[ripe-list] LIR and Member Agreements

Hank

On 01/02/2022 06:56, Hank Nussbacher wrote:
> I too agree with Denis and Gert but there is no need to accept blame. 
> Denis is not accusing anyone.  If anything, we are all to blame for not 
> being as diligent as Denis.    Denis has even suggested a way forward:
> 
> "it will benefit the RIPE NCC to employ someone qualified or experienced 
> in contract law to review and re-write all the NCC's contracts and 
> agreements so they actually say what they were intended to mean."

Indeed, and I think that this would be the way forward. And I also thank 
Denis for the excellent analysis that he has done. If this had occurred 
on my watch then I would have started by pointing the RIPE NCC legal 
team at Denis' remarks and asking them to do their own analysis. I would 
also have thanked Denis publicly, whilst noting that his language might 
have been more temperate.

The trouble with the Respect Policy is that it is rather like a machine 
gun. There are times when it is the weapon of choice: in a case of 
bullying or ad hominem attack for instance. But where the attack has 
been against a document, whose authors are lost in the mists of time, it 
is like using a machine gun against a pea-shooter. And for it to be 
brought out at the start of a discussion makes one start to very gently 
wonder if there is maybe more of a case to answer than can be explained 
by bit-rot, documents not written by native English speakers and 
internet chat-room lawyers (amongst whom I proudly count myself 
(although I would claim that my English is probably fair enough)).

Finally, I would just like this to be laid to rest. Tempers are rising 
and the heat may eventually reach the level where the Respect Policy 
*is* the weapon of choice.

I call on everyone, myself included, to calm down, have a cup of tea, 
and let Hans-Petter get on with the job of getting his legal team to 
verify (or not) what Denis has said.

Yours in Peace ;-)

Nigel