[Massachusetts-NFB] IMPORTANT: email changes and explanation

[sharawinton at gmail.com]

Hello Beautiful NFB Family and Friends, 

I want to take a moment to address some of the discussion that took place
during our recent Cambridge Chapter meeting. There was a tremendous amount
of conversation, and I know that some of you left the meeting with concerns,
while others may have felt discouraged or deflated by what took place.

Please know that, as always, my first and foremost responsibility is to
advocate for, support, and protect our members as much as possible.
Sometimes, making decisions that I believe are in the best interest of our
organization may be uncomfortable or may not please everyone, and I
understand that.

I also want to sincerely apologize for not giving everyone more advance
notice about the changes to our email list. The situation developed much
more quickly than I anticipated, and, quite honestly, I was caught a little
off guard myself by how quickly everything came together.

Over the past year, we have received many concerns that our email list has
become overwhelming and difficult to keep up with. We have also experienced
an increase in spam and other unwanted messages. In addition, there have
been occasions when a member, believing they were replying to only one
individual, unintentionally shared personal information with the entire
list. Once that information is sent, we cannot take it back, and it can
potentially compromise someone's privacy, confidentiality, and even personal
safety.

Our email list also includes many people who are not currently members but
are interested in learning more about the NFB, as well as donors, agencies,
media representatives, and other friends and supporters of our organization.
Because of this, we have a responsibility to be thoughtful about what
information is shared broadly.

After speaking with and seeking guidance from other leaders within the
National Federation of the Blind, I came to the difficult conclusion that we
need to place some reasonable limits on what can be shared through our
affiliate-wide email list.

I want to be very clear: this is not personal, nor is it directed at any one
individual or small group of individuals. This decision is about protecting
the privacy and safety of our members, reducing unnecessary email traffic,
and creating a more comfortable and manageable communication environment for
our affiliate as a whole.

I truly hope that you will receive this decision in the spirit in which it
is intended-with care, respect, and a genuine desire to do what is best for
all of us.

We are a family, and families do not always agree. But we can continue to
listen to one another, give one another grace, and work together toward
something bigger than any one of us.

Thank you for taking the time to read this, and most importantly, thank you
for your understanding, compassion, and continued commitment to the National
Federation of the Blind of Massachusetts.

With appreciation and love,

Shara

 

Shara Winton

President, National federation of the Blind of Massachusetts

 <http://www.nfbma.org/> www.nfbma.org

 <mailto:sharawinton at gmail.com> sharawinton at gmail.com

617-304-0347

 

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