Transcript of SL Bar Association Executive Committee meeting, April 13, 2013

[Geri Kahn]

Found it
[09:03] Geri Kahn: thanks
[09:04] Geri Kahn: Morning everyone
[09:04] Agenda Faromet: Just to let people know, I can't stay for the whole meeting today. I'll stay as long as I can.
[09:04] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Here, I was thinking that you just has a perverse sense of humor, Agenda.
[09:04] Agenda FarometAgenda Faromet laughs!
[09:05] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Well, let's start. First I want to say thanks again Geri for a fantastic talk last weekend!
[09:05] Tim Faith: +1
[09:05] Geri Kahn: Thanks Sam
[09:06] Sam Courtois. Esq.: You did an outstanding job, and I am so sad that there wasn't a crowd of thousands to hear what you has to say.
[09:06] Agenda Faromet: Oh, yes, Geri, you did a wonderful job.
[09:06] Geri Kahn: It was nice to have a small group. I should have done more advanced advertising.
[09:07] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I am certain that the program will grow as we continue to have outstanding presentations as we have had this years.
[09:07] Sam Courtois. Esq.: We can continue to work on that issue.
[09:07] Agenda Faromet: I agree, I think having regular presentations will be great for us.
[09:08] Agenda Faromet: What does our schedule look like for the rest of the year so far?
[09:08] Tim Faith: perhaps we should look at other ways to get the word out
[09:08] Tim Faith: May 4, 2013, 10am SLT - Real Estate in RL & SL

