[Gllug] Alan Cox resigns from ALS

[Richard Cohen]

On Fri, 20 Jul 2001, Tom Gilbert wrote:

> Way to go Alan :)
>
> ----- Forwarded Message -----
> From:    Alan Cox <alan at lxorguk.ukuu.org.uk>
> To:      alschair at usenix.org
> Subject: Resignation from ALS, Skylarov affair...
> Date:    Fri, 20 Jul 2001 12:31:02 +0100 (BST)
> Cc:      editor at lwn.net, editors at newsforge.com, gnu at eff.org
>
>
> I hereby tender my resignation to the Usenix ALS committee.
[snip]
> I appreciate that this problem is not of Usenix making, but it must be
> addressed
>
> Alan Cox
>
> ----- End Forwarded Message -----
>
> Tom.

And by way of response, from John 'Maddog' Hall (you know, the white-bearded
bloke who came to GLLUG and Lonix last year - more than Alan has ever done,
to my knowledge):

-------------
Alan,

Your decision to boycott the ALS event is certainly yours to make, and I
deeply regret the situation that caused you to make it.

However, to chose ALS as the focus of your first message on this I feel is a
little unfair, particularly with the recent steps that USENIX has taken to
working with the EFF to defend the rights of University professors to
publish their research works around DCMA.  These professors were threatened
with suit by various large companies, and through the efforts of EFF and
USENIX, these companies are now backing down from their suits.

Your wording around USENIX "choosing a US location" ignores the fact that
ALS has always been in the US, the same way that Linux TAG has always been
in Germany, and the Linux Kongress has (almost) always been in Germany, with
occasional visits to the Netherlands.  USENIX has co-sponsored in the past
and continues to co-sponsor non-US events.

Also I do object to your statements that the US Government "hates" eastern
european states.  I seem to remember much pressure from the US to
lower the Berlin wall, and to allow more freedoms for eastern european
people.

I believe this to be a case where someone broke a US law from afar over this
global thing called the "Internet" and then tried to take advantage of a
US-based conference.  If this is the case, then it may be a mis-directed
legal system, but I doubt that it was fueled by "hate."  Your inference that
"hate" fueled this incident is distasteful.

As I said, your right to leave the ALS program committee, or even to urge
others to boycott US events is yours to make, and I support your right to
make it.  Your points about other developers (foreign or otherwise) who have
violated US laws in their coding is probably more than valid.

I do, however, ask that you direct your venom to those who deserve it.

Warmest regards and greatest respect,

maddog

=============================================================================
Jon "maddog" Hall
Executive Director           Linux(R) International
email: maddog at li.org         80 Amherst St.
Voice: +1.603.672.4557       Amherst, N.H. 03031-3032 U.S.A.
WWW: http://www.li.org

Board Member: Uniforum Association, USENIX Association

--------------

Cheers
Richard


-- 
Gllug mailing list  -  Gllug at linux.co.uk
http://list.ftech.net/mailman/listinfo/gllug