Installfest thoughts

[Christopher Browne]

On 8/31/05, Allen Taylor <agtnews-PeCUgM4zDv73fQ9qLvQP4Q at public.gmane.org> wrote:
> This statement has me very worried about the attitude of the GTAlug
> executive towards legal issues (I was originally going to say that is
> scared the sh*t out of me!). I have not had formal legal training
> but, from my limited layman's background, having more forms to sign is
> much worse than just having one form because it can easily open up more
> loop holes and conflicting statements that a good lawyer can use to
> advantage in front of a  judge / jury.

There's another thing; having a multiplicity of legal forms,
particularly if any of them look really "legally interesting," is
going to SCARE the would-be participant out of involvement.

"Huh???  I thought this Linux thing was claimed to be more reliable
than Windows.  And these Linux guys keep making fun of the ridiculous
EULAs.  If they feel the need to have me sign off on an equally
preposterous waiver before they'll help me install Linux, then maybe
all those claims were so much rubbish..."

> Apparently the GTAlug Installfest Release Form was prepared using input
> from a sample form from The Linux Documentation Project, with added
> input from the web sites of the Victoria Linux User Group, and the
> Kitchener-Waterloo Linux User Group. Again, major red flags here unless
> this document was created by someone with some legal training and vetted
> by an Ontario based solicitor. A legal document created out of bits and
> pieces of multiple sample legal documents is not automatically a solid
> legal document, no matter how solid the source documents were.

... And if a document is filled with all sorts of legal equivocations
that make it appear that it has the "Weasel Nature," who will want to
sign off on it?

Major "red flags" to the would-be signers...

> Summary: I think a lot of people are going to be very wary of
> involvement in future TLUG / GTAlug events and our public image, such as
> it is, is going to suffer unless we can get a handle on some of these
> issues and concerns.

Yeah.  And when people *start* by throwing around words like "libel,"
that can't be good.
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