can choose not to pay the fee.
from the FAQs:
“We have no desire to deprive people struggling financially of their Park Slope Parents membership; rather, we want Park Slope Parents to facilitate mutual help and cooperation in hard times. We plan to offer membership subsidies to families who truly cannot afford the annual cost, not as an act of charity but as a collective solution to the tough times we are all experiencing to varying extents. We also recognize that some of our members have recently donated time and/or money to Park Slope Parents, so we are exempting anyone who made a donation in 2008 or 2009 from the first year’s membership fees, should they wish to be exempt.”