from the Naples MacFriends User Group, Naples Florida
A Matter of Ethics
by Martin Reff
Once or twice a week over the past three months I've been asked to help Macintosh
users as a professional, that is for money. Indeed, one of the local vendors suggested
that I could be kept busy all week from just his customers alone!
My response to the vendor and to all the individuals who have asked has been the
same: I do not accept money for helping other users. I am not a professional. I
mention the availability of courses at schools, at MicroAge in Ft. Myers, and the
video tapes at the library. I give as much help on the telephone as I can, explain
that users do not charge users, and urge the person to come to the meeting where
others can help too. Indeed, the purpose of having a Macintosh user group like MacFriends
is to help each other. (I've yet to meet a Macintosh user who knows it all.)
As president of our group I can have no other response. No conflict of interest
must exist. The treasurer, secretary, librarian, and newsletter editor share this
position.
Naturally members in non-leadership positions are free to do what they wish. Should
members be, or become, professionals- that is collect money, however, it is incumbent
upon them to make that fact public not only because people want to know about tutors
(to cite one kind of professional) but also because users who come to them should
know of the conflict of interest. Being an entrepreneur in America is a fine thing
but we cannot tolerate members helping other members at meetings and then later privately,
on the sly, collecting a fee or a gratuity.
But suppose you don't want to become a professional and yet because you have the
time, want to help, and are qualified, a fellow member wants to pay you or give you
gratuity? Should that occur I suggest you ask the person to donate whatever he feels
it's worth to a charity or even to the our Macintosh user group, Naples MacFriends.
- Newsletter editors: Macintosh User Groups may freely reprint any of these
articles in MUG newsletters providing a copy of the newsletter in which the article
appears is sent to Naples MacFriends, PO Box 863, Naples, Florida 33962. Authors
have provided written releases.
Submitted by Martin Reff, President, Naples MUG
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