June, 2013 - Online Resolution of IPR Disputes

August, 2013 - Virtual Law Practice

September, 2013 - BDSM & the Law

October, 2013 - Online Gambling

November, 2013 - Open Access Peer Reviewed Journals
[09:08] Geri Kahn: Well, I can certainly send out more advance notice on NIng
[09:08] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Hopefully Gracie will check in with us at some point, because she is on the schedule to speak about Real Estate next month.
[09:08] Agenda Faromet: Oh, right, and BDSM & the Law is me.
[09:09] Geri KahnGeri Kahn grins
[09:09] Tim Faith: i messaged gracie but she didn't get back to me
[09:09] Tim Faith: perhaps she will join us today
[09:09] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I have sent her an IM., but that might not connect, obviously.
[09:10] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Looks like we need something for July.
[09:10] Agenda Faromet: What I have found, not surprisingly (just like in real life) that it works best if you develop a social media network of Second Life users and advertise /there/. Advertising in SL's official channels is useless.
[09:10] Tim Faith: i will send messages out to my SL contacts.
[09:10] Agenda Faromet: For instance, I have a Second Life blog, and that gets a good bit of traffic.
[09:11] Geri Kahn: Can you post something on your blog, Agenda?
[09:11] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Well, we certainly need to try as many things as we can think of. Geri has been working the Ning thing pretty well, too.
[09:12] Geri Kahn: I'd like to talk a little about Ning when we get a chance
[09:13] Sam Courtois. Esq.: My guess is that we need to accumulate RL email address as and send everyone a RL email.
[09:13] Sam Courtois. Esq.: OK we can get into that.
[09:14] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Tim - do you have some semblance of a Treasurers Report for today?
[09:14] Agenda Faromet: I do post things on my blog when I get enough lead time...but I need plenty of lead time.
[09:15] Tim Faith: we have L128,237 in the bank
[09:15] Geri KahnGeri Kahn nods.
[09:15] Tim Faith: i believe we have one or two more members from last month
[09:15] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Do we have a net total of membership?
[09:16] Tim Faith: i have 50 members who have paid as of 3-15. I will verify if we have received any other payments
[09:17] Tim Faith: yes, there is another person, donnalyn davi that joined yesterday, so we are up to 51
[09:17] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Message from Gracie -> [09:16] Gracie Selona: I am out of town visiting my Mom this morning. I will send the details tomorrow. Sent from my iPhone
[09:17] Geri Kahn: That was fast!
[09:18] Tim Faith: great
[09:18] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I invited her to contact me in RL too, so perhaps we will get a handle on this within a day or two.
[09:18] Agenda Faromet: Oh, great! Cool.
[09:18] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Donnalyn has been a member in the past.
[09:19] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Glad she is back in the fold.
[09:19] Agenda Faromet: Tim, has Jamiebryce Infinity re-joined? He said he was going to.
[09:19] Sam Courtois. Esq.: She is on my contact list.
[09:19] Tim Faith: yes jamie paid up in 2013
[09:19] Agenda Faromet: Excellent.
[09:19] Tim Faith: at least we are going in the right direction
[09:19] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Well, let's work those lists.
[09:20] Agenda Faromet: And Sam, how's the sim going now that we have a few more office tenants?
[09:20] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I'd love to see us in the 100 member range sometime soon.
[09:21] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I confess, I haven't looked at the nuumbers in a while, but we still have some vacancies both at sea level and in the Village.
[09:21] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Thanks to Geri, at least there is a little more vigorish in the pot.
[09:22] Geri Kahn: Vigorish ?
[09:22] Geri KahnGeri Kahn smiles
[09:22] Sam Courtois. Esq.: But, I haven't heard from Jonathan and Soro for a while.
[09:23] Sam Courtois. Esq.: ((Not everyone can speak a foreign language.))
[09:23] Sam Courtois. Esq.: ((Like me, for instance.))
[09:24] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Anyhow, we are chugging along. As noted we are going in the right direction.
[09:25] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Donnalyn just loggen on.
[09:25] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I sent her a TP.
[09:25] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Anyhow, thanks Tim.
[09:25] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Geri, what about the corporate maintenance items?
[09:26] Agenda Faromet: Okay...I think if it's been a long, long time since either Jonathan or Soro have paid rent, it may be time to evict.
[09:26] Geri Kahn: So, several items to discuss
[09:26] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Yes - and Faye Blackwater wants Jonathan's office..
[09:26] Agenda Faromet: We've obviously had people who have wanted their spots, to the point that I've had to build new office spots to accommodate them...and Jonathan in particular is taking up prime real estate.
[09:26] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Go Geri -
[09:27] Agenda Faromet: If you'd like me to do the evicting, just give me the go-ahead.
[09:27] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Please do, Agenda.
[09:27] Agenda Faromet: Got it. Will do after the meeting.
[09:27] Geri Kahn: First, I will be filing an amendment with the Secretary of State to to change our corp to the correct non profit status to match our federal income tax stauts
