I would love to just have an online database for cavers.
Not to bring rabbits into things again when I've talked about how great some organizations are run as a model I think the NSS should look to (sorry, rabbit organizations is where I have history with...American Rabbit Breeders Association, proud member since 1999 and I still say the NSS should study them for how to do it right ) ...but the ARBA has online rabbitry lookup, and it's not even secured. Although as I look it up now to link it's currently offline as they are doing upgrades so I can't, but anyway, it had rabbitry name, person's name, email, phone, city and state listed. Publicly. The breeder lookup is still online though, right here. Although I guess you could argue that is different as you're put on there if you pay a nominal fee to have your rabbitry listed with them. http://www.arba.net/Breeders.php
So I can't really see how having NSS member database locked away would be of any harm at all. If you use the Internet you are findable. Simple as that.
A CD sent out with the PDF on that? a good middle ground if there is realllly high hatred to looking things up online. Paper is expensive, heavy, etc. Why not "go greener" and save money and waste and stacks of old manuals that just get tossed? Seems easy to me. Then again I'm a weird young'un from the computer generation.