Re: [amsat-bb] Members Please Read (Bruce Perens)
Bruce - I responded to you privately - it took effort on your part to choose to add the entire group to your reply. By doing so, you've extablished, for me at least, your level of trustworthiness and integrity in this discussion.
Paul
Message: 1 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 11:09:12 -0700 From: Bruce Perens bruce@perens.com To: "Paul F. Merrill" marinesvcs@gmail.com, AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Members Please Read Message-ID: < CAK2MWOv13HXELW1kRJiZWGo2GUTBXgOV39atn5xVWY5SrKztzw@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
The point I was trying to make was that by posing Robert's Rules as the tool of unsavory individuals, you seem to pose all rules that way. I think we should both agree that corporate directors should know their bylaws. It was my experience that Clayton did not read them before taking on operating the AMSAT election. AMSAT had to be told that it had a responsibility to provide addresses to the candidates for campaigning. The bylaws also call for the organizations publications to be available for campaigning - which is still not being fulfilled.
Thanks
Bruce
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020, 12:31 AM Paul F. Merrill marinesvcs@gmail.com wrote:
I know what they are. It was an example, perhaps too subtle, of the continually-plumbed depths of human dipshittery.
On Sun, Jul 12, 2020 at 23:01 Bruce Perens bruce@perens.com wrote:
Paul,
Roberts Rules are regarding parliamentary procedure. AMSAT's bylaws are at
https://www.amsat.org/bylaws-of-the-radio-amateur-satellite-corporation/
. They do not specify parliamentary procedure. They are about responsibilities of a director, elections, etc. And if you have the
choice,
Roberts is an antique, good parliamentarians use Sturgis.
Bruce
On Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 9:12 PM Paul F. Merrill via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
I agree that this mailing list has strayed from its strongest contribution: satellite information, discussion, and mentoring.
I come from, and have been on the BOD of, a professional organization for a number of years now.
FWIW, I know too well that an organization often lawyers up to protect itself, and in our issues, our attorney was engaged to act solely on behalf of the Organization and not necessarily current management.
This thread has turned in to a long, ugly diatribe filled with accusations, counter-accusations, and painfully-obvious shills. I am a recently-renewed member who doesn?t have a dog in the fight, so I just want what?s best for AMSAT.
Sadly, the stereotypes are starting to show - the members who
contribute
nothing but want to tear down those ?In power,? the members who contribute nothing and don?t want anyone to make waves, and the few who actually
do
anything. As a number of people have commented, working in a
non-profit
or unpaid leadership role is utterly thankless, which is lost on many people - especially those who have never labored in this sort of endeavor.
My favorite story from our times of trouble is when our Parliamentarian said, ?Roberts Rules are the last refuge of a scoundrel. Grown men and women should be able to comport themselves reasonably...but then I?d be out of a job.? I?m taking a little license with his exact words, but the sentiment, along with my experience, formed my native distrust of those who are right and everyone and everything before them is wrong.
So...there?s
my bias. I will examine that, and all the information I can before I vote. I hope everyone else will take the time and expend the effort to vote as intelligently as they can.
My overriding guidance to my Association is that we contribute to the group so that we all benefit from the group. A strong organization should outlive us.
Personally, I can?t wait to vote and hopefully put a fork in this.
Paul / W7IV
????????-
Date: Sun, 12 Jul 2020 19:27:24 -0700 From: "Daron Wilson" daron@wilson.org To: "'AMSAT BB'" amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] Members Please Read Message-ID: 00b501d658bd$26119cc0$7234d640$@org Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8"
Is there a bulletin board that discusses amateur radio satellites operations still? Asking for a friend. This is getting old.
Daron N7HQR
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Message: 2 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:13:46 -0700 From: Bruce Perens bruce@perens.com To: AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] Why we are having this big unpleasant argument on your satellite mailing list Message-ID: < CAK2MWOsL+EO6q3QnLjL395uSeLZR8QnkUuD9q3nJ+O4e7Kvytw@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
Most of you are members of AMSAT. IMO the organization has some serious problems, and as members it is your duty to steer the organization with your votes. That means that you should remain aware of what is going on and you should make an informed vote. The satellite discussions go on, mostly uninterrupted, all year. A short break for politics is not unreasonable, and acrimonious discussion is to be expected when we take that break.
