Date: Thu, 26 Oct 2006 22:38:22 -0400
From: Ted White <twhite8 at cox.net>
To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>
Subject: [WSFA] Re: David Dance?
Reply-To: WSFA members <WSFAlist at KeithLynch.net>

Mike B. wrote:

>  At 10/26/2006 06:34 PM, Candy Madigan wrote:
>
> >> I still say that if people had ignored it
> >> it would have gone away, but fandom isn't exactly known for adult
> >> behavior.
>
>  I don't think it would have.  Most did ignore it, and it didn't go
>  away.

You're absolutely right.  This approach has never worked.  It's like
mothers telling their school-age children, "Ignore the bully and he'll
stop picking on you."  Never happens.  Things don't work that way.
Bullies thrive on the indifference of those in authority over them.  And
in this case those who ignored the festering problem were in fact
encouraging it, albeit that wasn't their intention.  I call people who
take this position "Good Germans."

>  It was going on when I first started coming back to WSFA meetings
>  occasionally several years ago (3rd Friday meetings were at the
>  Ginter's at the time).  Comments were made about Kieth, and I asked
>  Alexis what the deal was and got told about it.
>
>  I didn't know Keith, so it was plausible, but I don't take much as
>  "the final word" on anything, so I kept gathering info...it's what I
>  do on lots of subjects.  Nothing I've learned since then about Keith
>  jibes with what Alexis told me about him.  It's possible I'm wrong of
>  course, but that's neither here nor there...the point is that several
>  years ago there was a problem and pretty much everyone ignored
>  it...and it got worse, not better.  It went from whispering to
>  shouting and now to throwing things around in print.  I suspect that
>  only a general poverty and distrust of lawyers has prevented it from
>  moving into court already.
>
>  Some things are not improved by being ignored, or left out of sight.
>  Some things can only be improved by dragging them out into the light,
>  examining them closely, and dealing with them.  the problem is that
>  everyone involved would have to be rational and willing to solve
>  them, and be able to agree on the facts, if not their import, and I'm
>  not sure that's the case.  In fact, I'm pretty sure it isn't.
>
>  If Alexis and Lee are really leaving WSFA then there are more issues
>  than just Lee being a Trustee to address.  I believe the Gilliland's
>  address is an official mailing address of the club?  Is there any
>  mention of that address in  relation to the domain name registration?
>  I know we removed Keith when he left the club, but I believe the
>  Gilliland's address is still on that as an administrative contact (I
>  can check the whois database if that would help). There's also the
>  Entertainment Committee assignment, and Lee's Meetup.com group (it's
>  hers, but if she's not with WSFA anymore, she shouldn't be using the
>  name, right?).  Seems like all this would be New Business at the next
>  meeting...if they are really leaving and not just missing a few
>  meetings and Capclave.

All very sensible, Mike.  All very true.  And we can hope the remaining
issues will be addressed with a new purpose by a newly energized WSFA.
Maybe some good can come out of Gilliland's rant.

--Ted White