“Until everybody reads the fine print and understands it, you won’t really be able [to] comment in detail. I plan to read [the regulations] cover to cover.”

AT&T Mobile & Business Solutions President and CEO Ralph de la Vega, said this to CNET in response to last month’s Federal Communications Commission vote on open internet access. The lack of public release of the document the FCC was voting on became one of the most controversial aspects of the vote.

But now that document is out there–all 400 pages of it, including responses from the two Republican FCC commissioners who opposed the measure.

“Informed by the views of nearly 4 million commenters, our staff-led roundtables, numerous ex parte presentations, meetings with individual Commissioners and staff, and more, our decision today—once and for all—puts into place strong, sustainable rules, grounded in multiple sources of our legal authority, to ensure that Americans reap the economic, social, and civic benefits of an open Internet today and into the future,” the report states.

Anyone with a stake in the net neutrality decision will want to set aside a chunk of time to read the document.

Relationships Come First

Do associations drive relationships or do relationships drive associations? (Always about the people). https://t.co/mD9I449jwb #assnchat

— Thom Singer, CSP 🌟 (@thomsinger) March 12, 2015

Professional speaker Thom Singer, CSP, is both a fan and long-time member of the National Speakers Association (NSA). But the reason he has such warm feelings for the organization comes down to the people it connects him to.

“While the experiences I had at my first NSA Convention were great, it cannot compare to the powerful ideas that came from cultivating relationships with speakers at events in the following years,” he explains in his latest blog post on LinkedIn.

Singer’s appreciation of NSA is relationship-driven, and, ultimately, that’s his point. The best associations are driven by the relationships they create—not the other way around.

“While every industry organization is different, most people who are willing to invest the time, money and human capital will discover value from supporting a trade association,” he says. “People are the path to more opportunities.”

Other Links of Note

Like us, Stefanie Reeves of the American Psychological Association (APA) has been keeping a close eye on the third season of House of Cards. She even culled a useful leadership lesson from it.

Speaking of APA, the association has a few good examples of workplaces that have taken the steps to integrate behavioral health into their offerings. Atop its list? American Express.

Don’t cross your fingers and hope that your marketing effort’s going to work. Velvet Chainsaw’s Wendy Holliday discusses the value of affiliate marketing.

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