Here's some latin friction proving affirming one of my points, and that's before the dancing even got going: http://www.glocals.com/#/things-to-do/geneva/31124.htm  

I'd say everyone here has a demanding job and responsibilities. We all go to meetings, travel for business, etc without dreaming of letting anyone down. But on Glocals many people regularly let everyone else down ... just because they can!

They always have an excuse, ALWAYS. I have never heard anyone say, "sorry ... I was just a lazy SOB ... I don't give a damn about anyone else. I don't care if I let anyone down." They always have "emergencies" yet they happily succeed in going to work meetings etc without personal emergencies (or lese they would not have a job).

The hard work of the organisers and tolerance of restaurants etc is being abused by those who don't care. Don't forget may members look forward to meeting new friends if only they attend the event.

For these reasons and more, I'd say it is NOT ok to RSVP and not come except when the organiser says it is ok (e.g. I arrange some events in public places and there is no seat reservation etc so I clearly say "it is ok to change your mind").

Nir & Co were considering some kind of a solution but we have not had word on that for many months now. A yellow card/red card system seems to work better than some other methods. Some networking & dating sites here in Geneva use it. A friend of mine is an event organiser on one of those. She says, it is extremely rare that anyone misses an event they RSVP YES to. It simply is not an issue.

Maurice, thanks for the post, it is informative. The only problem is those who don't care, simply "don't care". I am certain it is not that they don't know teh correct behavior. The Latin Group has many members who are not even regulars ... but the odd time they RSVP YES, they are ALWYAS there. And they are the same for all their other events.

Thanks again.

well theres been a few interesting pointers made here. For one I am against any kind of Points or RED card system it is not in the spirit of Glocals. I organise a few events, most people who say they will turn up do. It can be annoying when people say they are going to turn up then dont , and vice versa. However as an organiser ive come to expect this . It is very much appreciated when people let you know if they will attend, and if they are delayed or find they cannot attend. As for the commentary after an event is is ALWAYS appreciated good or bad critique helps improve the events themselves. SO heres a BIG THANK YOU to all of you who attend my events, and enjoy the spirit of Glocals.

Don't they say love is blind!

Some well measure views and practical pointers here.    Bizhan, thanks for your frankness, yes some don't care and perhaps they'll never car enough at least not in respects to glocals.  Don't forget many people need a boss or some for of psychological opression to care, or just a whacking big carrot.  Anyway, the world keeps turning and we can only start with ourselves by make an difference as an individual difference - hence this initiative. 

Perhaps in time there'll be enough of us with similar views to make a collective difference and then gain momentum.  You've already started the ball rolling that's great.  For my part I make note of all persons who become members of any group I form and simply will not included those people in future if I feel their manner leaves more than a bit to be desires 

Likewise I'm sure they'll have no compunction on leaving the group should the reverse be true.  Although group members shouldn't forget that there's one of us and a group of them, and they're all free to contribute to make things better if there's something not quite right.   Again, the only thing that made me create a group in the first place is some form of passion, as is true for most of us, so I try not to excessively keep score card as love is indeed blind.  Outside of that I think the points have been made.

Maurice, i'd like to thank you for initiating this discussion, and as a group founder I may be able to add something useful........

I founded the scuba group on the first day that groups could be established in glocals, so that makes it one of the oldest, and we are moderately populated with 135 members. We have two sorts of events, which are weekend dives and mid-week drink sessions. Everybody who signs up for the dives - attends. However, there have been many occasions where signees for the social session haven't appeared. My opinion here is if people don't attend the social sessions, it doesn't harm the organisor as no time has been wasted.

Clearly, if an event requires reservations/organisational time/funds, then signees must show up (and I suggest that they generally do). If it is a social session in a pub, it really doesn't matter. Glocals is excellent, but some members do have a tendancy to take things too seriousy, sometimes.

One thing I have learnt over the previous 6 months or so is it is useful to ask the members what they expect from the group, and then tell them whether or not you are prepared to meet their demands. The scuba group is very relaxed, and was never designed to emulate running a business. It was founded on the premise that I might meet a few other divers, and nothing else (although it seems we have created a monster). However, I know that some members have been dissapointed because they expected a much more organised group, which for me would have taken more time, and simply zapped away the element of fun. I guess members need to know in the beginning what they are signing up for......

All in all, the scuba group has been very successful, and I think one reason for that is its relaxed, no-pressure nature. Thanks to all the members who have got involved so far!

That's my lot.................

