Dealings With The AFA

[Irrev-Black]

(SNIP)

And I'm not sure why Russell didn't use (or perhaps doesn't have) an email address on the atheistfoundation.org.au domain?

(Speculation mode = ON)
Perhaps RH is acting for himself, rather than wait for the Committee process to reach "action" stage.

[two dogs]

For the first time in many moons, literally, I got an AFA email.

It was in English!

Press Release - Atheists disturbed over religious discrimination by NSW Government

Dear <MongrelGoatyBastard>,

...

Thank you,

Kind regards,
Russell Hanna,

Committee Member,
Atheist Foundation of Australia
email: reasonandfairness@gmail.com

PO Box 3582
Parramatta, NSW 2124
Australia

Yes, I can find little in it to criticize, although I would have used an Oxford comma after euthanasia in the first paragraph and omitted the word actually in the fourth paragraph.

It seems that it was sent to expired members as well as current members!

And I'm not sure why Russell didn't use (or perhaps doesn't have) an email address on the atheistfoundation.org.au domain?

Yesterday evening I sent this email to the AFA regarding problems with their website.

Whatever the problem was, it was rectified late this morning. Of course, I've not (yet) received a response to my email, to thank me for bringing the problem to their attention.

How do I know that my email resulted in the problem being fixed? Could it be a coincidence that a post for the PressMedia Release discussed above was added their Media Releases page after me pointing out that their last Media Release was in August 2021?

Jesus fuckin' Christ, what a clown show!

[two dogs]

...
Jesus fuckin' Christ, what a clown show!

Some more interaction with the clown show!

[Irrev-Black]

...
Jesus fuckin' Christ, what a clown show!

Some more interaction with the clown show!

<mutters something about a pissup and a brewery.>

[two dogs]

...
Yesterday evening I sent this email to the AFA regarding problems with their website.

Whatever the problem was, it was rectified late this morning. Of course, I've not (yet) received a response to my email, to thank me for bringing the problem to their attention.

How do I know that my email resulted in the problem being fixed? Could it be a coincidence that a post for the PressMedia Release discussed above was added their Media Releases page after me pointing out that their last Media Release was in August 2021?

Jesus fuckin' Christ, what a clown show!
...

Sorry, but I enjoy trolling the ineffectual AFA. Here's an email I sent a few minutes ago.

[Irrev-Black]

Is it somewhat disingenuous of the Dorito People to show this pic? So many unhappy ex-members in it.

[two dogs]

Is it somewhat disingenuous of the Dorito People to show this pic? So many unhappy ex-members in it.

The roll-over caption on that image used to be "The AFA Team", before I bitched and whinged about none of the people in it being current members of the AFA Committee of Management. Thankfully, the caption was subsequently changed "Past AFA Members".

My request to the Communications Team to name the people in their "hero" image went unanswered!

[two dogs]

...
My request to the Communications Team to name the people in their "hero" image went unanswered!

For the record, from left to right, they are:

Mary Gilroy
Mark Gilroy
Jason Ball
David Nichols
Lee Holmes
Joel Kilgour
Anna Yeung
Grant Ettrick
Lee Raymond
Dave Fregon
John Ganas
Donna Ettrick

[two dogs]

...
Yesterday evening I sent this email to the AFA regarding problems with their website.

Whatever the problem was, it was rectified late this morning. Of course, I've not (yet) received a response to my email, to thank me for bringing the problem to their attention.

How do I know that my email resulted in the problem being fixed? Could it be a coincidence that a post for the PressMedia Release discussed above was added their Media Releases page after me pointing out that their last Media Release was in August 2021?

Jesus fuckin' Christ, what a clown show!
...

Sorry, but I enjoy trolling the ineffectual AFA. Here's an email I sent a few minutes ago.

Here's a follow-up email I sent yesterday evening, providing more information on the second website problem outlined in the email linked to above.

The problem was rectified sometime this morning, but my contribution to reporting and diagnosing the problem has yet to be acknowledged.

This is the third time this year that I've had to point out problems with the AFA website! The first time, Andrew Skegg did thank me for my report/diagnosis, albeit it taking over a fortnight to fix it!

The behaviour of a website doesn't change for no reason; the first problem I reported was due to an update to the site's WordPress theme, and I suspect the most recent ones are also.

Andrew is a good bloke and smart, but I'm disappointed that he apparently doesn't do any testing of the website after implementing changes!

[two dogs]

This email was sent to AFA members at 11:00 am (AEDT) yesterday.

Here's my first draft of an intended response:

Dear AFA Communications,

For a change, there's little I can criticise from a proof-reading perspective, although I think there's a missing paragraph break after Hanna in the second paragraph?

Thank you for admitting that you bullshitted your members in your email three months ago, stating:

"We’re pleased to be among a number of Australian pro-secular organisations that have joined together to sponsor the staging of a one-day conference ..."

Frankly, I'm appalled that you couldn't even manage the minimum level of sponsorship of $2,500 (but telling me they wanted $15,000!), given that many of the organisations involved made significant donations to the AFA's 2011 and 2016 Census campaigns (for which the AFA then had the resources and commitment to manage on their own!).

May I ask what use you intend to make of the $169,774.48 in accumulated funds you have as of 31 January 2023, as reported in your 2023 Financial Statement?

You seem loath to spend any of it to further the organisation's aims, having spent only $5,468.87 for the 12 months ended 31 January 2023!

I acknowledge your involvement in (rather than the lead of) the 2021 Census Mark No Religion campaign, but you've done bugger all since then for your fee-paying members.

Cheers,
Julian

For the record, I wouldn't pay to be a member of this fuckin' clown show; as one of six people awarded life membership of the AFA during its 50+ years of existence, I don't have to pay for an annual membership.