[lir-wg] New question

On Wed, Dec 04, 2002 at 10:22:01AM -0000, Neil J. McRae wrote:
> Axel,
> 
> > The membership fee is paid by the RIPE NCC members.
> > It funds the activities of the RIPE NCC,
> > see http://www.ripe.net/ripe/docs/ap2003.html
> > This covers support for RIPE meetings.
> > RIPE meetings are not fully self financing,
> > f.i. staff support is not "charged to" RIPE.
> 
> I suggest that this is one of the things that
> changes. These meetings should be self financing.

Would you care explain why? 

We have had this discussion more than once before.  The reason that
membership fees are used to support RIPE and thus also support a part of
RIPE meetings is that the membership at large benefits from the
meetings. 

RIPE Meetings are neither conferences nor training seminars.  They are
working meetings providing the open forum that the RIPE NCC needs for
developing its policies and directing its work.  RIPE needs to keep
working for the RIPE NCC to keep working. 

The established principle is that the attendance fee pays for the direct
meeting costs such as the venue and lunches.  The staff resources
supporting RIPE, and also the meetings, are covered by the membership
fees.  This works well as the direct costs largely scale by the number
of attenders and the staff costs are much more constant.

Is there a reason to change this? 

Daniel