RE: APNIC update
David,
Thanks for your clarification.
I am saddened that it was so necessary to do so, and
saddened that an individual feels it so important to attack
you and your staff and APNIC's considerable achievements
over the past few years. I am astonished that the individual
has so little basic respect for you and your staff that she
has chosen this public path to undermine APNIC.
Geoff
At 11:50 PM 2/27/98 +0800, David R. Conrad wrote:
>Sigh.
>
>One of the most personally frustrating aspects of trying to run APNIC, and
>one of the reasons I decided to resign, is that despite requesting,
>pleading, even begging (in large capital letters with lots of exclamation
>points), for input on APNIC related decisions, the only input I generally
>receive is criticism AFTER THE FACT primarily by non-members as exemplified
>by the note included below.
>
>I thought long and hard about simply ignoring the note below as I had
>addressed much of this in the APNIC meeting, however I decided it is
>important that I state for the record for those who did not attend that:
>
>a) I attempted to keep the APNIC Secretariat staff informed at all times
>during the evaluation of new locations for APNIC, requesting their input on
>numerous occasions, and weighing that input in the context of what they
>desired, what I felt was best for the APNIC Secretariat, and what I felt
>was best for the APNIC members, both in the short term and the long term.
>In some cases, they didn't want to be asked. In other cases, they provided
>valuable input. It may be that they did not feel their input was
>considered, but in all honesty, I have trouble understanding this feeling.
>In the end however, the final recommendation was my responsibility and I
>made that decision.
>
>b) the final decision to relocate APNIC's secretariat to Brisbane,
>Australia was made by the APNIC Executive Council who represented the APNIC
>membership, in keeping with the structure of APNIC. My role was to
>recommend the location I felt most appropriate for the Secretariat. I felt
>(and still feel) Brisbane best meets the APNIC secretariat's requirements.
>
>c) my recommendation for Brisbane, Australia was made not on a whim or on
>personal preference (my personal preference was elsewhere), but rather on a
>9+ month evaluation of cost-of-living, cost-of-doing-business (including
>taxation, utilities, communications, facilities, etc.), quality of life for
>the APNIC secretariat's staff, economic and political stability of the
>countries in question, and the existance of a robust Internet community.
>Belying my own cultural and personal biases, explicitly not part of my
>decision making process were political and/or "racial" concerns.
>
>d) the final arbiter of _ANY_ decision within any part of APNIC is the
>membership. They can, at any time, recind or overturn ANY decision made by
>the Executive Council, which in turn would result in the Secretariat
>changing course. If the membership feels the Executive Council's
>acceptance of my recommendation was inappropriate, they can override that
>decision either now or in the future.
>
>While I do not feel it appropriate to bring up the various aspects of
>APNIC's staff personal lives and the impact the relocation of APNIC's
>Secretariat will have, I will state that I was aware of their concerns and
>kept those concerns in mind when considering the Secretariat's final
>location. It is important to me that the APNIC Secretariat's staff are
>taken care of and I have done and will do whatever is necessary to insure
>they are not left out in the cold. I deeply resent the implication that I
>am unconcerned.
>
>Also, I am somewhat disturbed at the rumor-mongering and scare tactics
>evidenced in the note below. For the record, and as I presented in the
>APNIC meeting during my (apparently vain) attempt to dispell the many
>rumors that were flying around Manila, APNIC has had NO visas declined and
>all visas we have applied for should not, according to our immigration
>agent in Australia, present any significant problem. The visa for our
>Business Manager, Kyoko Day, will require a bit more work as many business
>managers exist in Australia and (as in all countries I am aware of) you
>have to demonstrate you won't be taking jobs from existing nationals,
>however our immigration agent has indicated that while it may require
>additional justification, he expects no particular difficulties in
>obtaining Kyoko's visa.
>
>With respect to Asian's getting visas, I have been told (unofficially, so I
>am guilty of propagating rumors as well) that it is actually easier right
>now to get visas for Asians as the Australian government is trying to
>repair "Pauline Hanson" damage -- as an aside, it is important to remember
>that Queensland (in particular) is heavily dependent on trade/tourism with
>Asia for its economic well being.
