[alicebot-archcomm] RE: [alicebot-general] RE: dialogue

[Christopher Fahey [askrom]]

> Freezing the foundation, has no bearing whatsoever on the 
> ongoing, day-to-day work of the individuals associated with 
> AIF. In fact, I'd like Chris Fahey - or anyone else, for that 
> matter - to explain (precisely) how the board's decision to 
> freeze the foundation has had a negative impact on the 
> day-to-day AIML/ALICE work? Other that stating that it has, 
> in some ancillary way, affected his psychological committment 
> to the project(s), I doubt that he (or anyone else) can 
> proffer such an answer. 

I'm not sure I said or even meant to imply that the freeze *directly*
negatively affected day-to-day AIML work. For the record, I don't think
that the freeze *caused* anything in particular (and perhaps if the
freeze had not occurred we'd all be in worse shape, I really don't know
enough about the matter) to happen except to the extent that it has
galvanized Richard. Clearly for Richard the freeze was a catalyst
leading to, among other things, the public display of the foundation's
dirty laundry, the creation of a bizarre "new Board" of questionable
legitimacy and mysterious qualifications, and the apparent desire to see
the dispute resolved in court. 

It's also not hard to see the growing list of long term, loyal, and
talented members of the AIML community who have lost confidence in the
future of the AIF and in Richard. I sense a brain drain.

Looking ahead at more possible negative impacts, here's one: if
Richard's new Board starts making decisions about the AIML spec or
membership on the Architecture Committee, I'm not sure some important
members of the community will have confidence in the wisdom of those
decisions. What if they start raising money representing themselves as
"the voice of the AIML community"? That would be a negative impact in my
personal opinion because, as I've said, I have no knowledge of or faith
in Richard's new board.

-Cf