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Your Letters

We look forward to receiving your letters to LETS-Connect

In issue 2 you asked for comment on Accredited diplomas. Perhaps we should be wary of going in directions which have the potential to divide e.g. the academic versus the practical. This is not to be anti-academic just to be careful. might not qualifications be used to justify an elite hogging creative work.

I am wary of such statements as "registries are inevitable". It sounds too like the argument that may have been used in the development of sterling. Although LETS may have spread rapidly there are perhaps still large areas of our national (or global?) psyche that need to be reached or 'sold'. With some it may be difficult enough to put across the ideas of LETS. Something more complicated may be less 'saleable'. Aren't registries part of the solution in that people will want to trade between registries? Registries of registries would be getting somewhat remote.

Perhaps there is an alternative more related to individual choices. For example someone might choose to join something like three kinds of LETS: 1. a truly local system enabling trading both walkable and bike-able communities; 2. something like Planet LETS - perhaps more trading in ideas/information (1 & 2 being similar to "think globally, act locally"); 3. one of all manner of individual systems in between 1 & 2 based on genuine communities of interest.

Such a view perhaps retains one of the great strengths of LETS i.e. making a personal commitment via membership fees and agreements to a specific & individually identified community and avoids the less personal which becomes the bureaucratic.

Phil Green
Mid Kent LETS

A friend just lent me issue 2 of your magazine. What a great publication! Thank you and please keep going! I am sending a cheque for support. Please could you put me on your mailing list and send me all the issues you've published so far. I'm a member of our local Avalon LETS, used to be on the PR team but have recently stepped down due to extensive travelling this year. However, I am always interested in whats going on elsewhere on the LETS scene.

Maxie Lavaulx
Avalon LETS, Glastonbury

I am glad to see more and more people putting out material challenging the old "traditional" limited "bank-oriented" ideas about money. I think the more people do this the better, and I think your mag is a good contribution to this effort. I am glad to see that you print a variety of articles, with lots of different viewpoints on this.

I think the presentation and quality of the magazine could be strengthened quite a bit. I find faded photocopying very irritating, and - for me - it detracts seriously from the readability and "pleasure factor" of reading a magazine.

I enjoyed and was fascinated by Angus' VAT article. I am not clear though, is whether he is paying VAT even though he doesn't have to - just to prove his point, or whether he is really above the limit. (Or is he above the mark only when £ and LETS are combined?)

I also thought your "Who's Who" page was spread a bit thin. In my opinion this should be your main display page(s), so that any newcomer will have a clear idea what is going on. Perhaps you could also include some photos, and some more real life statistics on where each of the things you mention has been implemented; Also, a clearer contact list

I also think your Registry ideas need clearer explanation - I found them difficult to follow.

Well, I hope I don't sound too negative, I'm not! - These comments are offered in the spirit of constructive criticism.

Alex Gian
Bishopston LETS, Bristol

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