But it does differ greatly for GLOs in that certain pieces of information are considered for members only - meaning if you are not a member then you do not need to know. The probelm with the internet is that you really don't know who you are talking to . That is why GLO members have to be especially careful discussing their org's business on the internet.

The problem comes when the information given is misleading or just wrong. It confuses people. No one wants their org to be associated with a state of confusion. It just implies that all is not right with the org, so why would anyone want to join it. There is a bigger picture to this issue that I don't think some people understand or see.

Hopefully everyone has taken some time over the last couple of days to step back and let cooler heads prevail.

The thread is reopen for discussion, but I caution everyone to keep things on topic and impersonal.

The reason that is being repeated over and over again is for some of the PNAIs who apparently don't understand that "sorority shopping" is frowned upon on the alumnae level. The automatic comeback is "well what about those girls at Penn State going to 20 rush parties? If that isn't shopping, what is?" That's when you bang your head on the wall and explain that it's apples and oranges.

We also know that every group at Penn State will be taking a pledge class this semester (unless there are some sort of bizarre unforseen extenuating circumstances). We DON'T know that every sorority will be taking AIs this semester, this year, or EVER.

To go back to a point that was brought up earlier, I think the key difference between the policy discussions on the AI forum and the policy discussions that are going on in other threads is that in the AI forum organizations' policies are openly discussed and speculated on by non-members. We have non-members presuming they know the policies of various organizations and also presuming to advise other non-members on said policies.

excellent point. While NPC has unamious recruitment agreements applicable to collegiate membership intake, AI is specific to each sorority. So an NPC woman would be well within her rights to offer advice to a PNM.

I think the major issue is just that we don't want to "advertise" AI to non-members.

I agree that we don't want to advertise, but I think that people looking at AI who come to GC should be able to talk about it. If someone comes on here shopping, then you bust them for shopping, but you don't screw over those doing it "right" because of it.

IF the AI forum is deleted, I don't want to see discussion prohibited completely. I think that would be a good compromise in many ways. If the threads are just in Greek Life they won't be promoting anything. And I'm in favor of education over ignorance: better to tell them no way in hell, then to let them hope that maybe someday they'll be an XYZ.

For many organizations, if they are doing it "right" they aren't sharing their "quest" with the internet.

What about people who don't find out about AI until they discover it on GC?

I'm not going to say I disagree with you on many of your points. The President of the AA Chapter that I am having AI discussions with said that she had an AI recently that came to them, and discovered at the local Alumnae Panhellenic meeting that she had been turned down at 5 other organizations. THAT is sorority shopping.

I think those women are few and far between and I'll admit here that I am definately assuming that, but it just makes sense. The sorority that I am personally speaking to, I have no idea of what they are looking for, and there is one other that I would consider, but other than those two, that is where the search would stop for me. The other NPC groups are great, but are not a "match" of things that would interest me.

I just don't necessarily think it's fair to group all PNAI's into a group that "doesn't understand" how things work, or saying we all "get confused" and don't realize that Rush and AI are different animals.

Most of us are well-aware and I haven't seen but probably one or two on the AI forum that were seriously mis-informed.

That's because a lot of the really bad threads have been deleted or closed. Trust me, there were more than 1 or 2.

Another MB I visit has a section called "the Pit" with posts that are an example of what NOT to do. However, the subject matter on there is a lot more lighthearted than lifetime sorority membership.

If the AI forum is disbanded, I for one, wouldn't be posting here any longer and I would'nt recommend it to anyone else who is looking to AI either. From the dates in the AI forum, there are fewer and fewer posts for AI and it is getting less and less active for AI's. I think potential AI members are tired of getting attacked for their interests and getting grilled by other GC members, who may NOT EVEN be a member of the sorority they are looking at, about why they want to join, etc. That isn't anyone's business, it's between the PNAI and the AA, and no PNAI should have to justify it to anyone on GC.

The reason is, there is too much back-stabbing, vindictive behavior on GC. I have been reading through alot of threads, it's better than a book. I saw one thread (on the collegiate side) where a girl's boyfriend had dumped her, and his NEW girlfriend was getting ready to rush in the Spring at another college...she was posting to see if she should call the sorority there because "she couldn't deal with potentially having her as a sister". That's just nothing but high-school BULLSH*T, and I have read the same thing on the AI side. If a member gets into a fight on GC with PNAI, the first thing they say is, "We'll make sure you don't get in."

I just don't understand where that kind of thinking comes from.

Either they'll make an inquiry to the GLO and get rejected, or they'll make an inquiry and the sorority will be interested. GC members may be able to direct their inquiry and answer some questions.

People act like everyone on GC is thinking "I'll sponsor any and every person who comes to the board". In fact it seems like inappropriate inquiries get shut down and positive ones get support. The drama comes mostly from NPC members, not AIs.

To be fair, the AI discussions that have turned into the "where should I write a letter to prevent you from joining" are ones that have turned out to be train wrecks on the PNAI's part as well as the other GC'ers.

Personally, I trust in my sisters' judgments.

Actually, membership in my organization is my business. That pretty much answers everything in your post.

ETA: Drolefille is right though....it has to be pretty extreme for anyone to actually contact HQ.

Posterity.