got geoint?

Welcome to the Friday’s Food for Though post from got geoint? This past week, we ran two USGIF member-related posts on got geoint? First we did a podcast with Mladen Stojic, Senior Vice President, Product Management and Marketing of ERDAS, then we followed it up with a Member Profile of The SI Organization. Clearly this week was all about promoting foundation members and it made us think that the perfect theme for this week’s FFFT post is all about why we form member-driven organizations and groups — and the benefits we derive from this. So, break out your old Members Only jackets (pictured) and read on. Oh, and if you want to help shape the future of the community, you should consider becoming a sponsor of the YPG GeoHunt at GEOINT 2011. Happy Friday!

Why We Form Groups
Animals form groups for various reasons. We, the people also join together for many reasons. What leads us to this behavior? Similarity rather than differences, mutual attraction, help in constructive planning, co-operation, security etc., are a few of the main reasons why people come together and form group. Be sure to check out more from the community-driven content portal (ironic, huh?) from Yahoo! here.

10 Rules That Govern Groups
Much of our lives are spent in groups with other people: we form groups to socialize, earn money, play sports, make music, even to change the world. But although groups are diverse, many of the psychological processes involved are remarkably similar. Here are ten insightful studies that give a flavor of what has been discovered about the dynamics of group psychology.

Five Strange College Clubs
One of the benefits of attending college is all the free time you have to either join or start clubs. From rugby to drama, it’s pretty wide open as to what you can do. As long as you have a passion that others share, you can form a club. Though, what are some of the strangest college clubs ever formed? How about the Princeton Mime Company at Princeton University? Or what about the Society for Explosives Engineers at University of Arizona? Good stuff. Be sure to check out more here.

$15 Million Membership at World’s Most Expensive Club
So, if your pockets are bursting with cash these days, a Hong Kong-based company is offering memberships in what is billed as the world’s most expensive private club for $15.2 million apiece. For this nominal fee, you can have “all-access, first-class VIP pass” to megayachts, yacht clubs, jockey clubs, country clubs, golf courses, ski resorts, supper clubs, luxury hotels and restaurants around the globe, eliminating the need for multiple memberships.

Members Only Jacket Advertisement from 1984 Featuring the Gatlin Brothers
YouTube is clearly a treasure trove of classic video content from the 1980s. We were fortunate enough to stumble upon this Members Only jacket advertisement from 1984 featuring none other than the Gatlin Brothers. It’s a classic.

Tags: ERDAS, ERDAS and GEOINT, Friday's Food for Thought, GEOINT 2011, got geoint?, Members Only Jackers, The SI Organization, USGIF Member Profiles, USGIF Members