July 2020 - AMSAT-BB - mailman.amsat.org

Re: [amsat-bb] Who I’m NOT Voting For (Short)
by Bruce Perens 16 Jul '20

16 Jul '20

https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/AMSAT_AUP_061819…

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Re: [amsat-bb] Who I’m NOT Voting For (Short)
by Fernando Ramirez 16 Jul '20

16 Jul '20

Are you paying attention to the whole thread? Or maybe my English (my second language) is that bad. KF7R On Wed, Jul 15, 2020, 5:55 PM Clint Bradford <clintbradford(a)me.com> wrote: > I have never written nor spoken to anyone about this Web site. You > cannot cite anything from me - andI just don’t know who “Mike” is. > > Clint Bradford K6LCS > > > > > >> Perhaps Clint or Mike (since he made the same allegation in the past > against Patrick) can provide irrefutable proof that both were behind that > page. > > 73 > KF7R >

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Wayback Machine
by Michael Tondee 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

Subject: Re: AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 15, Issue 257 Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2020 13:07:42 -0400 From: Michael Tondee <mat_62(a)charter.net> To: amsat-bb-request(a)amsat.org > Wow, thanks for the link! Looks like a hilarious sendup of a known > huckster that has been using AMSAT for his own self promotion for > years! Bravo to Patrick and Jeff, well done, they have him pegged > perfectly. 73, Michael W4HIJ > > > > ------------------------------ > > Message: 4 > Date: Wed, 15 Jul 2020 11:17:03 -0400 > From: Mike Diehl <diehl.mike.a(a)gmail.com> > To: Clint Bradford <clintbradford(a)mac.com> > Cc: amsat-bb(a)amsat.org > Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Who I?m NOT Voting For (Short) > Message-ID: <16976F65-3803-4B8C-9A6E-5FF6EC1DBE92(a)gmail.com> > Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8 > > Clint, > > No need to send screenshots, everyone can just use the Wayback Machine > here http://web.archive.org/web/20181227011914/http://work-sats.com/ > > 73, > Mike Diehl > W8LID/VE6LID > >> On Jul 15, 2020, at 10:10, Clint Bradford via AMSAT-BB >> <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: >> >> ?Patrick and Jeff created a Web site In 2018 using my Web site?s name >> - but added the plural of my work-sat.com - they used ?Sats.? >> >> The site was solely created to demean myself and Gordon West. The >> posts were obscene, vile, insulting, and vicious in their attacks. >> Most of their posts are too objectionable to post on a public forum >> like this: posts like two rats fornicating and writing that my >> satellite inquiry phone number of 800-999-SATS could also use the >> alpha characters, 800-999-RATS. >> >> If anyone is interested in reading screenshots of their work, I will >> privately email them to you. >> >> Stoddard and Johns will not be receiving my vote. >> >> Clint Bradford K6LCS >> 909-999-SATS >> >> PS They let the GoDaddy domain name expire after a year. I registered >> it immediately - and it is now redirected to my site. >> _______________________________________________ >> Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available >> to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. >> Opinions expressed >> are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views >> of AMSAT-NA. >> Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite >> program! >> Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > >

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Re: [amsat-bb] Who I’m NOT Voting For (Short)
by Bruce Perens 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

You're going to bring the moderator down on the list again.

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Who I’m NOT Voting For (Short)
by Clint Bradford 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

Patrick and Jeff created a Web site In 2018 using my Web site’s name - but added the plural of my work-sat.com - they used “Sats.” The site was solely created to demean myself and Gordon West. The posts were obscene, vile, insulting, and vicious in their attacks. Most of their posts are too objectionable to post on a public forum like this: posts like two rats fornicating and writing that my satellite inquiry phone number of 800-999-SATS could also use the alpha characters, 800-999-RATS. If anyone is interested in reading screenshots of their work, I will privately email them to you. Stoddard and Johns will not be receiving my vote. Clint Bradford K6LCS 909-999-SATS PS They let the GoDaddy domain name expire after a year. I registered it immediately - and it is now redirected to my site.

