Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!usc!orion.oac.uci.edu!biivax.dp.beckman.com!dsroberts From: dsroberts@biivax.dp.beckman.com Newsgroups: comp.org.decus Subject: Re: Should we have kept quiet? Message-ID: <1991May14.090240.297@biivax.dp.beckman.com> Date: 14 May 91 16:02:40 GMT References: <5321@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov> Organization: Beckman Instruments Lines: 43 In article <5321@dftsrv.gsfc.nasa.gov>, tencati@nssdca.gsfc.nasa.gov (Ron Tencati) writes: > Well Jeff, Bill does have a point. The votes are now in and being > counted. What's done is done. I have avoided the political > back-stabbing and muck because it wastes MY time. Now, if others feel > they have the time to spend debating this, then good for them. > > I was not at the Board meeting on Monday, but if the votes are in, and > the Board has closed the issue, what good is debating it anymore? Ron, I think you missed the point. Sure, not much point in debating it ONCE the VOTES ARE IN, but that is not what happened. The public muckraking took place WHILE the voting was going on. And yes, the doubts should have been brought up. I feel the opponents to the change showed remarkable (and correct) restraint in not making public noise about it until AFTER the board made the vote to send out the ballots. I believe that is the nature of the question Jeff asked, not whether it should now CONTINUE. > And by NOT keeping quiet about it, this newsgroup has raised the > awareness of a large number of DECUS attendees and volunteers. No one > will know what degree of influence this newsgroup had, but there were > a lot of "No Bylaw Change" buttons at the Symposium, so I think an > impact was made. > It would appear that you answered the question the same way as me in the end, though :-) Now I have a question: If the election process is a free and above-board one in which both sides have been allowed to express their opinions and, as is customary in any election in the US, attempt to influence the votes of others, HOW IS IT APPROPRIATE for the President of the DECUS board to criticise the efforts of those opposed to get the election to tilt in their direction? Mind you, that question is based on Jeffs (admittedly biased, nothing personal Jeff) description of Bills statement at Symposium. This all from the viewpoint of one who has been forced to stay neutral as I had no opportunity to vote (Jeff knows why :-( ) -- --------------------------------------------------------------------------- Don Roberts Internet: don@beckman.com Beckman Instruments, Inc. Yellnet: 714/961-3029 2500 Harbor Bl. Mailstop X-12 FAX: 714/961-3351 Fullerton, CA 92634 Disclaimer: Always ---------------------------------------------------------------------------