[UCIMC-Tech] CiviCRM

[Austin McCann]

Hi Josh,

Thanks for your thoughts. This is a lot more complicated than I'd like it to
be.

I definitely understand your desire for "structural correctness." It's
actually the same desire that caused my desire to clarify the IMC/RFU
relationship. Quick membership story: When I got to the IMC, RFU memberships
were $25 and (required, but un-enforced) IMC memberships were $50. As a
consequence of the separation, as well as the failure of RFU leadership to
articulate the necessity of IMC memberships, many RFU members were paying
the IMC $0 dollars, creating a kind of fundraising loophole for the RFU,
where they could bring in the dough without having to shell out to its
parent organization (i.e. the IMC).

So I combined the two, since RFU is still technically a working group of the
IMC and thus IMC members. So now folks pay $75 for an RFU/IMC membership.
This is helpful in certain ways, but obviously creates somewhat of a
shitshow for those of us devoted to representing "structural correctness."

I'm not sure what to do next. Let me keep thinking. Any thoughts?

Thanks,
Austin

On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 2:35 PM, Josh King <josh at ucimc.org> wrote:

> Hi Austin,
>
> The reason at the time for establishing two different memberships was,
> at the time, trying to cause the CiviCRM database as closely as possible
> reflect the organizational structure of the IMC and related
> organizations. My reasoning was that, since RFU requires its own
> membership payments, that it might make sense to have a different
> 'container' for that, since they could change their membership fees,
> periods, and requirements independently of the rest of the IMC. Also, I
> wanted allow for the possibility that RFU could appoint someone to
> manage their own membership stuff, and that we might want to have a
> separate set of permissions and accounts for that.
>
> That said, this was mainly on the basis of what seemed like a good idea
> to me at the time. Most of the use cases I mentioned above have never
> come to pass, and CiviCRM is pretty flexible; you should be able to
> change how it's structured if you find it easier to work with. One
> person's perceived structural correctness is another person's
> complicated pain in the ass.
>
> As a recommendation though, you might have to add a lot of additional
> membership types to the IMC organization in CiviCRM if you want to do
> away with the RFU organization. For instance, I'm not sure how to handle
> when, say, someone has a lifetime membership to the IMC and a recurring
> RFU membership without having separate memberships. Maybe that's not a
> concern. But if it is, you might want to try and stick with or refine
> the existing structure rather than alter it significantly. Whatever's
> easiest for you.
>
> On 01/12/2011 02:34 PM, Austin McCann wrote:
> > Hi folks,
> >
> > Chris: in CiviCRM, we currently have two membership options, WRFU and
> > IMC. But really those are one and the same in a way. If you're an RFU
> > member, you /must /be an IMC member. And I've aided that process to the
> > extent that the new membership forms, which include IMC memberships w/
> > RFU memberships, are able to. But right now I'm having to create
> > different memberships for individuals, even though their payment comes
> > as one lump sum. Is there a way/reason to get rid of the WRFU membership
> > on CiviCRM and replace it with a group/tag of RFU (which I just created)?
> >
> > --
> > Austin McCann, Development Adviser
> > Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center <http://www.ucimc.org>
> > austinmccann[at]ucimc[dot]org
> > 202 S. Broadway Ave. #100
> > Urbana, IL 61801
> > (217) 344-8820
> >
> > *Member of the Digital Arts Service Corps*
> > <http://www.digitalartscorps.org/>
> >
> >
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > IMC-Tech mailing list
> > IMC-Tech at lists.chambana.net
> > http://lists.chambana.net/mailman/listinfo/imc-tech
>
> --
> Josh King
>
> "I am an Anarchist not because I believe Anarchism is the final goal,
> but because there is no such thing as a final goal." -Rudolf Rocker
>
>


-- 
Austin McCann, Development Adviser
Urbana-Champaign Independent Media Center <http://www.ucimc.org>
austinmccann[at]ucimc[dot]org
202 S. Broadway Ave. #100
Urbana, IL 61801
(217) 344-8820

*Member of the Digital Arts Service Corps*<http://www.digitalartscorps.org/>
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