Organisations are run by people who would not be doing the work if they did not have strong emotions about it. And they all have their own failings. Unfortunately, volunteer non-profit directors (and many public ones in big corporations) never learn a critical skill of democracy: *how to deal properly with opposition. *That is the root of what we are arguing about now. Opposition are not the enemy! Yet, they are clearly being treated as such. They are simply people who would reform the organization or take it in a different direction from the incumbents.
In this case, Michelle and Patrick, before they were elected, were the loyal opposition - dedicated to a better organization, and deeply troubled by the decisions and conduct of the incumbent board. The incumbent's response was not to work with the opposition, but to hunker down and use lawyers. To the incumbent's great distress, the very same people got sent to the board by the membership! Leading to more lawyers. IMO the incumbents should have read this as a signal from the membership, rather than doubling down their resistance.
The sad reality is that the newly-elected directors have never been allowed to function as directors. You should be concerned, since they are the people whom you elected to represent you. The main means used to disable your elected representatives has been refusal by the incumbents to hold board meetings. This refusal is almost total, with exactly *one* meeting being held after the organization's annual convention.
The second means used to disenfranchise the newly-elected directors was that the incumbents withheld information which a director would generally be expected to have access to. As it happened, this information was at least in part discussion of those very same people, and contracting of legal counsel in a process against them.
Every board has the right to legal counsel. But it's expensive, and must be used wisely. This was not a wise use. A wise use would have been to engage the opposition rather than to hunker down.
One very large cause of all of this is that the same people have been running AMSAT for a very long time, and it becomes an echo chamber after a while - the us-vs-them mentality of the board vs. the opposition - but really the board vs. everyone else - becomes self-reinforcing.
This is obviously wrong for the organization. The solution is simple, and every organization needs it: *regular turn-over of the people in the organization's leadership. *Not the stratification that we currently have.
You can fix this by electing more new blood to the board.
Thanks Bruce
-- Bruce Perens - CEO at stealth startup. I'll tell you what it is eventually :-)
Message: 3 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 15:06:31 -0400 From: Efrem Acosta W2CZ@optonline.net To: amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: [amsat-bb] A question Message-ID: F1920021-98F0-4650-B305-74A7DB72521E@optonline.net Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Is it true all posts now on this board are being held for approval by a moderator?
73 De W2CZ Sent from my iPhone
Message: 4 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 12:45:19 -0700 From: Bruce Perens bruce@perens.com To: David Swanson dave@druidnetworks.com Cc: AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT Member Mailing list Message-ID: <CAK2MWOv-v8yj5NwO7XKz= nwxb+p1u-7FUF+fTJUKuNvQ7BPP7g@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
David,
My tweet was NOT deleted, and is still on twitter at https://twitter.com/BrucePerens/status/1154844208458416128 As stated repeatedly, both by myself and Michelle, I did not handle the mailing list, she did. Which was 100% her right as a candidate.
Thanks Bruce
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020 at 11:26 AM David Swanson via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
It's always fun to remind folks tripping over their own feat lying that
the
internet is forever. From a Bruce Perens Tweet on July 13, 2020:
"Please see my letter on the web, or the paper copy I've mailed to
everyone
one of you".
Of course the original tweet was deleted, but the wayback machine never forgets. Don't Believe me? http://druidnetworks.com/2020-07-13.png
If you still think the membership list wasn't compromised, I just heard Director Thompson will be auctioning off their ocean front property in Arizona to all the members this year to raise funds for their microwave, digital only, strictly open source crowd funded, vegan, social justice aware cubesat launch to Proxima Centauri. Of course this launch will only come after 10 years of ground station development, but fueled with enough hopes, dreams and promises it will become a reality!
For the rest of us who actually want to keep amateur radio in (real)
space
and are disgusted at the violations of privacy that occured by 3rd
parties
working to get Director Thompson and Director Stoddard elected, well, you should know what to do.
