To: "SMOF Net" (Recipients redacted)
From: "Greenpeace Crolis" (fairy@prometheus_forge.fen)
Subj: Re: Callout To The Mad Assistants (and everyone else)
Date: 2015.07.22-1335UTC
You know, reading the proposal makes me realise that A.C. is rather mild for a Mad.
No, I’m not joking.
In many ways, people (I’m including the Danes here) seem to forget Mads are people too. There are always more than two sides of a coin to deal with. There can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution; what an individual Mad needs is dependent on the Mad.
This whole proposal changes Mad from a label to a legal and/or medical definition. Discrimination WILL increase because of it, no matter how it is defined. There are already not-a-lawyers on the Interwave that are pointing out the pre-emptive banning of the Professor from various ports is very likely against current anti-discrimination laws.
Still, brief consultation from the rest of us here (baring A.C., who just slumped reading about the fallout AGAIN) has brought up the following points of discussion:
1) Dealing with the nay-sayers
There will be times where, no matter how much support there is or what benefits there are from having assistants, a proto-mad will be on their own. How do we deal with those nobody knows about? Quite frankly, the Convention can’t force them to advertise or to have assistants.
Then there are people who don’t see themselves/their companions AS needing help. In many ways, we on the Forge are a good example. We see ourselves as FAMILY, and everybody gets keeping things in the family. That has good points and bad points, and we’re QUITE aware of them.
This is going to need a massive public awareness campaign, and a careful one at that.
2) Backup.
One thing we didn’t see was how to manage an Assistant needing a holiday, being ill, or just plain quitting due to outside circumstance. Does that mean there has to be a pool of temporary Assistants, distributed all over Fenspace? You can all think of issues with that.
One thing we have on the Forge is space for all of us to de-stress. Eddie half-joked about having science parks; places where Mads and their Assistants could come to have a holiday, while close enough to some labs/workshops and associated crews to deal with a Blue Hair Day. Possibly by the major universities/institutes.
3) Contracts and Privacy
This may come as a surprise, but there are times where Mads work to order. Shocking isn’t it? It’s not like any other highly skilled person does the same.
Basically, there will be times where the Assistants may want to discuss these events BUT doing so will either violate confidentiality or the privacy of the customer. There are existing laws dealing with that, and at the very least it could destroy the trust between Mad and Assistant (not something that is wanted). Ultimately, a Convention backed support net will end up liable for such. Does it want to be?
Regards,
Greenpeace
From: "Greenpeace Crolis" (fairy@prometheus_forge.fen)
Subj: Re: Callout To The Mad Assistants (and everyone else)
Date: 2015.07.22-1335UTC
You know, reading the proposal makes me realise that A.C. is rather mild for a Mad.
No, I’m not joking.
In many ways, people (I’m including the Danes here) seem to forget Mads are people too. There are always more than two sides of a coin to deal with. There can be no ‘one-size-fits-all’ solution; what an individual Mad needs is dependent on the Mad.
This whole proposal changes Mad from a label to a legal and/or medical definition. Discrimination WILL increase because of it, no matter how it is defined. There are already not-a-lawyers on the Interwave that are pointing out the pre-emptive banning of the Professor from various ports is very likely against current anti-discrimination laws.
Still, brief consultation from the rest of us here (baring A.C., who just slumped reading about the fallout AGAIN) has brought up the following points of discussion:
1) Dealing with the nay-sayers
There will be times where, no matter how much support there is or what benefits there are from having assistants, a proto-mad will be on their own. How do we deal with those nobody knows about? Quite frankly, the Convention can’t force them to advertise or to have assistants.
Then there are people who don’t see themselves/their companions AS needing help. In many ways, we on the Forge are a good example. We see ourselves as FAMILY, and everybody gets keeping things in the family. That has good points and bad points, and we’re QUITE aware of them.
This is going to need a massive public awareness campaign, and a careful one at that.
2) Backup.
One thing we didn’t see was how to manage an Assistant needing a holiday, being ill, or just plain quitting due to outside circumstance. Does that mean there has to be a pool of temporary Assistants, distributed all over Fenspace? You can all think of issues with that.
One thing we have on the Forge is space for all of us to de-stress. Eddie half-joked about having science parks; places where Mads and their Assistants could come to have a holiday, while close enough to some labs/workshops and associated crews to deal with a Blue Hair Day. Possibly by the major universities/institutes.
3) Contracts and Privacy
This may come as a surprise, but there are times where Mads work to order. Shocking isn’t it? It’s not like any other highly skilled person does the same.
Basically, there will be times where the Assistants may want to discuss these events BUT doing so will either violate confidentiality or the privacy of the customer. There are existing laws dealing with that, and at the very least it could destroy the trust between Mad and Assistant (not something that is wanted). Ultimately, a Convention backed support net will end up liable for such. Does it want to be?
Regards,
Greenpeace