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Re: [amsat-bb] Who I'm voting for (long)
by Bruce Perens 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

I see a lot of "old space" vs. "new space" in what you wrote, Steve. To start with: Some, if not all of the NDAs state that the content of the NDA and its existence will not be disclosed by AMSAT. The big difference here is confidentiality vs. transparency. New space is represented by organizations that are extremely transparent. LibreSpace <https://libre.space/> is a good example: everything they do is 100% Open Source, and they built the satellites that AMSAT-EA is launching, and a huge worldwide ground station network. Those Genesis N and L satellites <http://perens.com/static/AppliedIon/AMSAT-EA-Newsletter_11-2019.pdf> have electric thrusters by Applied Ion Systems <https://appliedionsystems.com/>, A USA-based researcher, also 100% Open Source. ORI is similar: USA based, 100% open. About those thrusters. Those AMSAT-EA satellites are going to Then, there is AMSAT. You imply (if not confirm) that AMSAT has agreements so secret that they can't tell the membership that they exist. Why are all of the other guys open? Because 100% openness is the only strategy that protects you from ITAR/EAR and its equivalents in other nations. It is proprietary research that is protected by ITAR, not the stuff you publish. Ask commercial companies like 3D Robotics <https://www.3dr.com/>, who have the US Government as *their major customer,* and participate in Dronecode <https://www.dronecode.org/> because 100% public disclosure is the only good way to get around ITAR. There used to be a justification for AMSAT's secrecy, in that we thought that nobody would launch our satellites if we didn't act like old space. But those other organizations are getting more satellites launched than AMSAT has been. They are also building more, and designing more. It illustrates the problem that you were made afraid, by AMSAT's ITAR preoccupation, to publicly distribute the plans for *a plastic model of the appearance of a cubesat.* There just can't be anything that isn't public knowledge about that. If we all continue to vote for more of the same old stuff, I am convinced that AMSAT will continue its slide toward bankruptcy and irrelevance, and will have a smaller and smaller working group, and eventually there won't be an AMSAT and the open guys will take over anyway. It would be much better for AMSAT to join the present. I will be voting for Bob and Howie, because they are unquestionable space professionals with a long history of innovation, and after Tom steps down we won't have anyone else who is close to Bob and Howie's level. And Jeff, because while he's more of a regular ham than a rocket scientist, he is open to the future where others are not. Thanks Bruce

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Candidate for BOD
by Howie DeFelice 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

My name is Howie DeFelice, callsign AB2S and I am currently a second alternate director in AMSAT. I am running to seek a term as a full member of the Board of Directors. I ran for the office of director last year because I felt AMSAT needed some new blood with some new ideas. As an alternate director I got to observe from the sidelines, at least as much as I could since regular board meetings were suspended for the first time in the organization's history. I’m afraid my worst fears were true and the leadership of AMSAT really is a “good ole boys club”. When new people became part of the organization last year it went into hibernation mode. This effectively froze any possible new ideas that were different from the legacy members’ long held beliefs. The only way forward for the organization is to change the composition of the board of directors. I would like to outline some of the small things that can be done that could have a positive impact on the organization. More information is available on my web site www.ab2s.freeservers.com<http://www.ab2s.freeservers.com> .

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Re: [amsat-bb] Publications and mailing lists
by Brennan Price 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

