Membership directories no longer allo...

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Author Message David Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1337 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2013 - 07:15 pm:    I heard that CSI national will no longer allow chapters or regions to publish membership directories. Something about privacy and not wanting nonmembers to have access to the listing. Can anyone confirm or deny this issue and explain it further? Thanks! J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 630 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Thursday, October 31, 2013 - 08:31 pm:    Houston Chapter has not been doing this for several years now due to cost as well as privacy issues. I recommend that users get the MemDir app for either iPhone or Android. This works great and is always current. You have to log in with your membership info (just like the website), but I have found it very useful a number of times to track people as they move around. Lynn Javoroski FCSI CCS LEED® AP SCIP Affiliate Senior Member Username: lynn_javoroski Post Number: 1715 Registered: 07-2002 Posted on Friday, November 01, 2013 - 09:40 am:    Have you contacted anyone at the Institute to ask? Ronald L. Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP Senior Member Username: specman Post Number: 1157 Registered: 03-2003 Posted on Friday, November 01, 2013 - 12:25 pm:    Here's the scoop: The information provided in the CSI database is available only to members for official CSI purposes. Directories are not prohibited, but some steps must be taken to ensure that personal information is not published against a member's wish. If the directory is intended to be sold to and used by only CSI members, then information can be published if the member has indicated their information can be made available in the CSI directory. However, this is a gray area since access to a printed document may not be controlled very well. Therefore, the best alternative is to create a new agreement between the chapter or region and each member. If the member gives you permission to publish his or her information in the printed directory, then you may do so (I recommend keeping records of that permission). If the directory will be sold to nonmembers, then you need to specifically inform each member of that when obtaining permission. Concern for privacy is increasing everyday, and with electronic information it is harder to control it. So CSI leaders at all levels need to be cognizant of that concern when handling the personal information of their chapter or region members. Ron Geren, FCSI, AIA, CCS, CCCA, SCIP www.specsandcodes.com ken hercenberg Senior Member Username: khercenberg Post Number: 636 Registered: 12-2006 Posted on Friday, November 01, 2013 - 01:24 pm:    I seem to recall that some chapters opted to only list officers, directors, and committee chairs in their rosters to enable chapter members to easily access their information. Some were posted on chapter websites (which are accessible to anyone - not password protected) or sent out to the membership as PDF's with hard copy only going out to those who request it such as people without electronic access. Been awhile since I was involved though; not sure if they're still following that process. Liz O'Sullivan Senior Member Username: liz_osullivan Post Number: 112 Registered: 10-2011 Posted on Friday, November 01, 2013 - 01:30 pm:    I use our award-winning Denver Chapter member directory to look for CSI member product representatives, and I can search by Division. I can't do that on the national membership database. I love the iPhone app for our national membership database, but it can't do everything I need. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1338 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Saturday, November 02, 2013 - 04:20 pm:    The following is an email response from Joy Davis. She gave me permission to quote her in this forum. ***** Happy to explain, David. CSI has always had "do not show/share/sell" in its policy, and it's always reserved the Member Directory for members – no non-members can access it. Basically, we promise all members that we will not show their contact information to non-members except in cases of conducting CSI business. But the policy was buried, and it didn't attract a lot of attention from people who aren't professional marketers until recently. In the past 5 years, CSI has had growth in two areas: the options chapter leaders have for communicating directly with members, and the number of members who are deeply concerned about how their contact information is being used. It's a big deal. I've had chapter leaders withdraw from serving in office upon discovering that we require chapter leader contact information to be public. People are suing organizations that did not maintain the privacy that had been promised. The policy comes down to this: CSI national is responsible for how any contact information we collect is used. When we share it with chapters for their use to communicate about CSI to members, we're still responsible for the information. The agreement we made with the member we collected the information from still stands. Our promise (and policy) is that we won’t show/share/sell your contact information to non-members, except those conducting legitimate CSI business (such as HanleyWood, which manages CONSTRUCT) or who have entered into an agreement to provide a service for CSI (such as Kenilworth, publishers of Construction Specifier Magazine). If a chapter wishes to publish and distribute a written directory that would expose members' contact information to non-members (CSI's Member Directory is members-only, and online, requiring a login) a chapter must form a new agreement with its members. We