-Dave, KG5CCI
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020 at 9:24 AM Michelle Thompson < mountain.michelle@gmail.com> wrote:
No database went anywhere except to candidates. This is allowed in the bylaws.
Then, an automated bulk mail printing server was used. I recommended
the
company to Brennan Price for this year's mailing. Good service, inexpensive.
Return addresses don't magically transfer information.
-Michelle W5NYV
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020, 04:32 David Swanson dave@druidnetworks.com
wrote:
Spin Spin Spin. The simple truth here is Director Thompson took the
AMSAT
member database, and handed it over to a 3rd party competing entity
for
the
purpose of solicitation. I know I did not give ORI my home address,
yet
ORI
sent me a letter. This was a violation of my privacy, and for AMSAT members living in the EU, this was a violation of the law. Any attempt
to
explain this away is just more lies and deceit from Director Thompson
about
the shady practices they have engaged in over the past few years. As I
keep
saying, this isn't a one time thing, this is a pattern of reprehensible behavior that is unbecoming of an elected position and
this
community. Director Thompson and Director Stoddard should resign.
-Dave, KG5CCI
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020 at 5:33 AM Michelle Thompson via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
Yes, I can.
That part of Clayton's letter is wrong and has been repeatedly
clarified
before. Including at the 2019 annual board meeting, where Tom Clark
asked
me about it, as part of the record.
Clayton Coleman was secretary in 2019.
He ran the election.
He decided that candidate statements were limited in length to 350
words,
would be subject to editorial control by AMSAT, and could not include links. These new rules were given to us right before the 4th of July holiday with a deadline of the 7th.
This is different than any election before, where statements went directly to the printer from the candidate, were not limited in length, and no
one
from AMSAT leadership (who might be running for reelection
themselves)
had any control over the content of their challengers' statements.
We got these rules right before ballots went out. We (four
challengers)
already had normal-sized statements on the web and they had been up
six
weeks at that point. Those were the ones we wanted to use, and link
to.
We knew that as candidates, we had the right to request the mailing
list,
and send our own statements, independent of the ballot.
I requested the address list and got the DBASE4 export.
Bruce Perens had already written a letter of support and distributed
it
widely on the web. It introduced us and included our four full bios
and
statements.
I asked Bruce if we could use his letter in the mailing. He said yes. Since he was President of Open Research Institute at the time, he wanted
the
return address to not be his private home address, but a business address. That was ORI's address. He was the author of the endorsement, so I
used
his preferred return address.
I converted the DBASE4 to a more useful format, fixed the 50 or so undeliverable addresses, and found an inexpensive printer. Then I
sent
the letter from Bruce to the printer, with the bios and statements.
That turned out to be a good thing. Bios and statements were not
included
with the ballots mailed out, at all.
If we had not sent the letter, then name recognition would be the
primary
factor. We were running against well-known people.
We complained about this. It was unusual departure from the past and seemed set up to let leadership benefit from being incumbents.
The original proposal from Clayton was for an electronic only ballot. Patrick said that the bylaws were a bit clunky here and it did need
to
be
mailed out on paper. Paper was required.
This is a big reason why I made a motion at our one board meeting,
in
March, for a bylaws committee.
This bylaw isn't hard to fix. There's lots of examples out there of organizations doing electronic voting with working published bylaws.
Bruce made it very clear, when the incumbents stirred up the pot
about
the return address, that it was an endorsement from him, this was
commonly
done in political campaigns, and it would be grossly improper for me to
use
AMSATs return address because that would make it look like Bruce was speaking for or was from AMSAT. That was not going to happen. *That* would be improper.
No one candidate wanted their personal address used as a return
address.
We were mailing this as a slate and splitting the cost. We didn't have
time
or funds to make an organization or rent a box for one letter on short notice. The printer required a real return address.
No one had the address list except the candidates. Namely me because
I
contracted the printer and handled the DBASE4 address conversion.
That
is a neat story in and of itself,, for another time.
Bruce only sent the text to me and chipped in some money for postage.
The printing was automated in Van Nuys, CA.
