IP: Re: Unfair Attack on ISOC

[David Farber <farber () cis upenn edu>]

> > Date: Thu, 13 Apr 2000 10:00:58 -0400
> > To: Brett Glass <brett () lariat org>
> > From: Martin Burack <burack () isoc org>
> > Subject: Unfair Attack on ISOC
> > Cc: Heath () ISOC ORG, Maxwell () AIX PACWAN NET, GIH () TELSTRA NET, 
> > SOB () HARVARD EDU, Michael.E.Conn () WCOM COM, 
> > ip-sub-1 () majordomo pobox com, farber () cis upenn edu, lynn
> >
> > Brett,
> >
> > Although I am a member of the ISOC Board of Trustees, I am
> > speaking only for myself as I was responsible (when I was ISOC’s
> > Executive Director) for instituting the ISOC-logo credit card
> > program and its related mailings about which you complained.
> >
> > ISOC erred in not providing a specific place on the web forms where
> > someone joining or renewing could indicate whether or not ISOC
> > could send material relating to member services offerings. The
> > wording that is there refers to membership mailings, and that is
> > not good enough.  So it will be corrected.
> >
> > At the same time, what was done was not part of some nefarious
> > undertaking as you made it out to be, but a legitimate offering by
> > ISOC to its U.S. members. You received a piece of mail you didn’t
> > want to receive.  You could have simply inquired as to why ISOC
> > appeared, to you, to be indulging in spamming. That would have given
> > ISOC an opportunity to explain (and to fix the problem), without first
> > having been made to look like some evil being. 
> >
> > You claimed that ISOC   “…demonstrated such flagrant disregard for personal
> > privacy”; when you didn’t have the foggiest idea of whether or not this was
> > true?  What an overreaction: “…think twice about supporting [ISOC]…censure
> > those who are responsible… investigate the possibility that the Internet
> > Society has broken the law…” in other countries.  This diatribe indicates an
> > anti-ISOC bias that goes beyond reacting to ISOC mistakenly having a piece
> > of mail sent to you.
> >
> > It’s easy to attack and try to tear down; it’s a lot tougher to be 
> > constructive
> > and have a positive impact. If the latter were your goal, you’d rejoin ISOC
> > and get actively involved.  The way to make ISOC better and more
> > responsive is from the inside.  If, instead, you just prefer to 
> > point out when
> > ISOC errs, do so without unfairly impugning people’s motives and character.
> >
> > I understand your concern for the protection of personal 
> > information; however,
> > your wholesale condemnation of ISOC was unfair and unnecessary.
> >
> > Marty Burack   
> >
> >
> >
> > ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
> > X-Sender: >>X-Sender: brett@localhost
> > X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.2.2
> > Date: Tue, 04 Apr 2000 21:13:52 -0600
> > To: Burack () ISOC ORG, Heath () ISOC ORG, Maxwell () AIX PACWAN NET, GIH () TELSTRA NET,
> >   SOB () HARVARD EDU, Michael.E.Conn () WCOM COM, ISOC-FORUM () listserv isoc org
> > From: Brett Glass <brett () lariat org>
> > Subject: ISOC discloses personal information without consent
> > Cc: ip-sub-1 () majordomo pobox com, farber () cis upenn edu
> >
> > The Internet Society
> > 12020 Sunrise Valley Drive, Suite 210
> > Reston, Virgina 20191-3429
> >
> > Sirs:
> >
> > Not long ago, as a long time user of the Internet, I decided to 
> > join the venerable group known as the Internet Society.
> >
> > Today, I found in my mailbox an unwanted solicitation for an 
> > Internet Society "affinity" credit card from MBNA America Bank. The 
> > bank knew that I was a member of the Internet Society, and used in 
> > its solicition a form of my name which indicates that it was 
> > gleaned directly from the group's membership rolls.
> >
> > When I joined the Internet Society, I expected that such a group 
> > would respect personal privacy and not reveal personal data about 
> > its members to third parties. I especially expected this to be true 
> > given the international nature of the group (such disclosures are 
> > illegal in many countries, including most of Europe) and current 
> > revelations regarding invasions of privacy via the Internet. Your 
> > membership form at 
> > http://www.isoc.org/isoc/membership/app/printapp.shtml does not ask 
> > for members' permission to reveal their personal data, nor is there 
> > any indication on the group's Web site that such data would be 
> > disclosed to third parties.
>  >
> > It disappoints me greatly to see that this expectation was 
> > mistaken, and that information such as my name and address were 
> > distributed -- perhaps sold? -- without my knowledge or consent.
> >
> > It does not seem to me that a group which has demonstrated such 
> > flagrant disregard for personal privacy should occupy the position 
> > of respect to which the Internet Society aspires -- nor that it is 
> > wide to allow it to guide the future of the Internet. I am 
> > therefore allowing my membership (which has, I believe, now lapsed) 
> > to expire and will encourage others to do the same. In the 
> > meantime, members of the group who live in countries which protect 
> > personal privacy should investigate the possibility that the 
> > Internet Society has broken the law.
> >
> > Again, it is a grave disappointment to see that, in this age in 
> > which information is of the utmost value, that a group which goes 
> > by the name "Internet Society" fails to use discretion with regard 
> > to the personal information of its own members. I hope that those 
> > who have become members of your group will think twice about 
> > supporting it in the future, and that those who do remain members 
> > will take appropriate action to correct this unfortunate 
> > development and censure those who are responsible.
> >
> > Sincerely,
> > Brett Glass