Hi Group
I have just received the minutes of the NAMHO Council meeting and one
thing has made me extremely concerned.
In the past, NAMHO has produced codes of practice and guidelines in an
attempt to promote safety in mine exploration as well as responsibility
in preserving the mine environment. I know as I was involved in
producing many of them. The guiding principle has ALWAYS been that the
information is provided free, as well as being free of copyright so it
can be reproduced as widely as possible. In this way NAMHO sought to
promote its principles.
A new set of guidelines has just been produced, "Guidelines for the
Leisure Use of Mines", which replaces an earlier version. I note that
NAMHO intends to charge £1.20 for this to members and £2.00 to
non-members. Not only does this go against the previous spirit of
dissemination of information but it also screams "ripoff"! I am
interested but I certainly would not consider paying £1.20, let alone
£2.00! And this at a time when NAMHO has almost £4,000 in its account
with little to do with it.
Isn't it time NAMHO started to spend its gains on getting the message
about instead of trying to make more money? I cannot see many copies
being bought, especially by non.members who are the very ones where this
information should be directed! If the excuse is that the publication
costs must be recovered, then this points to too high a spec in printing
or too long a document.
Come on NAMHO - you have been accused in the past of becoming divorced
from reality, this certainly is not helping!
Adrian
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