All of this is known to Clayton Coleman and his friends on the board
that
signed the statement from this week. It has been explained by Bruce publicly, and by me several times on social media. Tom Clark brought
it
up at the 2019 annual board meeting because of the return address pot-stirring. I explained it there too. Like I said, it's on the
record.
I think insinuating the addresses were mishandled is a deliberate twisting of honest efforts to scramble to get uncensored candidate statements
out
to voters on short notice. We just didn't have a lot of time, and Bruce
was
very generous in writing a cover letter.
Again, candidates are allowed the use of the mailing lists for
election
purposes.
So, no, there was no breach. Clayton knows all this.
Saying it the way he did is a cheap shot at me, Patrick, Bruce
Perens,
and ORI.
-Michelle W5NYV
On Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 19:11 Kevin via AMSAT-BB amsat-bb@amsat.org wrote:
Hello All,
In a previous email to the BB I posted the link to the letter we
all
received as members.
https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200710_AMSAT_Le...
I was re-reading it and something caught my eye that I had missed
before.
"AMSAT did not provide a copy of its membership mailing addresses
to
Open Research Institute."
Just how was our mailing list compromised? This seems like a
serious
breech of security, was this a hack? was any other information
lost?
was it ever found out how it happened? is our mailing list as they
say
"out in the wind"?
Michelle could you possibly check from the ORI side and backtrack
how
ORI came into possession of the AMSAT mailing list, was it
something
that was procured online?
AMSAT needs to follow up on this privacy issue and report back what
it
found and any steps that were taken to prevent this from happening
in
the future.
I look forward to an answer
73 Kevin WA7FWF #19623
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AMSAT-NA. Not an AMSAT-NA member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! Subscription settings:
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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
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-- Bruce Perens - CEO at stealth startup. I'll tell you what it is eventually :-)
Message: 5 Date: Tue, 14 Jul 2020 03:04:44 +0700 From: Kenneth P Alexander ve3hls@gmail.com To: Steve Kristoff skristof@etczone.com Cc: AMSAT -BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT Member Mailing list Message-ID: <CAPOM0d= Pt9kPtHNmgxtfZdM4q2JxxqkbMFNM1pAxdj1cZFLFog@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
It's not that simple Brian. If you follow that line of thinking then people by the thousands would be renouncing their American citizenship because of the current shitshow in Washington, but I haven't heard of that happening.
The best thing to do is stay in the game, sort through the hysteria and misinformation and exercise your right to vote when the time comes. Then you can move Amsat back to becoming an organization you'll want to remain a part of.
Ok, back to sleep for me!
73,
Ken Alexander, VE3HLS So Phisai, Thailand Blog: bueng-ken.com
On Tue, Jul 14, 2020 at 2:52 AM Steve Kristoff via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
I worked a satellite just this morning. They are still up there. Just
have
to step away from the computer and turn on the radio.
Steve Ai9IN
----- Original Message ----- From: Brian Karcher via AMSAT-BB (amsat-bb@amsat.org) Date: 07/13/20 12:10 To: amsat-bb@amsat.org, amsat-bb-request@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT Member Mailing list
I thought being a member of AMSAT was about keeping amateur radio in space, learning about satellites and for some of us working amateur radio satellites in space. Since the last election AMSAT seems to be about nothing but politics and misinformation. In my opinion AMSAT was a lot more fun to be apart of before the last election. All the politics and misinformation drives people away from AMSAT and is not good for the organization. I have been told in the past by one of the new board
members
that all of this is necessary for change to happen. I don't see that
AMSAT
has to go through some fundamental change or movement. I am tired of the new AMSAT since the last election. I am seriously considering not
renewing
my membership and I know plenty of other that are considering the same. When will all of this end so we can start enjoying AMSAT again and
working
satellites?
Brian D. Karcher KG5GJT
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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
Message: 6 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 15:23:41 -0500 From: David Swanson dave@druidnetworks.com To: Bruce Perens bruce@perens.com Cc: AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT Member Mailing list Message-ID: < CANq+eyV985yF4XZAmiZ0oifyutc+nGosE8RgpC0rZjtuC8h6SA@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
By your own words, it was YOUR letter, in a letter YOU sent. No matter how many times you try and repeat the same line now - you've already proven yourself to be a fraud.
