We'd like the Society to see its members as potential contributors of content—and to help us buy the digital tools we need (i.e., cameras, computers, etc.) to do this work.

Our idea: Create an online network where we can aggregate our demand for the digital tools of the trade. In other words: Instead of selling our 4-million-plus pairs of eyeballs to Canon for their one-page magazine advertisement, we could poll the community to find out how many of us plan to buy, say, a digital video camera this month—and then ask Canon: If we buy 3,000 units next week, what sort of discount would we get? That way, the price of Society membership ($19, say) would be more than covered by the savings we'd enjoy when purchasing gear. Plus, we'd be plugged into a vast network of other producers using the same equipment. (A nice thing when you have to troubleshoot a problem.)

Please help us become the journalists we already are—and still long to be.