Thanks Spikings for sharing your experience its very helpful and will hopefully help new founders like myself find the right balance.  Like you I formed a group simply out of the desire to meet other persons who liked biking but that's a broad audience, so you're right you have to manage expectations.  I've attempted to do this by creating a questionnaire and which set's some boundaries that way hopefully not too many surprises if you become a group member.  

I think being relaxed is certainly the right approach although where a group is driven by quite physical activity then a bit of pressure is simply a component of it, and that can also be the appeal.  I did some martial arts when younger, you hit and get hit and you've not much choice otherwise you do something else.   As regards the no pressure approach I'm sure your members get quite enough of that when they get their heads underwater so no point in adding any when above water ;).   Also being scuba certified you need a cool head when underwater so keeping things chill is a sound approach, but you’ve still got to be organized.   

Relaxed is good, but let's also not forget that glocals is first a foremost a community and like any community it exists because there's certain basic rules or protocols.  In the case of groups my hunch is that people attend 1) because the subject or activity speaks to them but 2) because other people are attending and they wish to meet other people with similar interest.  Therefore if people do not openly share and show their interest and willingness to participate in something (even if they do not attend) then that to my mind is defeatist and contrary to what people are actually looking for.  

Perhaps we’ve all become a little web blazé (blazay) over the years with all these social networks where we can say what we want and be what we want to be with little accountability - so we develop, for want of a better term, bad habits or certain idiosyncrasies.   Whereas with Glocals, it’s got that comfortable web based social network dimension to it, but thereafter you go from Avatar to Reality and that perhaps just takes a little practice.   As a general comment, Glocals have done a great job with “groups” and I simply see the attendance factor as an indication of peoples take up of an event or activity.  

As an organizer we’re always looking for ways to keep things interesting and at the moment that’s our only gauge to whether we’re getting it right, wrong or indifferent i.e. people’s attendance.  So I treat attendance more as stats on who’s interested or not than more about who’s going to be there or not, as with the best intentions in the world sometimes things to crop up, my mantel there however is try to do what you'll say you’ll do and if you cannot then say you won't.   Hey is that a shark?      

David

It's not hard to become a member so I cannot conceive a request from a non-glocal, so in direct answer to your question, the term/notion is for me a non entity, so per se I have no answer.  Not to put a too finer point on it but people have to play the game and register on the website for without that there is "nothing", wouldn't you say, let alone the notion of "groups"?  Even with all persons registered on the site (as per my previous observations/comments), persons either don't show attendance or do and don't turn up.  Or should one simply depend on psychological a social accountability of the non-member as well?  The philosophical debate aside, the reality is that this a private site which exists as far as I can tell because there are members so how would you propose someone participates as a "non-member"?

Notwithstanding my previous threads I have noticed a market improvement and congruence in temrs of participation and turnout for the groups I run, and so openly commend community members on their resolve to play the game within what is fair and reasonable to expect of one and other.  

Best

Maurice

David

Now I see what you're getting at and agree with you - it would be pointless to act otherwise, however I do support the Glocals and the founders for what the great work they have done - even though I may not always see eye to eye with them - I resolve myself to thinking those differences are what keeps things interesting.

As for the practical dimension, it's hard in practice to know who is a member and who is not when people turn up, as I don't systematically ask the question and even if there are non-members, I think persons quickly identify with the notion of Glocals and it's advantages so as to become a member and get plugged in.  I went to give blood the other day and the nurse was new to Geneva and so I recommended glocals - and the Cinema group of course...*grin*

Have a good day David, and well done for all those nice photos of you with numerous members, you're quite the man about town these days.

Regards

Maurice

All stuff and nonsense to me ... !

I post regular activities (usually mountain walks climbs) where logistics cars or prepayment is required.  Fortunately for me I do not rely on glocals people and never count on an unknown glocals who agrees I make a prepayment or days he/she will provide transport.  Having said that around 50% of glocals who have come on my outings come again and 25% have joined the Swiss Alpine Club.  I have developed a sixth sense now.

Others have problems.  I heard of a recent outing to the col de Cenise where 6 glocals did not turn up and the cost of their pre-booked meal was shared by the other participants.

Having moaned about that I have only banned one person from attending after she failed to turn up on two or three occasions.

On the restaurant front the hash house harriers regularly books restaurants for the after run meal for 20-30 people but we find restaurants whomlisten and we confirm the exact number two hours beforehand.  Plenty of restaurants will accept 20+/-5.   And with unknowns you could agree to meet for an apero somehwhere beforehand and then confirm the numbers with the restaurant an hour before you get there.

I put it down to the fact that most glocals want to get as much as possible with out any input and double book.