Your thoughts on AI: discussion goes here.

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Information exists about AI that isn't membership selection. There's nothing wrong with that info being on the forum.

Many I/HQ websites have taken AI info off their websites because they feel that that kind of information is for members only. Why should this info be readily available on GC for PNAMs if our own I/HQs don't want that on their official websites?

[UGAalum94]

OTW,

Are you sure that's WHY they took it off? I can see that having it on the National page could create problems with the flow of the process, rather than wanting to shut the public information down. If it's suppose to be a chapter driven process, but the info. is at the national level, PNAM are probably going to screw up and make the contacts at the National level.

Okay, though, for the groups who don't want public info out there, let them give the "AI for us is a secret process" answer and let the the other groups have the AI forum.

[Tippiechick]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

Okay, though, for the groups who don't want public info out there, let them give the "AI for us is a secret process" answer and let the the other groups have the AI forum.

And, what groups would you put into the category of not wanting the info to be out there?

[UGAalum94]

I don't know enough about different group policies about AI to say. I assume that members of those groups would know, and they would act accordingly.

Just as it seems rare in the rush forums for people to talk about how their groups do membership selection, I would think it would be rare for members to talk about the particulars of AI membership selection on Greek Chat.

It doesn't seem to me that Greek Chat is about information that is only available on Greek Chat. Nor does it seem to me that it's about trying to get super secret insider information. It seems to me that people look for advice and support from people who know more about the process than they do.

The only reason why I wouldn't expect to see AI forums on Greek Chat is that it seems relatively rare. But if people want to ask, and others want to answer, and their national policies don't prohibit answers, what's the problem?

[UGAalum94]

It's surprising to me that folks seem to be making the case that if it's not on the National website it shouldn't be on Greek Chat. Is that the policy you want to see generally in place here?

(I don't think we ought to be advising people to do stuff in CONFLICT with national policy, but the standard of only discuss what's on the website is going to be really boring.)

[AGDee]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

It's surprising to me that folks seem to be making the case that if it's not on the National website it shouldn't be on Greek Chat. Is that the policy you want to see generally in place here?

(I don't think we ought to be advising people to do stuff in CONFLICT with national policy, but the standard of only discuss what's on the website is going to be really boring.)

I think it's safe to say that if you only find it on the "Members Only" portion of the web site, that it shouldn't be shared with non-members.

Originally Posted by AGDee

I think it's safe to say that if you only find it on the "Members Only" portion of the web site, that it shouldn't be shared with non-members.

Put it this way, AI info isn't even on the Sisters Only side. It's not on the web, period. It can, however, be found in the Membership Handbook.

[Taualumna]

Some (well, mine, anyway) groups announce new AIs in their quarterly newsletters/magazines. The newsletter/magazine isn't part of ritual and many groups have it available online for just about anyone to read. This means that anyone can potentially find out about AI. And if a PNAM is interested, she might just contact the group herself. Different people find their groups differently. While I don't agree with helping people via the Internet if we aren't ever going to meet them, I don't think people should be criticized because they CONTACTED a group on their own rather than have been APPROACHED.

[sigmadiva]

Originally Posted by Taualumna

Some (well, mine, anyway) groups announce new AIs in their quarterly newsletters/magazines. The newsletter/magazine isn't part of ritual and many groups have it available online for just about anyone to read. This means that anyone can potentially find out about AI. And if a PNAM is interested, she might just contact the group herself. Different people find their groups differently. While I don't agree with helping people via the Internet if we aren't ever going to meet them, I don't think people should be criticized because they CONTACTED a group on their own rather than have been APPROACHED.

Again, I am a NPC outsider, but here is how I've been reading this issue.

I think someone stated in this thread, or another one of the current AI threads that AI info should only be discussed, if at all, in that specific GLO's forum. I think part of the confusion here is that with so many groups who have different AI processes, it is hard to lump answers / issues into one general forum. While it may be perfectly acceptable for your group, for example, to have a PNAM contact the org on her own, that same act might be considered a big no-no for another group. I think what some are saying is that you can not give out general information since at the AI level it is very org specific on how to go about joining.

I think a lot of NPC ladies on here want to discourage a situation like this: 'Oh yeah, just give ABC a call and if they don't get back to you, then just keep calling down the NPC list. You'll get in somewhere.' I think this is the 'smoke blowing' people are referring to.