[09:28] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Thank you!
[09:28] Agenda Faromet: Oh good!
[09:28] Geri Kahn: this has been previously approved by our board
[09:28] Sam Courtois. Esq.: (c)(6)?
[09:28] Geri Kahn: The amendment requires your signature Sam and mine,
[09:28] Geri Kahn: yes
[09:29] Geri Kahn: I wil write it this weekend and email it to you
[09:29] Sam Courtois. Esq.: NP - email me at [e-mail] - my contact info is in my profile.
[09:29] Geri Kahn: And then if you can send it back to me, I'll file it
[09:29] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I appreciate that, thanks.
[09:29] Geri Kahn: Secondly every two years we are required to file a form with Secretary of State
[09:29] Geri Kahn: So our year is this year with a deadline in June
[09:30] Geri Kahn: It requires the RL information for Sam, Tim and me
[09:30] Geri Kahn: I think I have all that information
[09:30] Geri Kahn: The form is filed online
[09:30] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Great.
[09:30] Geri Kahn: I will do this
[09:30] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Thanks again - no signatures?
[09:30] Geri Kahn: That one no - it is online
[09:31] Geri Kahn: It just wants the information
[09:31] Geri Kahn: Maybe there is an electronic signature for me
[09:31] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Anything else?
[09:31] Geri Kahn: That's all I have about corporate stuff
[09:32] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Thanks again for attending to this.
[09:32] Geri Kahn: Sure
[09:32] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Are you willing to be Secretary for the Association for a while?
[09:32] Geri Kahn: Yes
[09:32] Geri Kahn: I think i have a handle on it
[09:32] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Excellent.
[09:32] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Tim has agreed to be President .
[09:33] Sam Courtois. Esq.: And Agenda has agreed to waffle.
[09:33] Geri KahnGeri Kahn grins
[09:33] Agenda Faromet: Tim will make a great successor to -- HEY! Hahahaha
[09:33] Tim Faith: i like waffles
[09:33] Sam Courtois. Esq.: WE all do!
[09:33] Agenda Faromet: Mmmm, waffles. Now I'm hungry.
[09:33] Tim Faith: (:
[09:34] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I told Agenda three years ago that I would be president to be a place holder for her, and now she waffles.
[09:34] Sam Courtois. Esq.: But I'm not going to let her forget.
[09:34] Tim Faith: oh boy
[09:34] Agenda Faromet: Ha. /You/ told me that. But I never told /you/ I was going to be president!
[09:34] Sam Courtois. Esq.: EVen if she does all the Village maintenance.
[09:35] Sam Courtois. Esq.: See what I mean?
[09:35] Agenda Faromet: That's not waffling. That's clever contract formation.
[09:35] Tim Faith: i feel a "promissory estoppel" about to happen here
[09:35] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Attorneys!
[09:35] Agenda FarometAgenda Faromet dies
[09:36] Tim Faith: lol
[09:36] Sam Courtois. Esq.: No wonder people hate us.
[09:36] Geri Kahn: I've already forgotten all that law school stuff
[09:36] Geri Kahn: Can we talk about Ning?
[09:36] Tim Faith: oh they only hate us a little bit
[09:37] Agenda Faromet: We're like nuclear weapons. They /say/ they hate us, but boy do they /want/ us on their side.
[09:37] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Yep!
[09:37] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I agree. I want you on my side!
[09:37] Geri Kahn: Okay well just to let you know, we have reached the maximum capacity of members
[09:37] Geri Kahn: I cannot add any new members
[09:37] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Soro just IM'd me, he'll join us next time.
[09:38] Geri Kahn: Unless we wish to pay for the service
[09:38] Agenda Faromet: Oh really? Well, we've talked for ages about using something other than Ning, right?
[09:38] Tim Faith: i think we may have to boot some people, or upgrade to the next ning level
[09:38] Geri Kahn: I agree Tim
[09:38] Geri Kahn: Or Agenda, if you know of something better?
[09:38] Sam Courtois. Esq.: My guess is that the list may be a little stale.
[09:39] Tim Faith: we only have 60-ish people in our SL group, but 150 on the ning site
[09:39] Geri KahnGeri Kahn nods
[09:39] Geri Kahn: I just don't know who to boot off.
[09:39] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Can we delist 90 people?
[09:39] Agenda Faromet: I haven't looked into other options, but I mean, what does Ning really offer us? Some simple content management and a forum?
[09:40] Geri Kahn: Yes, Agenda, and a way to send out broadcasts
[09:40] Tim Faith: the cool stuff you have to pay for
[09:40] Agenda Faromet: Yeah, that can't be hard to find. Forum software is free.
[09:40] Sam Courtois. Esq.: It's what - $20 USD per year?
[09:41] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Ning.
[09:41] Tim Faith: i think for the next level that is correct
[09:41] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I would like to use it, but I ran into their arbitrary barriers.
[09:41] Sam Courtois. Esq.: If there is something that is better and cheaper or free, I would favor that.
[09:42] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Do you have some suggestions along that line Agenda?
[09:43] Agenda Faromet: Again, I haven't researched it -- at all -- and I've just /right now/ done a quick google search. So going /just/ on a quick google search, have we looked at http://crowdvine.com/?
[09:44] Agenda Faromet: http://crowdvine.com/pages/packages -- there's a free option, and there do seem to be discussion forums.
[09:44] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Well, Geri. Perhaps the first step is to prune the Ning List.
[09:44] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Int he meantime, if we can come up with a better alternative, perhaps we can look at that for future consideration.
