On Mon, 11 Jun 2007, Paul Vixie wrote:
> > > Austein needs to avoid participating in issues that affect
> > > his company, its financial position, or that of his co-workers.
> >
> > Should Rob recuse himself from *any* matter that Paul's sent an email
> > about? What about opinions Paul may have discussed with Rob privately?
> > Or just things he's vaguely thought about, without saying anything?
I didn't see the whole message with the above comment in it, so I don't
know who said it or what else they said. However:
Rob should avoid discussing DNSOP issues with ISC. ISC people should
take up their DNSOP issues with the non-conflicted co-chair. If they
don't, Rob should inform them of his conflict of interest, and direct
them to discuss the matter with someone who isn't conflicted. In the
case where both co-chairs are conflicted, that conflict should be
unmistakeably disclosed to the WG and discussed carefully and with the
guidance of the disinterested Area Director or disinterested IESG
members.
> i'm left wondering how TAKREM could affect isc's finances, or the finances of
> any of rob's coworkers. is it possible for isc to make less money from DNS
> software than what we already don't make?
These aren't the question at issue, unless someone asserts actual fraud.
The ethical question is whether ISC's interests are different from those
of the IETF DNSOP WG. The answer is: "Yes". So a conflict of interest
exists.
There is a difference between appearance of self-dealing and actual
fraud.
There is an appearance of impropriety because Austein is on both sides
of the transaction: For ISC and also for IETF DNSOP WG. Austein appears
to be self-dealing. That mere __appearance__ is evidence of an ethical
deficit. Whether ISC benefited more, or whether IETF benefited more, or
whether the transaction was actually fair is irrelevant to the question
of __appearance__ and self-dealing. Actual unfairness justifies the
assertion of actual fraud. The mere appearance of self-dealing is
merely unethical.
It is Austein who promoted the appearance by failing to recuse himself
from issues in which he is conflicted. Austein should know better than
to be on both sides of a transaction, and should have avoided that.
> i think it's time to declare "troll alert!" and move on.
I'm sure you do want to ignore the issue. A common clue or hint of a
unethical activity is the unwillingness to discuss ethics. Unethical
people hate ethics. Dislike of ethics isn't a necessary and sufficient
condition for concluding unethical behavior but, in my experience, has
been a common, co-incident feature with unethical behavior.
--Dean
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