10 reasons why I’m not a member of the Australian Web Industry Association
Hello Gabriel,Just a friendly reminder – your AWIA Business membership is due to expire
in 14 days time. You don’t have to do anything right now, but if you want to continue
supporting your Australian Web Industry Association membership you will need to login to your
account at and LINK and then click the renew link next to your
membership.- The Australian Web Industry Association Committee
Then a f few days later
According to our records, your Business membership has expired. If you
still want to reap the benefits of being an AWIA member, such as discount entry to AWIA
events including the Web Awards
and the warm fuzzy feeling that you get knowing you are supporting your
industry body,
No thanks guys… I’m not renewing the membership and I’m not paying 1 single penny…. and the reasons are:
1) Anyone with money it’s welcome (?)
I was accepted in the Australian Web Industry Association last year without any “real check” to prove that I was a “Web Industry” Professional. They just wanted one thing:
My credit card details… after I paid… voila… no more news from the AWIA
2) The Member Forum
The AWI forum is an Egocentric-bad-blood-community that simply does one thing: Rant, complains and it’s ready to sink anyone “new member” by showcasing how much the other members really know about how the “web industry works” in Australia.
No community, no mutual help, not very Aussie-mate spirit.
3)My Cold Cold Heart…
I never felt a warm fuzzy feeling – as the AWIA mentioned in the email. 
4) The AWIA “events’ have zero relevance to any serious issue in the industry.
Yep… Awards are nice to boost egos, but what about if we stop playing the Ego-game and we try to solve some problems in the Australian Web Industry? Like lack of standards, like “Aussie companies” claiming to be Australian and outsourcing 100% of their work to India… or what about the lack of a proper reputation system, or background check to protect customers from the “web cowboys” .
5) I don’t want to be associated to the same people that are part of the AWIA
In many of my posts I wrote how many “Web professionals” in this country, specially int he SEO field are simply STEALING money from their customers. Don’t get me wrong, if your customer is the NAB (National Australia Bank)… then, yes, go ahead, overcharge them as much as you want.
But if your customer is the small business type run by mum and dad… come on people! stop ripping people off… (yes I’m talking to you Mr AWIA SEO Expert)… what about going to decent part… what about providing some proper value ? (just for a change).
6) I don’t need any Badge in my website.
Oh yes… part of the amazing benefit is to have with PRIDE that you are a “Web expert” . Well, my badge is my website. My badge is my name, and my badge is my customers and my rankigns.
If you read my website and I you still don’t trust me: I don’t deserve your business. But the fact that having a green little logo as member of the AWIA makes me a certified “Web professional”… it’s just funny.
7) Unclear Benefits.
It seems the AWIA benefits only have to do with well… promoting the AWIA… but I can’t clearly understand it’s WHAT DO IGET IN RETURN??????
The benefits from their site are:
- Your name and link on the AWIA website
- Discounted entry to all AWIA events for up to 5 staff
- License to use AWIA logo on stationery and advertising material.
- First right of refusal for sponsorship opportunities at AWIA events
- Company profile on the Australian Web Industry Directory —> (not one referral since 2010)
OK… but what about me? What about training ? What about webinars? What about a resource area? What about legal help? What about professional advise? What about something that can actually REALLY help me business.
Voting in special meetings? Nominate the leaders of AWIA? Pay a discount fee for an event? It’s that the REAL benefits apart from the tiny badge in my website?
Lack of Action. Lack of ideas.
So let’s face this… we are a web industry association…. shouldn’t this be the most ACTIVE association in Australia?
I mean… we are all Web experts! We have artists, designers, IT experts, Marketers, etc… but the reality is that nobody cares, and even the management doesn’t move a finger to motive their members to interact.
AWIA podcast: Lovely idea… last podcast was done in 2007! Yep…. 4 years ago baby!
WebIndustry Directory: Come on… is this a directory? Or a least of businesses. Where are the articles? Where is the REAL INFO behind each business?
I mean.. if we really want to have a proper directory, it seems yellow pages can provide us more value and info about web companies that the WebIndustry directory properly.
Don’t get me wrong : This is not me ranking about everything the AWIA… but the lack of original ideas it’s clear. Why not having simply the BEST directory ever…. a directory that shows how TOGETHER as a community we can have a proper system to showcase who we are… and what can we do together.
9) An industry about the Web Industry that remains in 1999.
What about using the tools we have today to ENGAGE the members.
Have you heard of Blogs? What about Youtube? What about Podcasts? What about webinars? What about twitting more than 2 times per month and helping us to IMPROVE?
The idea of an association is to become a light… become a source of inspiration… it’s to become a support… it’s to be the LEADERS and show us the path, but that’s only possible when you engage the members.
Don’t ask me to vote, don’t “remind” me I have to update my credit card, instead ASK FOR MY OPINION, or ASK ME how the AWIA can HELP ME.
Until we don’t understand that the idea behind associations it’s to build a group of community members interested in improving “something” … I don’t think joining this type of organization makes any difference to any company.
10) $150 dollars can be invested in a better way:
In fact I’ll be “investing’ $150 dollars of my AWIA membership in:
coloring books
pencils
paper
kids books
To bring to my next trip to Fiji to donate to any of the local schools where the children for sure will use this “investment” in a wiser way… and may be in that way I will get a warm fuzzy feeling of using my money for something REALLY useful.
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Gabriel Machuret
I'm an SEO professional living in the South Coast of NSW - Australia. SEO is what I do... I'm not a web guy, or a webmaster, or a designer... I just do SEO ;) Love it. Enjoy it and I still have fun doing it.
5 / 5 / 2011 5:46 am
Good answer to their lack of doing…it’s just like a bank that even if has not offered the service for a while, has to tax you for it because the accountants said so. Purely i****s and careless web assoc.
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Gabriel Machuret Reply:
May 10th, 2011 at 6:29 am
Thanks Nick… obviously this post created a bit of controversy…… typical web association, a bit more concern in “rules” than services.
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