[Foundation-l] Contact in Thailand re:Michael

[Walter van Kalken]

Michael Snow wrote:

>Delirium wrote:
>
>  
>
>>Patrick, Brad wrote:
>>
>>    
>>
>>>Don't assume anything.  If you are speaking as a person interested in
>>>Wikipedia, great.  I'm sure you have good things to say about Wikipedia
>>>in Thailand.  Good for you.  All I am saying is that you do *not* have
>>>the authority to speak on behalf of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc.   
>>>      
>>>
>>I'm not sure if you're new here or what, but this isn't how we do 
>>things at the Wikimedia Foundation.  We discuss politely, if sometimes 
>>heatedly, on the mailing list, not brusquely and dictatorially.
>>
>>Waerth asked if the Foundation had confidence in him to discuss with 
>>this organization; not if he legally has the authority to enter into 
>>commitments on behalf of the foundation, which is quite a different 
>>matter.  In short, his question did not call for a legal opinion, and 
>>offering one unsolicited was unhelpful, misrepresenting the matter, 
>>and impolite.
>>    
>>
>
>This criticism is totally misplaced. Note that Brad addressed whether 
>Waerth could *speak* on behalf of the Foundation, responding directly to 
>Waerth's question. The issue is not limited to whether Waerth is 
>authorized to act as an agent of the Foundation to enter into agreements.
>
>  
>
Lawyers are not restricted to giving legal opinions and nothing else,

>sometimes they need to represent their clients in communicating with 
>third parties, as Brad did here. Brad's intervention was helpful 
>(because it got across his client's position), misrepresented nothing, 
>and if it wasn't as polite as suits your tastes, it's because more 
>polite ways of communicating this hadn't yet gotten the message across.
>
>  
>
You do not know when to stop insulting do you?? Third party. Are you 
deliberately trying to hurt someone and chase him away? As far as I knew 
we had lawyers to talk with non wikimedians. Since when does a 
wikimedian have to speak with the lawyer before he gets to speak with 
the board. Fuck this.

Waerth/Walter