[SmartBlondeGPhB]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

It's surprising to me that folks seem to be making the case that if it's not on the National website it shouldn't be on Greek Chat. Is that the policy you want to see generally in place here?

When it comes to what our groups do and don't do HELL YES policy should NOT be on Greekchat. It is no one else's business but the women in THAT group.

If it's not something that my IH supports, I certainly don't want it showing up on an internet chat board (and I'm SURE they don't) saying the contrary.

Why would you EVER think that something not on your IH's website should be advertised on a chat board?

[valkyrie]

Originally Posted by SmartBlondeGPhB

Why would you EVER think that something not on your IH's website should be advertised on a chat board?

For real. My organization doesn't have anything about AI on the public website. It is beyond me why there should be anything about it on GC -- and there is. Why?

[UGAalum94]

Originally Posted by SmartBlondeGPhB

When it comes to what our groups do and don't do HELL YES policy should NOT be on Greekchat. It is no one else's business but the women in THAT group.

If it's not something that my IH supports, I certainly don't want it showing up on an internet chat board (and I'm SURE they don't) saying the contrary.

Why would you EVER think that something not on your IH's website should be advertised on a chat board?

THINK for a minute about EVERYTHING that's not on your National webpage that you're probably discussed here, and then get back to me.

I'm not advocating posting secret information; I'm pointing out that there are many things that people want to discuss that aren't on the IHQ website. Rush dates, quota at different chapters, living arrangements at different campuses, etc.

To assume that because something isn't on the website, it's secret or ritual is a faulty assumption.

Again, I'm not asking people to go against their national policies: I'm just saying A) that because your group doesn't like it doesn't mean that everyone is obligated to ignore the issue and B) that holding out "only what's on the IHQ website" as the standard of what can be discussed on GreekChat is going to be pretty problematic.

[33girl]

Originally Posted by Alphagamuga

I don't know enough about different group policies about AI to say. I assume that members of those groups would know, and they would act accordingly.

Just as it seems rare in the rush forums for people to talk about how their groups do membership selection, I would think it would be rare for members to talk about the particulars of AI membership selection on Greek Chat.

It doesn't seem to me that Greek Chat is about information that is only available on Greek Chat. Nor does it seem to me that it's about trying to get super secret insider information. It seems to me that people look for advice and support from people who know more about the process than they do.

The only reason why I wouldn't expect to see AI forums on Greek Chat is that it seems relatively rare. But if people want to ask, and others want to answer, and their national policies don't prohibit answers, what's the problem?

You answered your own question.

If an 18 year old asks you about rushing, whether it's a specific chapter or not, you can tell her to go through formal rush or COB. Because you pretty much know that every single collegiate chapter of every single NPC group recruits and bids collegians in some manner.

If a 35 year old asks you how to AI- you don't have a CLUE what any sorority other than AGD does as far as AI is concerned.

[tinydancer]

I am an AI member, so I have mixed feelings about the issue of posting info on GC. When I started out, the info here was rather brief and there weren't too many of us PNAMs. What info was there was informative without being too revealing. PMs to individual members of GLOs were encouraged, rather than putting all the stuff out in the open.

It was helpful the way it was. Somewhere along the line, it got out of hand. Now it's gotten to be a hot mess. I am sorry about that, because the facts I got from individual members were honest and helpful.

[LouisaMay]

I'm with you, tinydancer. When I first inquired about the possibility of AI, the issue was fairly quiet. There were a handful of success stories on GC. There was some general information posted, but most of what I learned was from Private Messages from two alumnae, one from the organization that I was looking into and one woman who was just generally supportive and wanted to point me in the right direction. Now, when I've finally found my home, this place feels like a disaster zone I'm sorry that it has come to this. The average one-time-only lurker would look at this board and think that all AIs were a bunch of pathetic dreamers who can't grow up. I'm not even sure how that came to be, but as someone who has benefited greatly from this sub-forum, even I can see that this board might be more trouble than it is worth.

Just to speak for myself, I'm quite grown-up, thank you. In fact, my years of schooling and life in general (although I'm still young) have taught me enough to make me feel that I can make a difference in the lives of college women...that I can teach them to be proud and gracious and determined. And that is exactly why I am a soon-to-be-AI.