And by the way, people often violate the rules for stupid and unnecassary reasons. It's very rarely the big lie you get caught in, it's all the smaller ones you use to cover the big one up.
-Dave, KG5CCI
Message: 7 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 13:29:50 -0700 From: Fernando Ramirez framirezferrer@gmail.com To: Daniel Velez djvnet@gmail.com Cc: AMSAT -BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] when is the election being discussed? Message-ID: < CAGHXx8jLoX5ADt7jDHfkh-OOBnH3zWFukA8oAHT-0R3Fq9O3Fw@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
If you joined our renewed before July 1st, you will be getting a ballot after July 15.
Saludos Fernando, KF7R
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020, 1:26 PM Daniel Velez via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
I joined in June but I haven't seen any ballot info. 73 de Dan _______________________________________________ Sent via AMSAT-BB@amsat.org. AMSAT-NA makes this open forum available to all interested persons worldwide without requiring membership.
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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
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Subscription settings: https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
Message: 8 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 16:33:45 -0400 From: Arthur Feller afeller@ieee.org To: Michelle Thompson mountain.michelle@gmail.com Cc: AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT-NA, another perspective Message-ID: 98C0DFD9-D12C-454B-BC39-30133A8CA3FD@ieee.org Content-Type: text/plain; charset=utf-8
AMSAT Members:
We?re going around in circles, getting nowhere fast. No resolution in sight; only repetition, irritation, and turning away new and renewing members. Not constructive.
Much as these subjects need to be and should be discussed, may I suggest taking this thread offline?
I?m willing to facilitate an offline discussion.
73, art?.. W4ART Arlington VA LM-113
To thrive in life, you need three bones: a wish bone, a back bone, and a funny bone. - Reba McEntire
http://afeller.us http://afeller.us/
Message: 9 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 20:35:14 +0000 (UTC) From: GEO Badger w3ab@yahoo.com To: AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT-NA, another perspective Message-ID: 865720374.1065652.1594672514170@mail.yahoo.com Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8
I believe that all 501(c)(3) orgs must hold at least one BOD meeting per year or it is in violation of the incorporation rules and the org will risk losing their tax exempt status. 3 Annual Requirements Every Nonprofit Should Know
| | | | | |
|
| | | | 3 Annual Requirements Every Nonprofit Should Know
Congratulations, you?ve received 501(c)(3) status, so now what!? PAPERWORK AND MEETINGS! And also working for th... |
|
|
---?? Ciao baby, catch you on the flip side?? 73 de W3AB/GEO ????
You can say "over", you can say "out", you just can't say "over and out".
Message: 10 Date: Mon, 13 Jul 2020 13:13:20 -0700 From: Bruce Perens bruce@perens.com To: David Swanson dave@druidnetworks.com Cc: AMSAT BB amsat-bb@amsat.org Subject: Re: [amsat-bb] AMSAT Member Mailing list Message-ID: <CAK2MWOvcy8V-UUYKEi9QYKuB5p= Bd-rVVg1KH5DReZ91rwCHcA@mail.gmail.com> Content-Type: text/plain; charset="UTF-8"
OK, Dave, you were not born yesterday :-) As I have said, I never touched the mailing list, and never had to. I contributed $500 for postage, the rest was provided by the candidates. But if I *had* touched the mailing list, what nefarious things would I have done with it? You are mostly all listed on QRZ, etc. Am I the guy sending you those mails about how Ed McMahon will hand you the million-dollar check from Publishers Clearing House?
What I am getting at here is that people don't violate rules for really stupid and unnecessary reasons. There was a simple way to send the letter within the rules, and we did it.
Thanks
Bruce
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020, 12:55 PM David Swanson dave@druidnetworks.com wrote:
My apologies on the Twitter claim - when I tried loading it from source nothing was displaying pre January 28th, 2020 - the day of your 'I am signing off of social networking' declaration. (How'd that go btw?) I
only
assumed you had deleted your tweets.