[09:45] Geri Kahn: Okay, well what I'll do is send out emails to folks who I haven't seen and will give them a week to let me know if they wish to remain on the lst.
[09:45] Geri Kahn: If I don't hear back, I'll delete them.
[09:45] Agenda Faromet: There's also this entire page listing free alternatives to Ning: http://www.mediabistro.com/10000words/5-alternatives-to-ning-for-cr...
[09:45] Tim Faith: there are probably also some duplicate accounts on the site
[09:45] Geri Kahn: and I'll cross check with our SL Bar membership list
[09:46] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Well, I would suggest that we don't dump active members, even if they don't reply.
[09:46] Geri Kahn: Right
[09:46] Agenda Faromet: ...and some of the options on that list, such as Groupsite, look really good.
[09:46] Geri Kahn: I won't dump anyone active
[09:47] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Thanks.
[09:47] Tim Faith: we could probably implement a joomla site - i would be willing to host it at no cost to the SLBA
[09:47] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Joomla?
[09:47] Agenda Faromet: Groupsite may not be free now, though. I'm not seeing a free option in their list.
[09:47] Geri Kahn: echo Sam
[09:47] Sam Courtois. Esq.: What is Joomla?
[09:48] Tim Faith: it is a content management software for web sites that is opensource and free
[09:48] Tim Faith: i haven't worked with it in a few years but it probably would be fine
[09:48] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Hmm.
[09:49] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Sounds labor intensive.
[09:49] Tim Faith: it would take some time to install and configure, but any change will require that
[09:49] Sam Courtois. Esq.: We probably need something more "Set it, Wet it and Forget it."
[09:49] Geri KahnGeri Kahn agrees
[09:50] Sam Courtois. Esq.: That is the beauty of Ning - when it works it;'s great.
[09:50] Sam Courtois. Esq.: It's just that it has all kinds of limits.
[09:50] Sam Courtois. Esq.: including cost.
[09:50] Tim Faith: just not sure ning is worth $240 a year for our organization
[09:50] Agenda Faromet: Should I stop looking?
[09:51] Geri Kahn: Well, I think I can just trim the list and then report back.
[09:51] Geri Kahn: And see where we are.
[09:51] Sam Courtois. Esq.: On the contrary, Agenda - let's check out Groupsite, if you think it might work.
[09:52] Agenda Faromet: Scroll up -- Groupsite is not free anymore, and is in fact now more expensive than Ning.
[09:52] Sam Courtois. Esq.: As always, I am open to trying anything that might be positive and useful.
[09:52] Agenda Faromet: But there are other options, some of which are /much/ cheaper than Ning ($6.95 a month, for instance) and some of which are free but take a little configuration to start (BuddyPress, for instance, which is a plug-in to WordPress).
[09:52] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I'm sorry, but I need to setp away for a momnent - BRB
[09:53] Geri Kahn: Are we paying for Ning now?
[09:53] Tim Faith: kate fitz is.
[09:53] Geri Kahn: Still?
[09:53] Tim Faith: yes
[09:53] Tim Faith: never got transferred
[09:54] Geri Kahn: Wow, I wonder if she knows.
[09:54] Tim Faith: i think we could reimburse her in SL for it
[09:54] Tim Faith: & transfer the account
[09:54] Lincoln Beck: welcome everyone
[09:54] Geri KahnGeri Kahn nods.
[09:54] Geri Kahn: HI Lincoln
[09:55] Sam Courtois. Esq.: IB
[09:55] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Hi Lincoln
[09:55] Agenda Faromet: Also, with http://www.spruz.com/, we could keep our 150 members for $5 a month.
[09:55] MystiTool HUD 1.3.1: Entering chat range: Donnalyn Davi (2m)
[09:55] Agenda Faromet: And that gives us way more features than Ning.
[09:55] Geri Kahn: Hi Donalyn
[09:55] Donnalyn Davi: sorry for landing in the middle of things!
[09:56] Donnalyn Davi: Hi
[09:56] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Hi Donnalyn
[09:56] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Try #5 Linc'
[09:56] Geri Kahn: That sounds good, Agenda.
[09:56] Sam Courtois. Esq.: You are most welcome Donnalyn
[09:56] Sam Courtois. Esq.: have a seat.
[09:56] Donnalyn Davi: what is #5 Linc?
[09:57] Geri Kahn: I think we should offer to reimburse Kat
[09:57] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Watch out for #8.
[09:57] Sam Courtois. Esq.: That is a pile of money.
[09:57] Geri Kahn: Or at least transfer to Spitz
[09:57] Suemoon Magic: What did Kat pay for?
[09:57] Geri Kahn: or whatever it is
[09:57] Agenda Faromet: http://www.spruz.com/
[09:57] Geri Kahn: spruz
[09:57] Tim Faith: she's paid the ning bill for our site
[09:57] Sam Courtois. Esq.: We have pretty much blown through our endowment.
[09:58] Tim Faith: $36/year since we switched to ning
[09:58] Suemoon Magic: I guess she set it up
[09:58] Tim Faith: yes
[09:58] Geri Kahn: She did but I don't think she should keep paying for it unless she wants to
[09:58] Agenda Faromet: As a side note, since the meeting is about to begin and we're running out of chairs, shall we move to the other room?
[09:59] Sam Courtois. Esq.: I agree that we should be responsible, but I don't think we can afford $36 USD per year.
[09:59] Suemoon Magic: I spoke to her at a conference last year and she said she has been too busy to be in SL
[09:59] Geri KahnGeri Kahn nods
[09:59] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Hello SueMoon.
[09:59] Geri Kahn: well she may have forgotten about this
[09:59] Suemoon Magic: Hello Sam
[09:59] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Glad you could come.
[09:59] Suemoon Magic: ㋡
[10:00] Suemoon Magic: Are we moving?
[10:00] Geri Kahn: I would be happy to contact her to at least discuss this with her
[10:00] Sam Courtois. Esq.: Yes.