did write guidelines to help CSI leaders honor "do not show/share/sell" in their activities, which are posted here: http://leaders.csinet.org/resources/online-tools/CSI-Leader-Email-Tool-Guide-PDF.pdf The CSI police are not going to come to your chapter and shred your charter if you accidentally violated this policy -- it was little-known. Instead we're focusing on explaining it to chapter leaders so they can make good choices. We're also aware that technology is changing rapidly, and a solution could appear. That's why we didn't just say "No directories." We're exploring better contact options in the new database system we're installing in the spring. I make no promises, but this is one of the issues we're aware of. Last, CSI chapters and regions that use CSI's microsite system can have a members-only Member Directory on their microsite. We install it -- just ask. CSI policy on communications (PDF) http://leaders.csinet.org/resources/documents-and-templates/csi-policy.pdf From policy: 5. Member Contact Information: a. CSI members’ contact information will not be shown/shared/sold to nonmembers or third-party organizations other than in those uses designated by CSI under published terms of use and privacy policies. Non-compliance with this policy shall be a violation of CSI’s Code of Conduct Policy Section I.A.4.d.4. Approved uses include: 1) Chapter or region member lists used to inform members of chapter or region events and activities or distribute electronic newsletters with conformance with Institute Policy. 2) Registrations for certification examinations used to solicit participation in review courses under terms of use published by the Institute Certification Committee. 3) Distribution of customer lists to vendors CSI contracts with to accomplish CSI business. Examples: Hanley Wood Exhibitions (CONSTRUCT Show), Comnet (phone calls to lapsing members), and VoteNet (CSI’s annual election). 4) Distribution of customer lists to associations with which CSI holds a business agreement or memorandum of understanding. Examples: Kenilworth Media (The Construction Specifier – Distribution of customer lists to other Magazines), Building Systems Design (BSD), Construction Specifications Canada (MasterFormat co-publisher). 5) CSI services that are opt-in. Examples: CSI Speaker and BusinessLinx Directory. 6) CSI services that use contact information, but allow members to opt-out: CSINet’s Chapter Locator page and the Certificant Directory. Joy Davis, CSI, CCPR CSI Communications/Community/Web Director 110 South Union Street, Suite 100 Alexandria, VA 22314 800-689-2900 ext. 4795 jdavis@csinet.org www.csinet.org Follow me at CSIConstruction (Twitter), LinkedIn or Facebook David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant/Web Publisher www.localproductreps.com Robin E. Snyder Senior Member Username: robin Post Number: 478 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Sunday, November 03, 2013 - 11:35 am:    not to diminish what Joy said (via David) because obviously CSI has to honor their privacy agreements, but... who are these people that have the time to worry that their info might get distributed to (gasp) non-CSI members? I can google someone and have their life story in under 2 minutes. Anyone who uses a credit card (in person or online) or uses online anything is throwing their information out there. David G. Axt, CCS, CSI ,SCIP Senior Member Username: david_axt Post Number: 1339 Registered: 03-2002 Posted on Monday, November 04, 2013 - 01:45 pm:    This Institute policy may actually work in my favor since Local Product Reps website is open to everyone. Product representatives are in control of their page and only provide information that the reps want public. Robin I agree with you. Why would somebody, especially a product rep, not want to have their contact information readily available? I had originally planned on having CSI members indicate their CSI chapter affiliation on my website but cancelled that idea. Maybe it is time to revisit that idea. www.localproductreps.com David G. Axt, CCS, CSI, SCIP Specifications Consultant/Web Publisher www.localproductreps.com Robin E. Snyder Senior Member Username: robin Post Number: 479 Registered: 08-2004 Posted on Monday, November 04, 2013 - 04:00 pm:    On an interesting, and related note...I am a member of the CA State Bar. All that info is public and anyone can look up the information for members. Today, I received a solicitation from someone who i can only assume got my info from the CA Bar website. Her services happen to be EXACTLY what i need and i will probably hire her. So, having your info out there, even if it means people will "cold-email" you, is not necessarily a bad thing!! J. Peter Jordan Senior Member Username: jpjordan Post Number: 633 Registered: 05-2004 Posted on Monday, November 04, 2013 - 04:43 pm:    The difference between being "a member of the bar" and a member of CSI is that lawyers are licensed by the state to practice law while CSI is a private technical organization. My architectural registration is a matter of public record, and you can look be up on the Texas Board of Architectural Examiners wesbiste. This public listing is in the public interest and is something I agree to when I decide I want to become a registered architect. Becoming a member of CSI is another kettle of fish. There is no requirement for any private organization to make its members public (there are some exceptions), and member are entitled to expect a reasonable level of privacy. Having said that, I do welcome contact from (most) manufacturers' representatives and usually learn something new. Furthermore, since I am in private practice, I want potential clients to find me. It follows that I would have little interest in restricting anyone's interest to my contact information.