[Businessmtg] Topic BM: Webpage for Agenda items

[Steve Rankin]

Hi Veronica,

The possibility is always there that someone in the public can find or stumble across a member in Al-Anon. It's not rare for someone in a face-to-face meeting to have a newcomer walk in the door that they know from outside these rooms. Of course, it is always possible that there is another member of ASP that might recognize you, me or anyone else here in ASP. Then, there is the technological fact that whatever anyone puts up on the Internet is there forever. 

Al-Anon is an anonymous fellowship, it is not a secret society. 

The ASP Home Page on my server used to be the #2 URL if you searched on Google. The current ASP Home Page is #8 this evening. Not bad consider there were 55,000,000 results. 

However, even after over 23 years on the Internet, the "Members Only" section of the ASP website is still NOT INDEXED by Google. I check every once in a while, and I just checked again. There are some things that we do behind the scenes to keep the Members Only section off the radar of the search engines; it's nice to see that it works. If that is not sufficient for someone, then they may find their needs better met somewhere else. FYI, ASP does nothing to enhance its search engine visibility - our ranking is the natural result of being ASP since May 1, 1996.

About the names of the requesting member on the web page?  Yes, the member's name would be shown on the web page. That would be whatever name that member uses in ASP. 

ASP has always allowed aliases and pseudonyms for its members, with one exception.  

We have had members that were major circuit speakers that enjoyed the rare anonymity that ASP allowed them compared to their face-to-face program where everyone knew they were so'n'so and famous. Ditto for celebrities, politicians, CEOs, wives of the rich and famous, etc. The exception is if you wish to serve as an officer of ASP on the Steering Committee. Then, we require that you provide your full real name. FYI, that is common in service beyond the group level where the officers of an Area or District are also the officers of the Board of Directors of a 501(c)3 corporation. For example, my full name, address and phone number were published in the quarterly Area newsletter that went out to over 800 groups in California for 3 years. During that time, I knew the full name, address and SSN of the other officers, as well as any other trusted servant that requested ADVANCE funds for their reimbursable expenses. An interesting tidbit . . . in my wife's AA service they used their FULL name when they introduce themselves at service meetings and events. 

Funny story. My wife had a young sponsee we'll call Julie. Well, I was on my way to my usual Friday night AFG meeting when Julie was about 9 1/2 months pregnant and called CJ that she was on the way to the hospital. CJ calls me and says to get my butt to the hospital after the meeting. OK. So, I show up at the Oakland Kaiser Emergency close to 10 PM . . . and I can't remember Julie's last name. I was so embarrassed. The guard and nurses just assumed that I was the dad and totally rattled about having my first kid that they hustled me to the maternity ward. 😊  

Love and SERENITY,
Steve






-----Original Message-----

But the public would still have access. Even if it’s not readily available the possibility is there.

How would the BM Topics be posted? Would there be anything that would compromise the personal identity of the person who presented the BM? I see that the format includes the name. I’m assuming it’s First and Last Initial. But those with unique names it may stick out more and be more noticeable.

If someone were to do a google search, would the page be searchable and pick up the name? Can just the Topic be listed and the Secretary be given a list with the name that presented the topic?

How does ASP practice to the best of their ability to protect the anonymity of the members? I wouldn’t want my name be posted on a webpage even if it’s first and last name initial. My professional life is public where I’m vocal about my personal recovery, but I don’t disclose the Fellowship I belong to. I still want to participate and give back and be of service. I also take steps to protect myself. Can members use an alias? The service manual does suggest that the use of aliases is acceptable.

On Fri, Jan 10, 2020 at 9:16 PM Steve Rankin <steve at serenitysys.com> wrote:

> Hi Veronica,
>
> The web page would be in the "Members" section of the website 
> available to all members of ASP just the same as most of the other pages of the website.
> It would not be readily visible to the public.
>
> Love and SERENITY,
> Steve
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Businessmtg On Behalf Of Veronica Porras
> Sent: Friday, January 10, 2020 9:07 PM
> To: steve at serenitysys.com
> Cc: ASP Business <businessmtg at asp-afg.org>
> Subject: [Businessmtg] Topic BM: Webpage for Agenda items
>
> Thanks Steve for the lead.
>
> Question on Anonymity:
>
> Is the webpage private? I have a question about anonymity in that 
> would the webpage be private to the general public but ASP members have access?
>
> -Veronica
>
> _______________________________________________
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>
> The ASP web site for ASP members is http://www.asp-afg.org/Members/
>
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> Administrator, at  la at asp-afg.org
>
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>
> _______________________________________________
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> http://asp-afg.org/members/asp-instructions/
>
> The ASP web site for ASP members is http://www.asp-afg.org/Members/
>
> For assistance with other ASP issues, contact Jerry the List 
> Administrator, at  la at asp-afg.org
>
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_______________________________________________
The ASP Instruction page is http://asp-afg.org/members/asp-instructions/

The ASP web site for ASP members is http://www.asp-afg.org/Members/

For assistance with other ASP issues, contact Jerry the List Administrator, at  la at asp-afg.org

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