Your thoughts on AI: discussion goes here.

[adpiucf]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

If I can tell an 18 year old how to sign up for rush or COR, why couldn't I tell a 35 year old about AI?

That is the whole point. You as as a sorority woman can approach someone you know IRL about AI. We just don't want internet solicitiation of AI into our sororities.

[UGAalum94]

If your group restricts information about AI to only those sorority members approach, then no one from your group should give info online.

But I think that some groups make AI info public. Why should those of you who don't want to give AI info. online get to restrict the communication of those who don't mind giving info. online?

Sometimes a person might want to get non-secret information online because they want to know what's available before they talk to someone in real life.

Let's say I had always wanted to be a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. I can see finding out online if there was even a remote possibility of being a member before I approached a local lodge or tried to develop my relationship with a local sponsor.

It's probably more comfortable for everyone involved. That doesn't mean I think you should recommend people you don't really know or sponsor people online. Only that it's okay to have an IA information forum.

[Tippiechick]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Recruitment isn't membership selections.

If I can tell an 18 year old how to sign up for rush or COR, why couldn't I tell a 35 year old about AI?

1) Recruitment IS COMPLETELY about membership selection. Do you talk about what goes on in your rounds? Do you talk about WHY you did or did NOT choose someone?

2) If the 35 year-old wants to learn about AI because she never made it into a group in college and is now yearning for days of her youth, then AI should not be for her.
If the 35 year-old is a spectacular woman who would actually be an ASSET to a group, then you should be able to tell her about AI. But, see you would actually personally know enough about this woman for her character to suggest discussion of AI.
On the internet, you don't have enough information to REALLY make a good decision about someone's true personality and background. Would you really want to PERSONALLY VOUCH YOURSELF for someone you met online? That's my point.

[AGDee]

I won't profess to know any of the answers to this issue, but I do remember that, before the AI forum was first created, all these posts were simply in the Alum Involvement forum, intermingled with the other Alumnae issues. I remember being glad when they created the sub-forum because then I didn't have to sift through all the AI stuff to read the other alum oriented threads. I do read the AI forum, but it's usually my last resort forum, after I've read everything else. My fear is that those posts will just end up in the Alum Involvement thread again.

I'm all for AI, if it happens according to my Fraternity's policies. We had a recent International President who had been an AI. To some degree, I figure that the women on GC who pursue AI in an inappropriate way will just end up self destructing their AI process in the long run. Since it is a rare thing and many International officers/volunteers peruse this board, it's likely they will be recognized and their process will be shut down quickly. Sort of like Darwinism...

ETA: Just as we sometimes warn a PNM in a Recruitment thread to use discretion, I think it's fine for us to warn that of PNAMs who are going too far too, but sometimes it is the tone in which it's said rather than what is said that starts the arguments.

[UGAalum94]

AGDee, maybe your points about National policy and unfit applicants self destructing are why I don't see why having an AI forum as a problem. Telling people how to go about the process doesn't mean they'll get through the process.

Tippiechick, recruitment/ rush includes very public parties as well as private membership selection. I would happily tell people about the skits my group did or tell them about our house tour. I would happily tell them where to sign up for rush and what the general structure was. I would even tell them about how many girls get placed through formal recruitment and make all the data about choices and participation available. I would tell them all about my experience going through rush. None of that is membership selection; all of it is recruitment information. Ritual membership selection is a very important part of recruitment, and that I wouldn't share, but it's a limited part of recruitment and actually of very little practical use to anyone who didn't participate in it.

Information exists about AI that isn't membership selection. There's nothing wrong with that info being on the forum.

Originally Posted by Tippiechick

On the internet, you don't have enough information to REALLY make a good decision about someone's true personality and background. Would you really want to PERSONALLY VOUCH YOURSELF for someone you met online? That's my point.

http://www.greekchat.com/gcforums/sh...0&postcount=44

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Information exists about AI that isn't membership selection. There's nothing wrong with that info being on the forum.

Many I/HQ websites have taken AI info off their websites because they feel that that kind of information is for members only. Why should this info be readily available on GC for PNAMs if our own I/HQs don't want that on their official websites?