As to your never ending story changing about the mailing list, I was born at night, but it wasn't last night. Go try your story on another mark.
-Dave, KG5CCI
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020 at 2:45 PM Bruce Perens bruce@perens.com wrote:
David,
My tweet was NOT deleted, and is still on twitter at https://twitter.com/BrucePerens/status/1154844208458416128 As stated repeatedly, both by myself and Michelle, I did not handle the mailing list, she did. Which was 100% her right as a candidate.
Thanks Bruce
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020 at 11:26 AM David Swanson via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
It's always fun to remind folks tripping over their own feat lying that the internet is forever. From a Bruce Perens Tweet on July 13, 2020:
"Please see my letter on the web, or the paper copy I've mailed to everyone one of you".
Of course the original tweet was deleted, but the wayback machine never forgets. Don't Believe me? http://druidnetworks.com/2020-07-13.png
If you still think the membership list wasn't compromised, I just heard Director Thompson will be auctioning off their ocean front property in Arizona to all the members this year to raise funds for their
microwave,
digital only, strictly open source crowd funded, vegan, social justice aware cubesat launch to Proxima Centauri. Of course this launch will
only
come after 10 years of ground station development, but fueled with
enough
hopes, dreams and promises it will become a reality!
For the rest of us who actually want to keep amateur radio in (real) space and are disgusted at the violations of privacy that occured by 3rd parties working to get Director Thompson and Director Stoddard elected, well,
you
should know what to do.
-Dave, KG5CCI
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020 at 9:24 AM Michelle Thompson < mountain.michelle@gmail.com> wrote:
No database went anywhere except to candidates. This is allowed in
the
bylaws.
Then, an automated bulk mail printing server was used. I recommended
the
company to Brennan Price for this year's mailing. Good service, inexpensive.
Return addresses don't magically transfer information.
-Michelle W5NYV
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020, 04:32 David Swanson dave@druidnetworks.com
wrote:
Spin Spin Spin. The simple truth here is Director Thompson took the
AMSAT
member database, and handed it over to a 3rd party competing entity
for the
purpose of solicitation. I know I did not give ORI my home address,
yet ORI
sent me a letter. This was a violation of my privacy, and for AMSAT members living in the EU, this was a violation of the law. Any
attempt to
explain this away is just more lies and deceit from Director
Thompson
about
the shady practices they have engaged in over the past few years. As
I keep
saying, this isn't a one time thing, this is a pattern of reprehensible behavior that is unbecoming of an elected position and
this
community. Director Thompson and Director Stoddard should resign.
-Dave, KG5CCI
On Mon, Jul 13, 2020 at 5:33 AM Michelle Thompson via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
> Yes, I can. > > That part of Clayton's letter is wrong and has been repeatedly
clarified
> before. Including at the 2019 annual board meeting, where Tom Clark
asked
> me about it, as part of the record. > > Clayton Coleman was secretary in 2019. > > He ran the election. > > He decided that candidate statements were limited in length to 350
words,
> would be subject to editorial control by AMSAT, and could not
include
> links. These new rules were given to us right before the 4th of
July
> holiday with a deadline of the 7th. > > This is different than any election before, where statements went > directly > to the printer from the candidate, were not limited in length, and
no one
> from AMSAT leadership (who might be running for reelection
themselves)
> had > any control over the content of their challengers' statements. > > We got these rules right before ballots went out. We (four
challengers)
> already had normal-sized statements on the web and they had been up
six
> weeks at that point. Those were the ones we wanted to use, and link
to.
> > We knew that as candidates, we had the right to request the mailing
list,
> and send our own statements, independent of the ballot. > > I requested the address list and got the DBASE4 export. > > Bruce Perens had already written a letter of support and
distributed
it
> widely on the web. It introduced us and included our four full bios
and
> statements. > > I asked Bruce if we could use his letter in the mailing. He said
yes.
