[Community-Discuss] Let's love words ...

Sun Jun 23 14:35:39 UTC 2019

Some time ago I posted in social networks this:

"Let's love words, words do, words take care, words kill, let's be careful with words! The words in emails and social networks are more dangerous, but do not be afraid of them!"

So allow me some final words for this week meeting.

1) We have a code of conduct that is not being respected by "Benjamin Ledoh" (in quotes because it looks it is an alias). There are clear doubts that this person is actually another community member, which is co-author of a policy proposal to change the PDP. If this is the case, how the community can trust a proposal and support it, if he is acting in such *criminal* way against the PDP process and the overall community?

I still give him a 50% of doubts that may be he is not the same guy and somebody is incriminating him. But if this is the case, he should go to google, policy, or whatever, to ask for clarifications, even if neccesary with a court order and prove it to the community.

Why the complete AFRINIC community should be shamed and fighting about this guy? How come we can support a coward hiding behind an alias and do nothing?

I *urge the board* to investigate the real person behind that email, even with a legal claim in the Mauritious courts and then to apply strictly the code of conduct. At the moment that email has been indefinitely suspended in the RPD, but this is not enough. What about the Community-Discuss list? What about the real person behind this? Should the real person behind that email still be able to participate in meetings and other mailing list with the real name? Should be also be able to participate in the community, or shold be suspended for a few years because this? I'm sure bylaws support those actions.

Otherwise, we are telling everyone that wants to attack the other members and the system: Please create aliases and feel free to keep creating internal wars.

I *urge the staff* to confirm if the community has a real "Benjamin Ledoh" in the meetings or as a contact for members, or whatever. This is not confidential information in the sense that he is using public mailing list and may be is a contact in the whois.

The PDP and the community are not safe *UNTIL* this issue is cleaned up and resolved.

Despite all what I've said, I think, we all must forgive, *if and only if* the real person behind "Benjamin Ledoh" recognizes his mistake and then continues participating normally.

2) I always though that *everybody*, including staff, board and chairs, because all them are community members, should be able to participate in the policy discussions and thus, in the policy meetings and openly express their opinions. They should just clearly state "hat off" to allow the community do differentiate their own personal view from the position they have.

However, in the policy day this week, I felt shamed when the legal councel stated (if I understood correctly, sorry videos and scripts are not available), that I should not use references to other RIRs in the policy proposals. I think this is contrary to logic and contrary to procedure and the staff or AFRINIC contractors, must know the procedures and make sure they don't contradict them, because they are harming the community.

Are we afraid of reusing previous experience? Really?

The policy template ask for references, and when you submit a policy proposal, if you leave the references empty, one of the first questions from the staff will be "what is the status of this in other RIR, can you explain that and have URLs?". And of course, in the slides for a policy proposal presentation, you will summarize it as well (or we should hide part of the policy proposal in the slides?).

This is understandable because Internet is global, and what is being done in other regions, or similar groups (example IETF), is relevant to all of us. Previous experience is always good to know.

Nobody is telling that every RIR should follow what others are doing (I clearly explained it in my presentations). NOT AT ALL, but we must know it, is just a reference. It is not neccesarily the only aspect to consider. Or we don't look always, in our personal and profesional life for other previous experiences from other organizations or people?

This comment in the microphone only adds to my perception of many of the problems that I see within the community, one more negative point about how we are legally managing this organization.

I know I will be hate by this, but I'm sorry, I'm not a coward, I'm not an hypocrit: I *urge the board* to consider an alternative legal counsel. My general feeling after similar situations in different meetings, is that the actual legal counsel is not doing a good job. I see in other similar organizations (including RIRs), that the meetings are well prepared for all kind of contingenies and situation, and there is always plan A, plan B, plan C and even 2-3 more plans. This is not happening here, and this is in part, because the legal support is not correct, or at least insufficient.

Regards,
Jordi
@jordipalet

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