[UGAalum94]

OTW,

Are you sure that's WHY they took it off? I can see that having it on the National page could create problems with the flow of the process, rather than wanting to shut the public information down. If it's suppose to be a chapter driven process, but the info. is at the national level, PNAM are probably going to screw up and make the contacts at the National level.

Okay, though, for the groups who don't want public info out there, let them give the "AI for us is a secret process" answer and let the the other groups have the AI forum.

[Tippiechick]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Tippiechick, recruitment/ rush includes very public parties as well as private membership selection. None of that is membership selection; all of it is recruitment information. Ritual membership selection is a very important part of recruitment, and that I wouldn't share, but it's a limited part of recruitment and actually of very little practical use to anyone who didn't participate in it.

Information exists about AI that isn't membership selection. There's nothing wrong with that info being on the forum.

Exactly. And, all of that membership information is available outside of GC. What people are coming on here to find out is how easy it is to get into groups and other information that should only be available to members, IMO.

But, as far as the membership selection, that should be left to the groups and their members. It should not be shared. IMO, when you begin to talk in depth about the process of selection and AI, you are sharing ritual info. (As all membership SELECTION info is considered ritual and is not to be discussed with non-members.)

[Tippiechick]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Okay, though, for the groups who don't want public info out there, let them give the "AI for us is a secret process" answer and let the the other groups have the AI forum.

And, what groups would you put into the category of not wanting the info to be out there?

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

OTW,

Are you sure that's WHY they took it off? I can see that having it on the National page could create problems with the flow of the process, rather than wanting to shut the public information down. If it's suppose to be a chapter driven process, but the info. is at the national level, PNAM are probably going to screw up and make the contacts at the National level.

Okay, though, for the groups who don't want public info out there, let them give the "AI for us is a secret process" answer and let the the other groups have the AI forum.

For one sorority, yes. And this is coming from an IO's mouth.

While I don't know the reasons of the other sororities, the info just shouldn't be here because it's not official HQ content. A lot of people think that the PNAM should go through the proper channels at HQ rather than risk getting incorrect and unofficial information here.

In light of what AI's turned into in recent years, out of curiosity, does ANY HQ website still have public information regarding AI on their website?

[UGAalum94]

I don't know enough about different group policies about AI to say. I assume that members of those groups would know, and they would act accordingly.

Just as it seems rare in the rush forums for people to talk about how their groups do membership selection, I would think it would be rare for members to talk about the particulars of AI membership selection on Greek Chat.

It doesn't seem to me that Greek Chat is about information that is only available on Greek Chat. Nor does it seem to me that it's about trying to get super secret insider information. It seems to me that people look for advice and support from people who know more about the process than they do.

The only reason why I wouldn't expect to see AI forums on Greek Chat is that it seems relatively rare. But if people want to ask, and others want to answer, and their national policies don't prohibit answers, what's the problem?

[UGAalum94]

It's surprising to me that folks seem to be making the case that if it's not on the National website it shouldn't be on Greek Chat. Is that the policy you want to see generally in place here?

(I don't think we ought to be advising people to do stuff in CONFLICT with national policy, but the standard of only discuss what's on the website is going to be really boring.)

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

It's surprising to me that folks seem to be making the case that if it's not on the National website it shouldn't be on Greek Chat. Is that the policy you want to see generally in place here?

(I don't think we ought to be advising people to do stuff in CONFLICT with national policy, but the standard of only discuss what's on the website is going to be really boring.)

I think it's safe to say that if you only find it on the "Members Only" portion of the web site, that it shouldn't be shared with non-members.

[Taualumna]

Some (well, mine, anyway) groups announce new AIs in their quarterly newsletters/magazines. The newsletter/magazine isn't part of ritual and many groups have it available online for just about anyone to read. This means that anyone can potentially find out about AI. And if a PNAM is interested, she might just contact the group herself. Different people find their groups differently. While I don't agree with helping people via the Internet if we aren't ever going to meet them, I don't think people should be criticized because they CONTACTED a group on their own rather than have been APPROACHED.