Bruce, There is no bylaw guidance on point here, so much of this falls to the interaction between and practices of the candidates of the day and the Secretary of the day. In this particular case, I finished verification of nominations on June 20 and asked for candidate statements by June 29. All candidates substantially complied with the timing I requested. >From that point, there are two relevant events that occur on different schedules: access to corporation mailing lists for the candidates, and the layout of the candidate statements to accompany the ballot packages. The corporation mailing list was offered to the candidates on July 3 (with individual candidates accepting either immediately or soon after), after checking to ensure that the voter list provided to Paladin met Paladin's requirements and matched the list offered to the candidates. The candidate statements required typesetting (by me--Paladin simply printed the finished product), which was concluded July 5. Typeset statements were sent to the candidates for proofing, and released for printing by me on July 6. Whether mailings a candidate may choose to undertake or commission arrive at a member's address before the ballot arrives depends on whatever actions (with the safeguards discussed below) the candidates have taken since July 3. I am not privy to any candidate's plans in this regard and don't wish to be. On the other hand, it is not possible for the candidate statements to arrive later than the ballot, as they were sent in the same package on July 14. 73 de Brennan N4QX On Monday, July 13, 2020, 11:23:15 PM EDT, Bruce Perens <bruce(a)perens.com> wrote: Brennan, Thank you very much for this discussion, and please bear with me for one more question. How much time are the candidates given to prepare, print, and have mailed their campaign documents between the time that AMSAT informs them that it ratifies their candidacy, and the time that the ballots are mailed? It seems very likely that some members will have voted before they could possibly receive the mailed campaign information. Thanks Bruce On Mon, Jul 13, 2020, 7:44 PM Brennan Price via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb(a)amsat.org> wrote: > I generally don't intend to engage in the ongoing discussion s beyond an announcement on process once the ballots are mailed (which they will be, tomorrow or Wednesday, on or before the date specified in the bylaws), but I do want to address what the Bylaws say about the organization's publications and mailing lists, as I think (perhaps naïvely) that would be helpful. > Article III Section 3 provides, in relevant part: > <<Duly nominated and eligible candidates shall be afforded equal opportunity to circulate statements of their qualifications and positions to the Members through the corporation’s publications and shall have use of the corporation’s mailing lists for election-related purposes at no cost to the corporation.>> > The production and publication schedule of the AMSAT Journal does not render it a suitable vehicle for candidate statements given the bylaws-mandated nomination and election timing. The absence of campaign statements from the Journal is entirely consistent with the Bylaws: no opportunity for any candidate is inherently equal opportunity for all candidates. > Traditionally, the organization has used the ballot mailing itself the relevant publication, and this is the approach that will be taken this year. The "equal opportunity" requirement and paper format (not to mention common practice across multiple organization's) necessitates a target word count, balanced to the extent possible against letting candidates have their say. All candidates met or came close to meeting the target I suggested (350 words), with the most long-winded exceeding by 14 words according to the Word 2016 word counter. Upon review, I offered the remaining candidates the chance to expand up to 364 words. None of them took the offer. All six statements will accompany the ballot, and none of them required editorial work beyond the correction of a repeated word and an excess space. I thank the candidates for making that part of the job easy. > I have construed the mailing list as the postal mailing list, which has been offered to each candidate (and thus far, five of the six have accepted the list). Data protection regulations require the corporation to take reasonable efforts to safeguard personally identifiable information, and candidates accepting the list have agreed to support those efforts by limiting use of the list for the "election-related purposes" specified in the bylaws. Two results follow: > 1) There are no election-related purposes once the election ends. Accordingly, candidates have agreed to discard the list after the election. > 2) It is common to engage agents for mailing and postage purposes. I will not hyper-officiate any candidate's choice to do so, but candidates have agreed that any agent will have access to the list only for the time necessary to execute the mailing and will be required by the candidate to discard it afterwards. > This is a reasonable effort to safeguard in light of the bylaws requirement for candidate access to mailing lists, which establishes an expectation (however infrequently it came to fruition in past) that members may receive election-related postal mail. > I think that's enough for now. > 73,Brennan Price, N4QXSecretary, AMSAT > > > > Sent from Yahoo Mail on Android > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB(a)amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available > to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership. Opinions expressed > are solely those of the author, and do not reflect the official views of AMSAT-NA. > Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! > Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb > >

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Election Packages mailed July 14
by Brennan Price 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

The ballots, candidate statements, and return envelopes for the 2020 AMSAT Board of Directors Election were prepared by Paladin Commercial Printing of Newington, Connecticut. Paladin mailed the packages from Hartford, Connecticut, on Tuesday, July 14, to members of record on July 1. Non-US addresses were sent first class (the only option for overseas). US addresses were sent presorted standard, which is routine for mail that requires a two-way response time measured in weeks, as this does. Allowing for postal delivery standards and guard time, the Secretary will not consider a ballot as lost in post any earlier than August 12 (four weeks after the mailing). This timing permits a replacement ballot to be mailed first class in both directions, even internationally, with time to spare under prevailing postal delivery standards. Paladin has shipped materials for 100 blank election packages to me. I will use these materials to assemble and mail replacement or substitute packages as necessary. These requests and packages will be tracked and accounted against the voter list and returned ballots to guard against duplicates, and will be identifiable against the package mailed by Paladin for further verification and accounting by the tellers. Members desiring a replacement ballot package should contact me no earlier than August 12. The package is clearly labeled as election-related and contains: 1) An instruction and ballot sheet, with the ballot perforated, 2) A sheet of candidate statements, and 3) A No 9 return envelope, which bears the address to which ballots should be returned and the member's name and address for verification against the voter list and any replacement ballot requests. Secrecy at the time of counting will be maintained by separating the ballot from the envelope without inspection, placing the ballot in a receptacle, and scrutinizing the ballots after all have been separated from the envelopes. Ballots should be returned in the return envelopes provided to arrive at the designated Post Office Box in Vienna, Virginia, by 5 p.m. Thursday, September 15, 2020. Separation of the ballots from the envelopes and counting will occur as soon thereafter as practicable, and no later than September 30. 73, Brennan Price, N4QX Secretary Radio Amateur Satellite Corporation

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Re: [amsat-bb] Who I'm voting for (long)
by Steve Kristoff 15 Jul '20

15 Jul '20

As Stephen has painted them in a negative light, I hope we can hear from Patrick and Michelle concerning their perceptions of the events described by Stephen. Steve AI9IN ----- Original Message ----- From: Stephen E. Belter via AMSAT-BB (amsat-bb(a)amsat.org) Date: 07/14/20 16:30 To: AMSAT-BB (amsat-bb(a)amsat.org) Subject: [amsat-bb] Who I'm voting for (long)

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