On 10/04/2008, Gerard Meijssen <gerard.meijssen(a)gmail.com> wrote:
Hoi,
When you are part of the board, you can and you should be able to say the
harshest things. This is expected of a board member. A non disparagement
agreement is meant to keep the noise down when the words are spoken outside
of the environment. It does help both a persons personal standing and the
standing of the board when people can find it in themselves to be polite and
political in how they express themselves.
I doubt how much (legal) value can or should be given to such a document, it
is certainly a great way to point out that a person who is in violation of
such an agreement is indeed the arse hole that this behaviour demonstrates.
*Terms of disparagement* are pejorative words and phrases which are either
intended to be or are often regarded as insulting, impolite or unkind.
Given the definition it is bad behaviour in the first place.. Now what is
the problem in stating that you will not behave in an objectionable way in
the first place ??
I guess it all depends on exactly what is meant by "disparaging". I
expect the actual agreement was rather more precise than the title.
I'm not sure I quite agree with your definition of disparaging (in
some contexts). The appropriate definition for Wiktionary says:
"To dishonor by a comparison with what is inferior; to lower in rank
or estimation by actions or words; to speak slightingly of; to
depreciate; to undervalue."
If someone is doing something seriously wrong, it would seem
acceptable to me to depreciate them. Whether or not something is
pejorative is extremely subjective. For example, on a Wikipedia talk
page some people told me off for describing someone (primarily a
hypothetical someone, although there were people in the discussion
that I could have meant) as "ignorant". I meant that simply to say
that they lacked the knowledge relevant to the point at hand. As far
as I'm concerned, that's what the word means and I didn't mean it
offensively. Other people, quite understandably, interpreted it
differently. I think it's fair to say I was disparaging them, but
whether or not I was being objectionable depends on who you ask.