First Rule Of The New British Computer Society Is You Don't Question The BCS... Or It Threatens You With Libel

from the a-healthy-exchange-of-opinions dept

Well, this is nice. Apparently, the British Computer Society (BCS) is undergoing a £5 million effort to rebrand the group and make it appear more like a professional society (such as various doctors' groups) rather than "a club for enthusiasts." However, many members aren't happy with this whole process and how the money is being spent, so they asked for an Extraordinary General Meeting to cast a vote of "no confidence" in the board of trustees for spending so much money on something they don't believe in. Fair enough. Except... as Glyn Moody alerts us, one BCS trustee is so upset with the calls for an EGM he has threatened to sue those who called for it with libel charges.

But now one of the trustees, Ken Olisa, has sought the immediate retraction of what he regards as libellous remarks made in calling for an EGM.

In an email to one of the critics, Olisa demanded "that you and the other 5 signatories withdraw the unwarranted slur on my good name, apologise forthwith (copying the recipients of your message) and undertake in the same correspondence not to repeat the libel".

The email added: "I take my reputation very seriously and will have no hesitation in pursuing you and your co-signatories in the Courts unless I receive an unequivocal apology."

Nice to see the folks in charge of the BCS are embracing open discussion, huh?

As for the general discussion, the members of BCS who are worried about this have every reason to be. The move to make BCS more like a professional society are almost certainly not in the best interests of the profession. Historically, such professional groups tend to move strongly towards protectionist policies that hinder such groups and keep them out of step with the times and the market.

Filed Under: british computer society, libel, uk