[MLB-WIRELESS] ITNews Story.

[Steven Haigh]

This has been brought to my attention already...

I have sent email to both the editor and the "journalist" in regards to how the quotes he used have been twisted to make us look like the bad guys. There are numerous factual and contextual problems with the article as published... This leads the reader to the wrong impression. I am still waiting for their reply.

At no point did I say that we're trying to provide an internet service to members. I said that it's under investigation, and when asked if it will be connected to the internet, I said "Not yet, but you never know what happens" it might be one day.

"However, Melbourne Wireless' approach has drawn ire from other community organisations and wireless gear suppliers."
I would like to see where this claim comes from? We have had a lot of support from lots of companies, individuals, and have been well received by other community groups. Hardware manufacturers have been offering their support and asking how they can make some products more suitable to our needs. The only 'ire' I am aware of is that of certain members of particular groups in Sydney - none of which have attended any meetings or given any input to working groups, but frequently fire shots at our mailing list on how things should be run. I don't know exactly how AWA / Sydney Wireless is run or operated, so I don't fire shots at them on their lists. I think the same is fair to expect from Sydney-siders, don't you?

The article also quoted: 

"In Melbourne, Haigh said spectrum pollution complaints made against the Melbourne Wireless by Adelaide-based Integrity Data Systems were dismissed by the ACA, claiming that none of the access points that were the subject of complaints were found to be operating illegally. "Everything we do is compliant with the class licence," he said"

This is also untrue. No complaints have been received by Melbourne Wireless from IDS. IDS have however claimed that some individual operators - that have no relation what-so-ever with Melbourne Wireless - had been exceeding the class license limits, yet from our discussions with the ACA, all parties that IDS have informed the ACA about, have been operating within the class license limits. The ACA has not contacted Melbourne Wireless regarding *any* possible breaches of the class license.

I'm willing to put this article down as bad journalism at the moment, but as I said, am still waiting for a reply from it-news regarding the article. As they say, badly written and controversial articles give more hits and mean more advertising dollars, so I'm not expecting them to change it anytime soon...

Signed,
Steven Haigh
President - Melbourne Wireless
www.wireless.org.au


  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: xfesty 
  To: syd-wireless at lists.sydneywireless.com 
  Cc: melbwireless at wireless.org.au 
  Sent: Tuesday, July 23, 2002 3:48 PM
  Subject: [MLB-WIRELESS] ITNews Story.


  http://www.itnews.com.au/story.cfm?ID=10341

  Just read that URL.  I'm a slight bit peeved after reading it.  I don't
  understand how one man could make Melb Wireless look so freakin' bad.

  I think this one quote is relevant, where the incompetency shines out:

  > Melbourne Wireless president Steven Haigh said his organisation is not
  trying to undercut the ISPs. "At the moment, we are not trying to rival the
  ISPS at all," he said.
  > "Not yet, but you never know what happens," he added.

  ....thankyou for the great representation of community networks, Mr. "War on ISP's".

  I've not heard a lot from Haigh, but I've heard him *continually* contradict
  himself, and generally make Melbourne Wireless (and community wireless
  groups in general) look very taunting to telecommunication corporations.
  Its evident even in that one article.  Thank god Duane has half a clue on
  how to explain things, which stopped the article from going the way it
  seemed to be headed.

  I'm strongly of the opinion that Haigh may mean the end of free community
  wireless in Australia.  Statements that he makes *all the time* is going to
  get us killed.  The reason we are here is because this is a hobby, not
  because we're deliberately trying to rip off a company.  Our represented
  attitudes is directly dependent on how the 'giants' handle us.  I honestly
  do believe its possible that they could kill us completely off, if they
  wanted.

  Melb Wireless - I'm not sure if I'm the only one who feels this way, but you
  may want to re-evaluate who you have as your head man.  Remember - these
  people are representing YOU, and the future of community networks.
  Personally I'm satisfied with people like Craig and Duane, who in media-type
  situations have expressed the community's general interest accurately, and
  not make us look like a bunch of warez kiddies.  That's certainly not why
  I'm here.

  My general problem is the fact that anything Haigh says to represent Melb Wireless just doesn't nessecarily reflect them; it actually reflects any community group in Australia.  And as a result of that, we get the repercussions of such statements that he may make.  I'm not comfortable with that, or the way things may be headed if this keeps up.

  I think we all need to look at the big picture again and realise why we want
  this.  People are getting a /tad/ distracted.

  - Ryan

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