<p class="p1">Dear Fellow TDWG members:</p>
<p class="p1">Often the discussions on TDWG lists can overwhelm due to number of responses and depth of content. I am therefore astounded that there have been no replies to Bob Morris' well-thought-out and convincingly-delivered argument of 22-April (copied here below) about our 2012 meetings. I did not answer sooner under the assumption that there was discussion going on behind the scenes by the TDWG Executive. So far, crickets.</p>
<p class="p2">I'd like to go on the record with a personal but hesitant response that does not reflect the views of my employer.</p>
<p class="p2">I share Bob's concerns. What do the rest of you think?</p>
<p class="p2"><br></p>
<p class="p1">Annie Simpson</p>
<p class="p2"><br></p>
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<p class="p4">From:</p>
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<p class="p5">Bob Morris <<a href="mailto:morris.bob@gmail.com">morris.bob@gmail.com</a>></p>
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<p class="p4">To:</p>
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<p class="p5"><a href="mailto:tdwg@lists.tdwg.org">tdwg@lists.tdwg.org</a></p>
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<p class="p4">Date:</p>
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<p class="p5">22/04/2012 15:22</p>
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<p class="p6">Subject:</p>
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<p class="p5">[tdwg] tdwg 2012 in inappropriate venue</p>
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<p class="p6">Sent by:</p>
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<p class="p5"><a href="mailto:tdwg-bounces@lists.tdwg.org">tdwg-bounces@lists.tdwg.org</a></p>
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<p class="p7"><br></p>
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<p class="p8">Dear fellow TDWG members,<br>
<br>
As I said publicly at TDWG 2011, I feel that it is inappropriate for<br>
an organization devoted to the open exchange of scientific data and<br>
information to hold a meeting in a country where there is routine<br>
governmental suppression of internet connectivity on political<br>
grounds. I personally would attend any scientific meeting in such a<br>
country except one by an organization like TDWG which should be taking<br>
a position about openness of access to information, and I hope others<br>
will join me in this position and publicly decline to attend TDWG<br>
2012.<br>
<br>
Sometimes an argument is made in such cases that participation is a<br>
way to support the hosting organization, which in this case is<br>
eminent. But often just the opposite can result: the authorities will<br>
proudly say to themselves: "See, they come anyway."<br>
<br>
Bob Morris<br>
<br>
-- <br>
Robert A. Morris<br>
<br>
Emeritus Professor of Computer Science<br>
UMASS-Boston<br>
100 Morrissey Blvd<br>
Boston, MA 02125-3390<br>
<br>
IT Staff<br>
Filtered Push Project<br>
Harvard University Herbaria<br>
Harvard University<br>
<br>
email: <a href="mailto:morris.bob@gmail.com">morris.bob@gmail.com</a><br>
web: <a href="http://efg.cs.umb.edu/">http://efg.cs.umb.edu/</a><br>
web: <a href="http://etaxonomy.org/mw/FilteredPush">http://etaxonomy.org/mw/FilteredPush</a><br>
<a href="http://www.cs.umb.edu/~ram">http://www.cs.umb.edu/~ram</a><br>
===<br>
The content of this communication is made entirely on my<br>
own behalf and in no way should be deemed to express<br>
official positions of The University of Massachusetts at Boston or<br>
Harvard University.<br>
_______________________________________________<br>
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