To Blog Or Not To Blog

Members recently received an undated letter from our Board of Directors indicating that the co-op now has a web site up and running with a portion set aside for member blogging. It stated that the 'Member Area is a Community Blog and Information Resource for our community'. I would go one further - indicate on the web site how the Housing Charge subsidies are calculated. This wouldn't be too much to ask as CHF runs workshops on this topic. Their on-line brochure proudly states:

We'll review the Section 95 operating agreement rules and program guidelines. We'll also review simple subsidy calculations, and some more complex cases that aren't so straightforward or easy.

If you have questions about the program or a subsidy calculation, this is the place to get them answered.

Our lawyer questioned the co-op as to why this information was not available on the co-op's previous web site. She also wrote, faxed and emailed the co-op for this information, but received no replies.

The web site cannot be a clone of co-op propaganda. It must contain information not only vital to its members, but to people at large. It's better to portray the co-op in realistic terms, than not. Open the blog to the public. If we have no functioning committees, say so. If our co-op is scruffy and unkempt, it can hardly be gentrifying the community at large now can it? Publish financial statements on the web site and Minutes of Board Meetings. Discuss our vacancy losses and the viability of our co-op as a whole. It's not honest to have new Members move in here in good faith, only to find out that the co-op is on the verge of bankruptcy. On a facetious level, have live web cams showing the vitality of our co-op at 3:00 a.m.! And most importantly, put the co-op's By-laws up on the site. We don't have anything to hide - do we?