They've done it again...

[sirana]

...the SFWA just doesn't learn.
Emotional rants by Charlie Stross and
Cory Doctorow (as expected).
Objective and polite analysis by John Scalzi (as expected) .
*Sigh*

[gelee]

I just saw this over on Scalzi's webpage.  Seems a bit of a mess.

[Alasdair5000]

...the SFWA just doesn't learn.
Emotional rants by Charlie Stross and
Cory Doctorow (as expected).
Objective and polite analysis by John Scalzi (as expected) .
*Sigh*

FACEPALM

[DKT]

Seems like SFWA's having a really bad year...

[wakela]

Asimov's Estate: Hey, SFWA, Scribd is distributing pirated copies of Asimov's works.  Make 'em stop.
SFWA: Hey, Scribd, you guys are pirating copyrighted material.  Here's a list of stuff you must remove from your site.
Doctorow/Scalzi: Hey, SFWA, you jackasses.  You got our books taken off Scribd.  You can't do that.
SFWA: Whoops.  You're right.  Our bad.  We're sorry.  We won't do it again.

Is this that big a deal?  SFWA screwed up, admitted it, and apologized.  Doctorow's and Scalzi's stuff is currently available for download on Scribd.  It's a screw up, but is it a disaster?

What am I missing?

[DKT]

I think what you're missing is the link to Sirana's initial post (specifically the one written by Charlie Stross.  SFWA's appointment of the new committee's chair leaves a lot of people doubting whether or not it won't happen again. 

[sirana]

Also Scalzi's stuff never was taken down on scribd. He only weighed in because he is heavily invested in the SFWA and because he wants to get the new SFWA president.

[gelee]

My understanding was that the SFWA threatened Sribd with legal action if they didn't remove every article containing the word "Asimov", etc.  After the fact, someone pointed out to the folks on the anti-piracy comittee that something could mention Mr. Asimov without being written by him.  They apparently did not think of this.
So, they appointed a new committee, with a new name, consisting of the same people, chaired by the same guy who made the last blunder.
At least, that's the way it was presented by Scalzi, Gross, etc.

[wakela]

Yeah, I read the Stross article.  SFWA definitely screwed up.  But everyone screws up.  They admitted it and promised not to do it again.  The screw up doesn't seem to be malicious, it just seems to be a blunder.  Unless they habitually screw up, promise not to do it again, and do it again anyway, I don't see why this is so huge.  I see why he is complaining, but considering dropping out of SFWA and page-long rants on Boing Boing seems extreme.   
 

[sirana]

Andrew Burt has stepped down as chair of the Copyright Committee and Russel Davis will replace him. <a href="http://scalzi.com/whatever/?p=185" > Scalzi [/url] is very happy about it and I believe this could be the end of the whole ugly affair (dare we hope).
Now a conciliatory post by Cory and Charlie Stross would go a long way to mend fences.

[DKT]

Wowza.  Thanks for the heads-up!

[sirana]

Russel Davis <a href="http://community.livejournal.com/sfwa/39526.html" > Inauguration Speech [/url] ;-) is up on the SFWA livejournal and while I don't know much more about him than that he was the previous chair of the ePiracy Committee I like what he writes and I like his style.
He reaches out to scribd and stresses the importance of transparency and clear procedure.
What he writes sounds very formal, but I think this is a plus in his position, especially after the informal approach that Andrew Burt took.
I think the SFWA had enough drama for a while.   

BTW, anybody know what he has written fictionwise? I didn't find him on Google or Wikipedia (unless he is the television writer Russel T Davis, which I doubt.)

Edit: found him . he seems to like westerns...