Hi,
The NSS, like lots of volunteer organizations, needs to know who are the people that are interested in receiving information from the organization. Since many people change email addresses and phone numbers, after a few years, the database is no longer current. This is an effective way to update the database by a professional company. It's impractical to ask a group of volunteer cavers to contact ~10,000 people to ask them about their personal information--and imagine how upset y'all would be if you knew it was just some random volunteer cavers trying to collect this information. Why does the NSS need this information? As with most organizations these days, the membership numbers are decreasing. In order for the NSS to stay relevant to their current members and to encourage people to renew their memberships, they need to be able to provide information to them. I would hope that as the fine cavers you all are in the Southwest Region of the NSS, that you would not want to deny the NSS the opportunity to interact with you in the future. Diana ************************************************** Diana R. Tomchick Professor Departments of Biophysics and Biochemistry University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center 5323 Harry Hines Blvd. Rm. ND10.214A Dallas, TX 75390-8816 [email protected] (214) 645-6383 (phone) (214) 645-6353 (fax) ________________________________ From: Texascavers <[email protected]> on behalf of Michael Gibbons <[email protected]> Sent: Thursday, July 19, 2018 5:24 PM To: [email protected] Cc: Steve Peerman; SWR Cavers Group; Sandia Grotto; Allen Wright; Lee Skinner Subject: Re: [Texascavers] [SWR CAVERS] NSS Publication / scam? I phoned in. I authorized use of name, phone number and email. Asked if I wanted a directory, I said no. It wasn't a hard sell and they weren't after ant information that I seem sensitive. I think it's innocuous and that they are doing just what they were hired to do. Compile a directory and nothing more. On Thu, Jul 19, 2018, 5:16 PM Stephen Fleming <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: "Do not call' doesn't apply, since the contractor presumably is not the one making the calls. However, regarding the list, there is an exemption for non-profits. But, while the contractor is working for a non-profit, the company itself is a for-profit entity. It would be an interesting question whether they would get a pass due to the NSS overhead. Unsolicited emails pretty much follow the same scheme. Also, calls/emails are not prohibited for 'customers' who have a business relationship with the caller, something we all have by virtue of our membership. Less clear would be whether lapsed members could be called/emailed without violating restrictions. I think a case could be made that a lapsed member no longer has any relationship to the organization despite how desperately the NSS might want them back. Regardless of the above (and the inapplicability of do not call/email in this instance) it doesn't mean the NSS can do anything it wants with the private information gleaned from our member status. As events continue to repeatedly demonstrate, not only is direct hacking of PII databases a growing problem, but also misuse of data released to outside entities. You would think they'd notice the problems Facebook is in with poor handling of PII (for which FB also had assurances of integrity control...that didn't work out so well for them). The NSS has assured everyone the data is secure, but there's no way to ensure that. I wonder if the NSS can afford (or even has contemplated the issue/risk) to buy everyone identity theft protection if the data escapes the controls? I wonder if the contractor agreement included a requirement they would bear that expense in a data breach. If such an event is on the NSS, that would cost vastly more money and members than anything they ever could gain from this exercise. Stephen On 7/19/2018 15:36, Charles Goldsmith wrote: I agree, this was not handled very well at all. Since we did not agree to this, how does this fall under the Do-Not-Call registry, from the FCC's perspective? On Thu, Jul 19, 2018 at 4:04 PM Stephen Fleming <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: It is a marketing thing authorized by the NSS. The NSS says it is costing the organization no money and the contractor funds the effort from sales of the rather pricey merchandise. However, the NSS will get a cut of proceeds: "This is NOT a significant fund raiser for NSS, thought [sic] we do get a small commission on sales." The percentage of return is not stated, and the postcard is disingenuous in not revealing this financial arrangement. You have to search the NSS website to find that tidbit. Regardless, I won't be calling or participating; the NSS knows how to contact me and they already have everything they need to know. Allen's listing of the questions asked goes way beyond basic caver info and seeks information the NSS has no business collecting. I put this thing in the same category as telemarketers. Unwelcome and not tolerated. I did not opt-in for the NSS to release my contact information, even to a contractor, for such a use. The fact that I can decide not to participate pales beside the NSS misusing my personal data. Stephen 13727 RL FE On 7/19/2018 14:25, Steve Peerman wrote: Allen, It’s not a scam, but you are under no obligation to buy the product that they are making. It is supposed to be an NSS directory of all NSS members past and present. I submitted my information, but I didn’t buy the book. It seems rather pricey to me. On Jul 19, 2018, at 2:22 PM, Allen <[email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: Hey all, Just received a postcard from some publishing company about the NSS members manual. Anyone else receive one? Its a yellow postcard with the NSS logo on it. It has a title of "Verification of caver data" in all caps, and a Po Box in Dallas Tx. I called the number on the card and the phone operator started asking some odd questions about place of employment, phone numbers, email, marital status, name of spouse, name of kids, grotto affiliation. Then at the end they want you to send them a color picture of yourself, a bill would then be sent out for two payments of $50 for the hard bound book. Or because I am a member, would bundle a sweatshirt, and book bag, and a digital copy, for two payments of $75... I didn't provide much info, but started questioning it by the end. Anyone know anything about this? Is it a scam? Is the NSS publishing the members manual in hardback? Allen [https://ipmcdn.avast.com/images/icons/icon-envelope-tick-green-avg-v1.png]<http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> Virus-free. www.avg.com<http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=emailclient> -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Southwestern Cavers of the National Speleological Society" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]>. Visit this group at https://groups.google.com/group/swrcavers. To view this discussion on the web visit https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/swrcavers/d8131c59-3d47-b457-e99e-faef8239cc70%40gmail.com<https://groups.google.com/d/msgid/swrcavers/d8131c59-3d47-b457-e99e-faef8239cc70%40gmail.com?utm_medium=email&utm_source=footer>. For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. _______________________________________________ Texascavers mailing list | http://texascavers.com [email protected]<mailto:[email protected]> | Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]/ http://lists.texascavers.com/listinfo/texascavers ________________________________ UT Southwestern Medical Center The future of medicine, today.
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