Theos-Talk Archives (June 2009 Message tt00579)

Internet Maillists and TS Leadership Participation???

There is a mistaken belief or claim that the TS leaders are too busy with
theosophical work to participate in the theosophical maillists and those of
us active here are not as busy as they are. This is simply false.
.
Most of us including myself, are from working middle class families and have
full-time jobs to provide food, shelter, clothing etc. for us and for our
families and still find time to check emails and respond to them on
maillists. We also use our own computer equipment and pay for our Internet
connections. We do it voluntarily because of our deep commitment to
theosophy and our gratitude for what theosophy and TS have done to improve
our lives. If we can participate under this circumstances, I see no reason
for anyone else to claim they are too busy; it is just another excuse or
they are too scared to face the members world-wide who may ask inconvenient
questions which they may find difficult to respond to.
.
Internet environment is an open one and most leaders who have functioned all
their life in a protective cocoon where they controlled the cocoon and the
lines of communication with the members, do not know how to deal with an
open environment where all equal without distinction of caste, creed, sex,
color, national origin, etc. etc.
.
Today, Internet is most widely used method of communication in the world
just like electricity. The velocity and volume of communication it provides
has no comparison to anything else. Either use Internet for multi-way
communication or be left behind, because the current generation is growing
up in it and will not accept the outmoded pre Internet communication
methods.
.
Aged TS leadership, I am talking about septuagenarians and octogenarians,
still do not get it. They may talk the talk about Internet - it is the buzz
word everyone wants to use today - but when did you see them on the
maillists? (The only exceptions are Einar, who died years ago in an accident
and Warwick.)
.
Already we know what is happening to the membership recruitment and
retention around the world except in India. Young men and women who come in
touch with TS, when they see how backward TS is in Internet, wonder what is
going on. With this poor first impression, how do you motivate them to get
interested? Aged leadership adds to the problem.
.
Internet should be the top priority if we want to see the TS membership
recruitment and retention grow. Membership growth should be the top issue of
concern to leaders around the world and I hope they do not waste time in
tinkering with the rules and regulations since such tinkering will never
have any positive effect on the membership issue which is going to make or
break TS in the West.
.
MKR
.
Visit theosophy.net and enjoy the activities there.


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