[Foundation-l] Wikia leasing office space to WMF

[Ray Saintonge]

Geoffrey Plourde wrote:
> You are beating on a dead horse. Mr. Vibber has brought forth a list of perfectly valid reasons why this space was taken. LET ME REITERATE THE COST OF REWIRING/RECONFIGURING SPACE IN CALIFORNIA. Why should a taco stand use a dry cleaning shop when it can get another taco shop? 
>   
What would people say if Coke and Pepsi had an agreement to share 
bottling plants?  That might make perfect business sense, but rumours of 
a merger would be rampant.  The food court area of a shopping mall would 
not have two taco stands because each would see the other as unfair 
competition.  Given the kinds of chemicals used in dry cleaning, I'm 
sure that health authorities would have some say if someone tried to mix 
those two kinds of establishments.

Conflict of interest and the appearance of conflict of interest are very 
different beasts.  The former is easily overcome by objective criteria 
and standards, as has been done in the present case.  The latter is what 
sets tongues to wagging, most often the tongues of the usual suspects.  
Those of us who have a passing familiarity with the persons involved 
soon recognize when Chicken Little is crying "wolf" again. Once the 
alarm is raised merely being alone in the same room with the door closed 
is enough to condemn Bill and Monica; all the protestations of innocence 
will not overcome the closed door.

When the alarm is raised by the usual suspects there are as many 
opposing suspects prone to unflattering comments about those who raised 
the alarm. The danger is that when there is a real beast at the door it 
will be too late when it is finally seen for what it is.  That's what 
makes appearances so insidious.

Ec