>
>While it is true Australia has relatively high import duties (22%) on
>computer equipment, these duties obviously only apply to computer equipment
>purchased outside of Australia and besides, computer purchases make up only
>about 2.5% of the total projected expenses for 1998.
>
>Finally, I find the attempt to bring "race politics" into a discussion over
>the location of APNIC's secretariat astonishing and extremely
>disappointing. APNIC is indeed a regional organization, covering a region
>that ALSO contains Australia, New Zealand, and the Pacific Island nations.
>The blatant and divisive appeal to "Asians" over "Anglo-Saxons" I find
>_extremely_ repulsive. The composition of the APNIC Executive Council,
>both before and after the decision for Brisbane, should probably be
>reviewed by those attempting to play the "race" card.
>
>APNIC is truly regional and exists, if it exists anywhere, on the Internet.
> 99.99% of all APNIC members have never even set foot in the APNIC
>Secretariat office in Tokyo, thus the physical location of the APNIC
>Secretariat is fundamentally _irrelevant_. The TRUE composition of APNIC
>is whatever its membership is -- the Secretariat is merely the operational
>arm that implements the membership's requirements.
>
>I have grown PARTICULARLY weary of the rumors, innuendoes, and damning with
>faint praise such as presented below. I have worked for 4+ years,
>generally 7 days a week/10-12 hours a day trying my best to build a low
>cost, open, transparent, and independent organization that simply hands out
>integers to service providers that need them. I am very well aware that
>the result in imperfect and that I am not by any stretch of the imagination
>a business person. As I mentioned in my closing remarks, to those who feel
>I have acted inappropriately, I wish to offer my most sincere apologies and
>hope my resignation and eventual replacement with a no doubt more qualified
>individual will make amends.
>
>However as opposed to others, I am uninterested in playing political games
>with APNIC as I do not feel it is an appropriate football (TLDs currently
>fill that role admirably :-)). In the end though, I feel it is the AP
>region Internet community, as represented by the APNIC membership, who has
>final say in this matter, not individuals with their own personal agendas.
>
>Regards,
>-drc
>--------
>
>At 01:20 PM 2/27/98 +0000, laina at singnet dot com dot sg wrote:
>>
>>I too would like to add my appreciation for what David, Kyoko and Yoshiko
>have done for
>>APNIC. I think it is worth mention.
>>
>>I am however particularly concerned about continuity for APNIC, whether
>exisitng staff are
>>being taken care of, is the EC consulting directly with the staff to see
>what their concerns
>>are etc. I am one of those who am not totally convinced that the decision
>to move to
>
>>Australia was a wise one. There are many other places in Asia which could
>also have been
>>considered. Also I am under the impression that the fact that both Yoshiko
>and Kyoko have a
>>family was not considered carefully. Unlike some of us that can move
>quickly, others have to
>>consider spouse's jobs, children etc.not to mention whether they will get
>a visa. I am
>>concerned that a five year lease in Australia was signed without looking
>at these other
>>factors...
>>
>>I think APNIC may be better off loosing some money over breaking the five
>year lease, then
>>loosing its valuable staff and deal with unneccesary hassles such as
>importation taxes,
>>taxes, limitation to having other Asians on staff etc. A decision such as
>this should be
>>considered very carefully, and there are PEOPLE involved, and let's not
>forget it.Their
>>feeleings are important. I got the impression during APRICOT that nobody
>cared to consutl
>>with Kyoko or Yoshiko on the future of APNIC.
>>
>>Also APNIC is a regional body, and we should strive to have Asians
>involved in it as well,
>>as part of the empowerment of this region. Having it in Australia may make
>it more
>>Anglo-Saxon based only...another consideration to keep in mind.
>>
>>Kudos again to David and his team...BUT while David may be dying to leave
>let's not loose
>>his team as well, especially if they leave not of their own choice but out
>of circumstances.
>>
>>Laina RG
>>
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