Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!bonnie.concordia.ca!uunet!comp.vuw.ac.nz!waikato.ac.nz!pjs1
From: pjs1@waikato.ac.nz
Newsgroups: sci.space
Subject: Re: The USF.
Message-ID: <1991Jun19.141423.4017@waikato.ac.nz>
Date: 19 Jun 91 02:14:22 GMT
References: <15060EB320203F33@semassu.edu> <6213@lectroid.sw.stratus.com>
Organization: University of Waikato, Hamilton, New Zealand
Lines: 45

In article <6213@lectroid.sw.stratus.com>, tarl@sw.stratus.com 
(Tarl Neustaedter) writes:
> I've asked the same questions, both in email and in postings to this group.
> I've gotten snotty replies with no information and been ignored. I quote:
> "My time is too important to waste on the likes of you :-I". Someone else
> managed to provoke some real vitriol out of the USF, posted to this group.
> I've done some checking and found out the following facts:
> 
> 	1) The postmaster at cornell does not know the USF from adam, and
> 	   Rick Dobson doesn't show up on her lists of Faculty, Staff or
> 	   students. I don't know this is a psuedonym.
> 
> 	2) The only official-sounding name on his list of participants is
> 	   Francois Spiero, listed as representing the European Space Agency.
> 	   He doesn't, his participation is personal; The USF has (I quote)
> 	   "absolutely no link with ESA whatsoever". Mr. Dobson, a disclaimer
> 	   is needed here. I suspect the same applies for a few others.
> 
> Given that this group is arrogating to itself the authority to "draft and
> enforce international space law", I think detailed scrutiny of the current
> organization, it's funding and official backing, is very much in order. Any
> law-writing/enforcement organization needs continual monitoring of who and
> what controls it; sources of funding are the primary means of such monitoring.
> 
> The organization is either a joke, or an extreme danger to all of us due to
> the nature of the current "executive director" (who regards "people like me"
> as beneath his notice, and responds to queries about funding with vitriol and
> paranoia). If someone knows how to go about forcing this information out of
> the USF, I'd appreciate it.
> 
> USF members, if you don't have the above information, think twice about
> allowing your name to be used in public postings. You might also ask your
> employers if they mind their name being used in these postings (without
> disclaimers, take note). And I'd appreciate it if you send me any of the
> information I've asked for, that you have. Your director won't.
> -- 
	I've noticed Nick's name has appeared in a couple of USF posts. So go
on Nick tell the rest of us what you know about USF. Not what it's grand plans
are, but actual things like, membership numbers, governmental reconition, etc.
Another thing has USF aproached the Planetary Society as yet, as they being one
of the leaders in international cooperation should be a help in getting things
started.

Pete Smith
Uni of Waikato (Y-cat-O)