Theos-Talk Archives (July 2009 Message tt00003)

Internet and aged TS leadership

It looks like it is high time that we organize an intensive workshop to
educate the wisdom-full, elderly theosophical leaders about Internet tools
and their potential to help TS and theosophy. While everyone has used email
at one time or other, still it appears they are behind the curve and thus
losing precious opportunity and time to rejuvenate our efforts to spread
theosophy and better engage in multi-mode with membership. While we all know
that email was extensively used by many of the leaders in the nomination
planning behind the scenes and execution and subsequent electioneering,
still there is a very wide gap in communication between the leaders and the
ordinary members. Leaders are absent from cyberspace.
.
About a decade ago, I saw in the USA, first hand, the reluctance and
resistance to use fast inexpensive electronic mode of communication and
still stuck to pencil and paper technology. This can be attributed only to
the aged leaders who still could not understand modern technology and how it
can contribute to cost savings and efficiency.
.
A funny recent comment on theos-talk mentioned about how, last year, the
email in-boxes of the International Secretary and International Treasurer
getting filled up. At international level, what else do you expect. You will
get numerous email because it is cheap, quick and efficient. And members
will use it to contact these officers and send information and
correspondence. There are ways to deal with large volumes of email and all
you need to do is to talk to someone who knows how. Or just post a message
on theos-talk (which is free!) and you will be inundated with help from
members from around the world. I suspect when this comment was made, both
the offices were filled with very old people who have not used email much.
It is a pitiful and sad situation for an organization which is to be at the
forefront. Also, India, which is supplying IT talent world-wide, has enough
local talent to help. Only one has to ask for help.
.
We have had a lot of hair-splitting discussion about the rules and how they
need to be tweaked or changed even though such changes will not help the
basic membership problems, use of Internet technology for multi-mode
communication should be on top priority. Also each section can do whatever
they want because of the autonomy that is guaranteed by the organizational
setup of TS. Let hope that the aged leaders wake up and show up in
cyberspace.
.
MKR
.
Visit theosophy.net and enjoy


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