Monday, May 21, 2012

In Their Own Words: What the magazine says.

There are 81 full issues of the Skeptic on-line, from 1990 #1 until 2011 #1.
The remaining 2011/2012 issues are only published in-part on-line following a website policy of only publishing in-full after 12 months.

These 81 issues comprise 5294 pages total [~65pp/issue average] with 5230 text pages in total and around 3.5M words of text.

I've carefully searched this public record for answers to the questions underpinning "Who are the Australian Skeptics? On the Public Record, what is the phrase "Australian Skeptics" intended to mean?":


The phrase "Australian Skeptics" is used on 908 pages and in every issue. "Australian Skeptics Inc" is used on 195 pages, leaving 713 pages of 5230 (14%) using the term.
It is a major and important concept in the magazine.
  • The structure and interrelationships of the Incorporated and unincorporated Bodies.
  • The roles and responsibilities and reporting obligations of the various Bodies and their office bearers.
  • Lists of Office Bearers of all Bodies, National and (State) Branches.
  • The entrance requirements and processes for membership. 
  • Reports of AGM's and Office Bearer Elections their results.
  • Reporting of membership numbers in total and by Branch and/or circulation numbers of the magazine.
  • Any on-going pr consistent confusions or ambiguity in the language used to describe these other questions.
The Australian Computer Society, to whom a number of Office Bearers and Committee members of Y0133609 belong, provides a good model for structure and running a multi-tiered National+State Body. Ignorance of alternatives cannot be used to justify any departure from Good Practice.

The first, and perhaps most telling, questions are:
Why do I have to search for basic information at all?Why do I need to forensically examine 20+ years of written material in an attempt to uncover or infer what is openly disclosed by well governed Associations?
In light of the questions of Governance and Transparency of Y0133609  first raised by Victorians Steve Roberts and Adam Joseph 15+ years ago, that I cannot find any of this basic information openly published gives cause for serious concern.

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