Rebuttal: Why IAPP is not for us.

[Richard Schneider <richard.schneider@xxxxxxxx>]

Dear Bob,

I do not believe that this panorama list serve is necessarily the right place to air your personal grievances against IAPP. That being said however, I believe that several points you make warrant a rebuttal. The subscribers deserve that much.

Michel's angry e-mail was sent to the IAPP Board and a few others and was titled, "Open Letter to IAPP Members". Fair enough. I did not read where it said that he wanted his letter posted on your (non-IAPP) web site. I for one, have proposed to the Board that "Letters to the Editor" be re-introduced to the magazine. That might have been a better forum for an IAPP member to air their complaints and perhaps get them solved in a calm and orderly way. I don't understand why Michel had to resign with such haste.

Being the editor of the 2001 IAPP Network, I responded to Michel's e-mail directly. I addressed his problems and offered explanations. My wish was that he reconsider his decision to leave the organization. He refuses, complaining among other things of "amateur work" of the IAPP, which included such transgressions as hand-writing his address on envelopes and sending him photocopies of out-of-print magazines. I guess I shouldn't have sent him anything. I think Michel's decision was unfortunate. He is a valuable member of the panoramic imaging community.

Regarding your comments in your "Open Letter to IAPP Members", let me address them one by one.

1st paragraph: First and foremost. Michel Dusariez was NEVER "black listed from IAPP Membership". If he had been, how would you explain his receiving magazines, the Network and other publications? If he were "black listed" why would I be trying to contact and hopefully make peace with him? Secondly, regarding your own claim of being "black listed", the list serve membership should be aware that for the 2000 calendar year you were a member in good standing in IAPP. You paid your dues. Your entry is in the 2000 Membership Directory. Your membership renewal form for 2000 is  in the IAPP records.

1st paragraph - point two: You bring up a personal situation you had with Addie that is several years old and should not have been broadcast to the world. There are two sides to every story but quite frankly, I don't think the subscribers here are eager to hear them!

2nd paragraph: If you remember, you nominated me from the floor at the 1998 Moab Convention. I was not originally on the ballot. I wasn't on Addie's or anyone else's list. Yet I was elected to be a Director. The manner in which ballots are drawn may not be perfect, but they are consistent with IAPP bylaws. If you want to reform the system, you need to work to change the rules the system follows. I am working towards that goal. 

2nd paragraph - point two: You again mislead your readers with your expression, "being kicked out of IAPP." Once again, for the 2000 calendar year you were a member in good standing in IAPP. I am unsure about the situation in 1999. If you were indeed not a member then, it likely had to do with your personal situation with Fred and Jean Yake. 
It was not because you were "black listed" and once again, you renewed your membership last year, even with Jean Yake being Secretary at the time.

3rd paragraph: Peter Lorber did not "self declare" himself President-elect. Upon the sudden and highly unusual circumstance of the resignation of Everen Brown (President-elect) AND Jean Yake (Secretary / Treasurer) in March 2000, the remaining Board members voted and eventually filled the vacancies with Peter Lorber and myself, respectively. I believe their overriding concern was to hold IAPP together during this difficult period. They succeeded. The method of selecting Mr. Lorber may not have seemed democratic to you, but it was not inconsistent with Robert's Rules of Order either. These are the parliamentary rules that help govern our association.

4th paragraph: The term "Network" is a generic one and refers to communication between people and businesses that have a mutual interest. The use of the word was in no way meant to confuse the public as to whose panoramic organization was whose. Besides, the booklet was titled. "IAPP Membership Network 2001", not "Panoramic Network". The title obviously refers to a network composed of IAPP members and in no way tries to undermine your on-line club.

Several months ago when we last spoke, you remarked that you had a bottle of champagne you were going to open once your club surpassed IAPP in terms of membership. That remark always struck me as mean-spirited. It seemed to be coming from a man not interested in reforming IAPP, but destroying it. Now you call your club a "rival" to IAPP. It seems to me that no matter what IAPP does to reform itself, you will always boycott it. 

The subscribers of this list serve will need to sort all this out for themselves, now that so much has been said. Let it be known however, that you personally, are welcome to renew your membership for the 2001 calendar year and for any year afterwards. As Secretary, I do not keep a "black list".

Despite having some faults - as every organization does, IAPP remains an organization committed to education, promotion and exchanging artistic and technical ideas, and to the free sharing of information, and to the expansion of public awareness regarding Panoramic Photography (adapted from Article II of the IAPP Bylaws).

Finally and on a personal note, I sir, will boycott your on-line club until "honesty" has been returned to your business practices. What I mean is that I will maintain this personal boycott until a proper photo credit is given to ALL the early 20th Century photographers whose images you obtained from the Library of Congress are now trying to auction off on eBay. I have no problem with commerce. But give credit where credit is due.

Sincerely,

Richard Schneider
IAPP Secretary / Treasurer