Lapsing into what I've always been
So, in snail mail news, the 2009-2010 SFWA dues renewal forms arrived today. I'm going to be letting my Affiliate status lapse and save myself $55. There's two main reasons for this:
1) I'm poor.
2) I've been an Affiliate member for two years and have never once used the organization's services. My entry into SFWA happened thanks to _starlady_ who wanted to test the requirements for getting in. At the time, I was a mere minnow and did some reviewing at Tangent Online (SIDENOTE: By the time i was added to the directory, Tangent Online no longer existed). This seemed enough to earn me entry, and _starlady_ paid my fees for the first year. This was fine...until I realized I had no idea what to do with my new status. So I contacted Jane Jewell for some guidance. I would've probably had more luck asking a wall for help with my math homework. As of September 2007, I'm still waiting to receive a packet of membership materials. I never even learned how to get on the forums or discussion area or whatever the place was where the Old Generation ranted against the New Generation. Last year, I received a renewal dues form and promptly ignored it, planning to let my membership lapse, but something magical happened: I continued receiving issues of Bulletin, as well as email updates (which, truthfully, were never too up-to-date). I guess, however, with the new site and crew, that won't happen this time. For the record, I'm lapsing for a second time.
Basically though, it all comes back to the first reason.
1) I'm poor.
2) I've been an Affiliate member for two years and have never once used the organization's services. My entry into SFWA happened thanks to _starlady_ who wanted to test the requirements for getting in. At the time, I was a mere minnow and did some reviewing at Tangent Online (SIDENOTE: By the time i was added to the directory, Tangent Online no longer existed). This seemed enough to earn me entry, and _starlady_ paid my fees for the first year. This was fine...until I realized I had no idea what to do with my new status. So I contacted Jane Jewell for some guidance. I would've probably had more luck asking a wall for help with my math homework. As of September 2007, I'm still waiting to receive a packet of membership materials. I never even learned how to get on the forums or discussion area or whatever the place was where the Old Generation ranted against the New Generation. Last year, I received a renewal dues form and promptly ignored it, planning to let my membership lapse, but something magical happened: I continued receiving issues of Bulletin, as well as email updates (which, truthfully, were never too up-to-date). I guess, however, with the new site and crew, that won't happen this time. For the record, I'm lapsing for a second time.
Basically though, it all comes back to the first reason.