Values
Here’s what I believe to be the values of our GhentValley group:
- openness and transparency: we don’t ‘do’ things off-list or off-group. If you want to say something, please speak up on the discussion forum. There’s no group ‘management’, no ‘leadership’: we’re all very busy already and the burden of group management should thus be distributed amongst the lot of us.
- no personal benefit, no hidden agenda’s. The group is what it is. I for one run my own business, and some of you might be potential partners or even customers. However, I won’t download the subscriber list and start mailing you directly. If I want to announce something specific which I believe to be of specific value for this group, I’ll post it to the discussion list. If people don’t like what I say, they can say there.
- start simple, stay simple. Yes, it would be good to have real-life events. Yes, we could set up a press center for distributing news about our ventures. But there’s nothing wrong with not doing these things, as (again) we’re all very busy with our normal day job already. It’s better to do simple things well and endure at them, than to try and fail spectacularly.
- respect. When we talk, we talk freely to whatever degree we choose for ourselves. However, we don’t forget there’s another human being out there, which has the right to a nuanced and polite message. Rhetorics tend to shy people away, and we don’t want to be left behind with only the alpha-(fe)males.
- amical and fun. Being part of a network, whether it’s real life or online, should be fun. That was simple. :-)