> Since > he was President of Open Research Institute at the time, he wanted
the
> return address to not be his private home address, but a business > address. > That was ORI's address. He was the author of the endorsement, so I
used
> his > preferred return address. > > I converted the DBASE4 to a more useful format, fixed the 50 or so > undeliverable addresses, and found an inexpensive printer. Then I
sent
> the > letter from Bruce to the printer, with the bios and statements. > > That turned out to be a good thing. Bios and statements were not
included
> with the ballots mailed out, at all. > > If we had not sent the letter, then name recognition would be the
primary
> factor. We were running against well-known people. > > We complained about this. It was unusual departure from the past
and
> seemed > set up to let leadership benefit from being incumbents. > > The original proposal from Clayton was for an electronic only
ballot.
> Patrick said that the bylaws were a bit clunky here and it did need
to be
> mailed out on paper. Paper was required. > > This is a big reason why I made a motion at our one board meeting,
in
> March, for a bylaws committee. > > This bylaw isn't hard to fix. There's lots of examples out there of > organizations doing electronic voting with working published
bylaws.
> > Bruce made it very clear, when the incumbents stirred up the pot
about
> the > return address, that it was an endorsement from him, this was
commonly
> done > in political campaigns, and it would be grossly improper for me to
use
> AMSATs return address because that would make it look like Bruce
was
> speaking for or was from AMSAT. That was not going to happen.
*That*
> would > be improper. > > No one candidate wanted their personal address used as a return
address.
> We > were mailing this as a slate and splitting the cost. We didn't have
time
> or > funds to make an organization or rent a box for one letter on short > notice. > The printer required a real return address. > > No one had the address list except the candidates. Namely me
because
I
> contracted the printer and handled the DBASE4 address conversion.
That
> is a > neat story in and of itself,, for another time. > > Bruce only sent the text to me and chipped in some money for
postage.
> > The printing was automated in Van Nuys, CA. > > All of this is known to Clayton Coleman and his friends on the
board
that
> signed the statement from this week. It has been explained by Bruce > publicly, and by me several times on social media. Tom Clark
brought
it
> up > at the 2019 annual board meeting because of the return address > pot-stirring. I explained it there too. Like I said, it's on the
record.
> > I think insinuating the addresses were mishandled is a deliberate > twisting > of honest efforts to scramble to get uncensored candidate
statements
out
> to > voters on short notice. We just didn't have a lot of time, and
Bruce
was
> very generous in writing a cover letter. > > Again, candidates are allowed the use of the mailing lists for
election
> purposes. > > So, no, there was no breach. Clayton knows all this. > > Saying it the way he did is a cheap shot at me, Patrick, Bruce
Perens,
> and > ORI. > > -Michelle W5NYV > > On Sun, Jul 12, 2020, 19:11 Kevin via AMSAT-BB <amsat-bb@amsat.org
> wrote: > > > Hello All, > > > > In a previous email to the BB I posted the link to the letter
we all
> > received as members. > > > > > > >
https://www.amsat.org/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/20200710_AMSAT_Le...
> > > > I was re-reading it and something caught my eye that I had missed > before. > > > > "AMSAT did not provide a copy of its membership mailing addresses
to
> > Open Research Institute." > > > > Just how was our mailing list compromised? This seems like a > serious > > breech of security, was this a hack? was any other information
lost?
> > was it ever found out how it happened? is our mailing list as
they
say
> > "out in the wind"? > > > > Michelle could you possibly check from the ORI side and backtrack
how
> > ORI came into possession of the AMSAT mailing list, was it
something
> > that was procured online? > > > > AMSAT needs to follow up on this privacy issue and report back
what it
> > found and any steps that were taken to prevent this from
happening
in
> > the future. > > > > > > I look forward to an answer > > > > 73 Kevin WA7FWF #19623 > > > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Sent via AMSAT-BB@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
> > > _______________________________________________ > Sent via AMSAT-BB@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
>
Sent via AMSAT-BB@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
-- Bruce Perens - CEO at stealth startup. I'll tell you what it is eventually :-)
Subject: Digest Footer
Sent via amsat-bb@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 member? Join now to support the amateur satellite program! https://www.amsat.org/mailman/listinfo/amsat-bb
End of AMSAT-BB Digest, Vol 15, Issue 247
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Paul F. Merrill