[Community-Discuss] Confusion...

Owen DeLong owen at delong.com
Fri Jul 21 19:39:19 UTC 2017 

> On Jul 21, 2017, at 10:28 , ALAIN AINA <aalain at trstech.net> wrote:
> 
> 
> Andrew,
> 
> Not so easy to forget. Even if you do some of us do remember and the archives are available:
> 
> a) There was a Mr Alston  before  board mandate 
> b)There was a Mr Alston  2014 -2017
> c) there is a Mr. Alston since AIS2017
> 
> The a) was promising, full of energy, Mr Solution to everything, the anti-RPKI, etc….
> 
> and b) came in and :
> 
> * Promoted  AFRINIC governance as Top-Down

Citation needed — I didn’t see this during his term on the board.

> * Promoted Trust-only, no-accontabiliy and no-transparency

Citation needed — I didn’t see this during his term on the board.

> * Company act evangelist 

OK, I can sort of see this, but, the Maruitian Companies Act is the governing law under which AfriNIC operates. As such, compliance isn’t exactly optional, and, where AfriNIC conduct runs afoul of it, board members have an obligation to take corrective action. It is part of their fiduciary duty.

> * Promoted AFRINIC as 8+1 people(registered members)  private company. Other members have limited powers, Community has none

I would argue that he stated this as a fact of how AfriNIC is currently organized rather than promoting or encouraging it.

> * Opposed most of the community proposals to improve accountability during the last accountability review

Most of these proposals didn’t actually improve accountability and were fundamentally flawed in meaningful ways. He was not alone in this opposition, a significant fraction of the community also opposed them.

> * Supported  adopting changes  to bylaws for accountability review by vote on multiple resolutions instead of working out  a coherent consensual  draft bylaws.

This is the mechanism by which this can be legitimately accomplished under the rules and laws applicable to the organization. You are criticizing him for following the process that is defined by law? Really?

> * Opposed Board member recall by members and community

Citation needed — This does not match my recollection.

> * Claimed to have rescued AFRINIC

Given the financial state of AfriNIC at the time he joined the board vs. now, there is some legitimacy to this claim. I chalk this up to normal electoral hyperbole and little more.

> * Authored some controversial policy proposals

This is a criticism? How is this a bad thing?

> * etc..
> 
> And now, welcome c) who seem confused and lost:
> 
>   *Dealing  with simple community member position subject  to past board member's NDA and reserve obligations

Can you parse this for me? I don’t know what it is intended to say.

>   * Suffering from the Top-down  governance  enjoyed  during  b)

Again, I’m not sure what you are trying to say here.

>   *Want all the powers to members and even Community

I don’t see this being inconsistent with his prior positions.

>  * Want 300% transparency
>   *Want 400% accountability

Now who is engaging in hyperbole?

>   * Want PDP appeal procedure put in place

More accurately, wants board to follow the PDP section 3.5 requirements and create the required appeals committee.

I don’t think this is a bad thing.

>   * Want a ASO members recall  procedure

Citation needed.

>   * Want Mgmt audits published.

This is not new. This was being stated during what you refer to as a) and b).

>   * Describe the rescued AFRINIC as the financially weakest RIR

Compare the published financials of the 5 RIRs and it is obvious that this is a simple statement of fact.
AfriNIC is significantly stronger financially than it was when he took office. It is still the financially weakest of the 5 RIRs.
I don’t understand why you think this is inconsistent? The facts prove out these statements.

>   * Concerned  by the membership fees compared to RIPE NCC

AfriNIC has the highest fees of the 5 RIRs. RIPE has the lowest. Anyone in AfriNIC not concerned by this in light of current circumstances is engaging in behavior often attributed to a well known large bird native to the continent.

>  * Etc….
> 
> I could easily understand your status and confusion. Welcome back inside the community. Hope you can manage.

Did you really think that this largely unsubstantiated ad hominem attack was a good use of the community-discuss list?

I have my share of issues with Mr. Alston and lord knows he is often his own worst enemy in many ways. Nonetheless, let’s attack his arguments on merit rather than attacking him with questionable allegations, innuendo, and ad hominem.

Owen

> 
> —Alain
> 
> 
>> On 12 Jul 2017, at 06:40, Andrew Alston <Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com <mailto:Andrew.Alston at liquidtelecom.com>> wrote:
>> 
>> I realized after it was pointed out that this had not gone to the list - so re-sending
>> 
>> Andrew
>> 
>> Get Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
>> _____________________________
>> From: Andrew Alston <andrew.alston at liquidtelecom.com <mailto:andrew.alston at liquidtelecom.com>>
>> Sent: Wednesday, July 12, 2017 08:08
>> Subject: Re: [Community-Discuss] Confusion...
>> To: Sander Steffann <sander at steffann.nl <mailto:sander at steffann.nl>>, Marcus K. G. Adomey <madomey at hotmail.com <mailto:madomey at hotmail.com>>
>> 
>> 
>> Markus -
>> 
>> You say that I am in a different orbit - so let me state what orbit I am in -
>> 
>> I want total transparency - both on governance and financial issues
>> I want to know how the money we as members is being spent and that it is well spent and justified - particularly considering that for large members the fees as in excess of 20 times the costs paid by RIPE members
>> I want to be assured if our elected representatives are traveling on our dime - that the travel is justified and in the benefits of the members the organization is meant to serve
>> I want to be assured that the board and the executive are at all times adhearing to the bylaws which we, as members, approved
>> I want to be assured that the company operates to the letter of the law and to be assured that the actions they take do not create legal risk which may threaten the organization
>> I want to ensure that the policies of the organization actually contribute to the growth of internet penetration on the continent, and do not merely serve to protect isps, but actually serve the general population of our continent.
>> I want to ensure that the company is delivering on its mandate as clearly defined in section 3 of the bylaws.
>> 
>> That my friend - is my orbit - so - if we are in different orbits - please - tell me yours and how it conflicts with the above - explain it to me - after all - do we not operate on a principal that dialog solves problems and builds consensus?
>> 
>> Andrew
>> 
>> Get Outlook for iOS <https://aka.ms/o0ukef>
>> 
>> 
>> 
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