Ciaran O'Riordan wrote:
[several clarifications snipped]
Nevertheless, for the time being I for my part am not publicising the IPU contact info.
Of course, we have no option but to reinvent the work of FFII whenever FFII will not share it's findings.
Um, I'm not sure that's quite fair.
The national campaigns are central to what FFII is trying to do, and all the information I can think of circulates pretty freely. If information ever doesn't get to the campaign co-ordinators on the front line, that's a communications foul-up, not policy.
In the case of the IPU contact info, that was the info I sent straight to the fsfe-ie list. I was asking Hartmut not to put it onto the central site, because getting the trust and confidence of IPU that we are useful, constructive, helpful sort of people is potentially one of the most important relationships we have to build.
Inevitably mass-lobbying produces some megaphone attempts from some people with the sensitivity of a rhino wearing hobnail boots. Much better if we can try to develop a quiet informal conversation inside the tent, than start shouting outside it. That's why it is so important that we have a clear leading "relationship manager", to make sure that contact is attempted with the maximum of sensitivity, if possible by people who are local, informed and credible.
That's why I wanted to leave a clear run to IFSO to have full awareness and co-ordination of all approaches, and (IMHO) thought it best not to particularly encourage freelancers.
I understand there can sometimes be good tactical reasons for witholding data. If you'd like to send anything off-list, feel free, and if you indicate that certain data is not to be distributed, I'll respect this. It's not the way I like to work, but that's a secondary issue.
The information is straight off the net, so it's not as if we're burying anything.
I just think if we can go in as people who are quiet and subtle and know what they are talking about, this is much the best way to establish any relationship with confidence on both sides.
We need to move quickly; we also need to make sure we get it right.