SCN: too much funny business and cognitive dissonance going on here

[J. Johnson]

Rich Littleton's suit against various members of the SCNA Board of
Directors, the Governance Committee, and the e-mail training group stems
from his dismissal from the e-mail training group.  He's claiming that the
various defendants either defamed him, or violated the by-laws in
disciplining him.  He's asking for cash damages, that the Board members be
removed from office, and all of the defendants enjoined from making
decisions in their roles is SCN.  (Just a simple recital of the facts,
Rich!)

The reason that we have not heard of this before is that the Board was
advised to not make any statements, neither publicly (perhaps for fear
that Rich would accuse them of defamation, or misuse of office) nor via
any mailing list.  That last bit is curious--legal counsel is apparently
concerned lest Rich have our computers seized so that the contents of the
mailing lists be available for evidence.  (If I don't have this quite
right perhaps the Board would supply more accurate information?)

WAKE UP, FOLKS!  This is quite possible.  Just like on the evening news,
where the sheriff's deputies are carrying out the computer equipment of
some alleged "hacker".  (Or even some business man whose computer has been
used in crime, with or without his knowledge.)  It works like this.  A
party to a suit asks the court for authority to seize evidence, and since
the other party is not present to contest the matter (they are not even
notified, lest they tamper with the evidence), the judge usually agrees
with whatever is requested.  So Rich makes a list:  the physical
media--that's our disk drives, and since he doesn't know which ones have
the mailing lists he asks for all of them--and everything necessary to
access the files--that's the rest of the system.  He gives that list to
the sheriff, and the first thing we know about it is when the library
calls to tell us that the system just went out the door. 

No system!  Just a big patch of air.  And a year or more before the system
is returned, and possibly damaged.  Based on real, actual cases.  And just
like that Joan Baez song, there would be no time to say good-bye--SCN
could just disappear.

Even if Rich doesn't have the system seized, the legal costs could easily
sink us.  Yup, SCN could be history any day now.

(No, Rich, I am not defaming you. I have merely stated possible
consequences to SCN of actions that you have deliberately and freely
initiated.  Nothing in this message states or implies that you are an
idiot or self-aggrandizing jerk, not even a hairy blue baboon.  Nor has
anyone communicated to me, privately or publicly, why people in e-mail
training would not want to work with you, nor what you were disciplined
for.) 

=== JJ =================================================================

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