Michele D. gives report –
CLOSING REPORT C.A. WORLD SERVICE CONFERENCE 2015
WSCITC REPORT
INTRODUCTION AND OPENING COMMENTS
Opening Comments
Our fellowship continues to grow and utilize new and emerging technologies to assist us in communicating and conducting business, and most importantly to assist in our efforts to carry the message. In addition to assisting the CAWSO Web servant in reviewing websites for linking from www.ca.org, your IT Committee continues actively researching and advising on new technologies.
All levels of our C.A. service structure continue to explore new options for communication and organization in an effort to improve financial efficiency and better inform our membership.
We remain mindful, respecting the principles set forth in the Twelve Traditions whilst considering these new capabilities for connection and access.
Committee Introductions
Michelle D., Chairperson
Daniel G., Vice Chairperson
Jim S., Secretary
Pierre K.
Will B.
Daniel G.
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Bob W.
Brent P.
Yves W., Trustee
COMMITTEE WORK THAT RESULTED IN MOTIONS
None
REFERRALS THAT RESULTED IN MOTIONS
None
REFERRALS OR ITEMS TABLED UNTIL NEXT YEAR; AND ITEMS THE COMMITTEE WILL CONTINUE WORKING ON THROUGH THE YEAR REFERRAL 2014IT-1
To remove paragraphs ¶2 and ¶3 from page 13, of IT Guidelines Chapter “Media”. Public Information may not have been saavy at the time to produce or address the issues surrounding Media but it is a Public Information subject matter as it relates to outreach. A new referral was submitted in 2013 expressly designed to incorporate social media and variety of other tools to assist in CA Public Information, these two paragraphs directly contradict the work product Public Information has produced.
REFERRAL 2014IT-2
To add Groups to Chapters “CONCERNING WEBSERVANT AND/OR INTERNET COMMITTEES”,”A TYPICAL AREA WEB SITE “, “REQUIREMENTS FOR C.A. AREA/DISTRICT WEB SITES”. To add both Districts and Groups to chapter
“POLICIES FOR POSTING ON C.A. WEB PROPERTIES”, “LINKING, EMERGENCY DE-LINKING, & NON COMPLIANCE”. Groups under the 4th Tradition are autonomous and can elect through their own group conscience to create and manage their own website.
REFERRAL 2014IT-4
Please update the IT workbook to be fully inclusive of the worldwide fellowship rather than US specific eg: page 4 refers to costs in dollars, is it necessary to specify costs as these can vary considerably around the world.
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REFERRAL 2014IT-6
Please create a new section to the IT Workbook to illustrate best practice when creating meetings through digital media/technologies. Consult with the Online Area to inform this new documentation and make use of their experience and knowledge in this aspect of carrying the message. I foresee this as useful for Areas and Districts who may see the benefit of creating their own online meetings and also in facilitating VOIP meetings at special events etc. The purpose of this new documentation will be to support the digital outreach potential for Areas and Districts by sharing what works/what doesn’t and how to in a practical away and thus aid in safely utilizing digital technology to further carry the message of CA.
REFERRALS OR ITEMS REFERRED TO OTHER COMMITTEES; WORLD SERVICE OFFICE, OR BOARD OF TRUSTEES 2015 IT 3
Please create a podcast of C.A. Speakers. This may be out of reach of C.A., but it would be nice to have a podcast that has some. The reason I am asking is because there are AA speaker ones…
REFERRALS THAT DID NOT RESULT IN MOTIONS 2015 IT 1
Please be aware that CA is the abbreviation for the State of California. C.A. distinguishes our fellowship from that. Thank you!
Response:
Thank you for your referral; unfortunately we do not have enough information to answer this at this time. Please provide us with more detailed information. In loving service WSCITC
2015 IT 2
There are over 10,000 people that identify Cocaine Anonymous as their primary fellowship on InTheRooms.com. A number of other fellowships have info on their meetings, including online linked to the ITR member only site. Please contact them to link C.A. to this valuable PI and Unity tool! I have spoken to them in the past about this and they are waiting to hear from us. See me for more info!
Response:
After carefully reviewing ‘InTheRooms.com’ it is our considered opinion that this is an outside enterprise as per
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Tradition 6: “A C.A. group ought never endorse, finance or lend the C.A. name to any related facility or outside enterprise, lest problems of money, property or prestige divert us from our primary purpose.”
Our guidelines state:
THINGS TO BE AVOIDED
The following items have been found to be in conflict with the Twelve Traditions, or otherwise harmful to Cocaine Anonymous as a whole, and must be avoided by Area and District web sites:
a) Links to non-C.A. web sites must be avoided, including all of the following:
1) Commercial web sites or any web site containing advertising, except for the following:
a) Mapping Services for meetings and events (e.g., to give directions to a meeting location), when accompanied by the disclaimer found in the Information Technology (IT) Workbook and Guidelines under the section entitled “REQUIREMENTS FOR C.A. AREA/DISTRICT WEB SITES”, subsection k
b) Online payment gateways (e.g., for the purposes of collecting donations or payments for events), when accompanied by the disclaimer found in the Information Technology (IT) Workbook and Guidelines under the section entitled “REQUIREMENTS FOR C.A. AREA/DISTRICT WEBSITES”, subsection k
2) Government web sites
3) Non-profit organizations web sites (whether involved in the field of recovery or not)
4) Recovery houses, hospitals, and alternative treatment providers
5) Web sites of other 12-Step programs
6) Pages posted by individual C.A. members
7) Any non-C.A. meetings or events
(WSC Information Technology (IT) Committee Workbook and Guidelines, 2014. pg7)
At this time we feel that to link to “InTheRooms.com” would be a clear violation of our
Traditions and guidelines.
In loving service,
WSCITC
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NEW COMMITTEE STRUCTURE AS OF THIS CONFERENCE Jim S., Chair
Daniel G., Vice-Chair
Pierre K., Secretary
TBC, communication moderator
CLOSING COMMENTS
We have worked hard as a committee this year to address the requests and concerns of the fellowship as they relate to our area of responsibility. The CA Peru website is in the final stages of the approval process for linking to www.ca.org
Over the past year we have been able to address and approve a number of websites for linking to www.ca.org as well as researching world service infrastructure ideas and methods to improve workflow and communications.
We will continue to assist the WSO Web servant by reviewing requested web sites for linking from www.ca.org and look forward to working with our new Trustee.
Over the next year we will continue to meet quarterly to review Area websites and address the concerns of the tabled 2014 referrals. Our primary focus will be to updating the IT guidelines as driven by current technology and needs of the fellowship.
We have realized that our powerpoint presentation (PPT) (Social Media and our Guiding Traditions) including details of members that could be potentially harmful to them and as such we have redacted the concerned slides and updated the PPT presentation. If you have already downloaded the original PPT’s from BOX, please disregard these and download the newly redacted PPT’s that have now been uploaded. Please leave all the paper copies that were distributed at the opening of conference on the back table. We would like to apologize for any harm that we have caused.
We have cleaned up our “Information Technology (IT) Committee Workbook and Guidelines” and edited redline and clean drafts as housekeeping as there are no changes as to the intent, meanings and definitions within this document.
It is our intention to submit our PPT (Social Media and our Guiding Traditions) for ratification by conference and will in due course be sending this out as SR14 material.
In loving service,
Chair WSITC Committee
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Tony D. – Any questions?
John W. – What is the basic way the IT accepts non-English or international websites? Michele D. – The process is outlined in our guidelines.
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Tony D. – Any other questions? Thank you.
Break for lunch at 11:48am
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