[Businessmtg] More Thoughts on Platforms

[Steve Rankin]

Hi folks,

 

The CURRENT list of platforms is:

 

     1.    Al-Anon App              107      Phone App

     2.    Bulletin Board             2          Bulletin Board

     3.    Chat                            14        IRC Chat                     

     4.    Discord                       31        Messaging

     5.    Email                          13        Email

     6.    Facebook                    1          Messaging

     7.    Free Conference Call  20        Video conferencing

     8.    Google Meet               1          Video conferencing

     9.    Phone                          110      Phone

     10.  Second Life                1          Video conferencing

     11.  Skype                          1          Video conferencing

     12.  Voxer                          1          Voice messaging

     13.  Whats App                  2          Messaging

     14.  Zoom                          740      Video conferencing

 

By comparison, the historical list of platforms was much simpler AND generic, avoiding the brand affiliation of the current list.

     2.    Bulletin Board             2          Bulletin Board

     3.    Chat                            14        IRC Chat

     5.    Email                          13        Email

     9.    Phone                          110      Phone

 

This concerns me on at least 3 levels:

1.	Implied affiliation.  Historically, the Service Manual has cautioned the fellowship to avoid including the name of the facility in the naming of groups.  OK, the electronic groups seem to be doing well, however what about the example that WSO sets when they LIST groups by brand name?
2.	The high-tech industry has a well-established history of acquisition.  What happens when a branded “platform” is acquired by another firm and/or the name of the firm or product changes?  
3.	What happens when Branded Platform A is actually hosted on Platform Z.  The difference is the entry portal.  If that doesn’t make sense, think of it as accessing a group hosted on Platform Z by going through Door A instead of Door Z.  

Having said that, I do recognize that listing by the brand name of the technology used, does simplify things.  But, as Al-Anon, shouldn’t we seek a way that better avoids the appearance of affiliation.  

 

FYI, below are what I found when I reviewed the 2019 thru 2023 WSC Summaries:

 

2019

The 2017 WSC formed “The Electronic Meeting Work Group (EMWG)”.  

At the 2019 WSC. . .

“The Chairperson reported, “Some Work Group members were leery of electronic meetings but joined a meeting to get a more accurate understanding of them. We found that, in the meetings we joined, members shared experience, strength, and hope; protected Al‑Anon; and urged other members to attend face‑to‑face meetings. This made us believe they are serving the fellowship. We discovered electronic meetings are more here than we realized, and they are thriving.”

 

2020

“Electronic Meeting Statistics

     As of February 25, 2020, worldwide there were 215 English‑; 42 Spanish‑; 20 Russian‑; five French‑; three German‑ and Polish‑; two Italian‑ and Greek‑; and one Danish‑, Farsi‑, Icelandic‑, and Portuguese‑speaking meetings. That is a total of 296 meetings of which 180 are phone meetings and 116 are online meetings. In the first two months of 2020, 60 new meetings were registered.”

 

2021

“15. MOTION was made, seconded, and carried for the Electronic Meeting Work Group to proceed with the following ideas: 

1. Per prior discussions, permanent electronic meetings becoming Al‑Anon Family Groups. 

2. Per prior discussions, an Area serving groups which meet electronically being created and added to the WSC to provide support and representation to AFGs Meeting Electronically that choose to be a part of that Area. 

3. The option for AFGs meeting electronically choosing the Area/GSO/emerging structure where they want to register and through which they want to have representation. These groups would be registered as a part of the chosen Area the same as face‑to‑face groups in the chosen Area. 

4. The AFGs meeting electronically language(s) supported would be determined by the service structure with which they registered. (unanimous)”

 

2022

I found 6 pages about the electronic meetings, the progress of conversion from ‘meetings’ to ‘groups’, a discussion of hybrid meetings, and so on, but no stats on how many electronic meetings or platforms.

 

2023

A report on the progress of the Transforming Electronic Groups (TEG) Project.  Yes, everything has its acronym, making the WSC Summaries challenging to comprehend at times.  

 

Love and SERENITY,

Steve