Vegan Society elections

[Guest guest]

In message <1160395777.73.18424.m20 >,

writes

 

> Posted by: " Ian McDonald " ian  

> Sun Oct 8, 2006 5:01 pm (PST)

>

>I'm not happy that the Vegan Society website is being used to take sides in the

>election,

>but all's fair in love, war, and general elections, I suppose.

>

>Could we possibly get it moved off the home page? The independent " Message from

>Fellow Vegan

>Society Members " went only to Vegan Society members[1]. But the home page tells

>every journalist who might

>cover World Vegan Day.

>

> [1] The message has " for full members of the Vegan Society only " at the

> top of every page in block capitals.

 

As a journalist, I can only say that that statement would make me more

rather than less interested in reading it! I didn't get the thing

myself, so don't know how widely it was originally circulated. Perhaps

Ian can help there? It did go to the staff, who were understandably

angry at the implication that it was somehow supposed to be in their

interests when apparently none of them knew anything about it.

They have also had to deal with constant phone calls from members -

hence perhaps the statement on the website.

 

The comment about the home page could be taken further if it seems worth

it, though I would prefer not to do this myself as I might be thought to

be biased in seeking to have the stuff on the website made less visible

(for the same reason, no doubt, I was not party to its composition or

appearance there). In any event, there is no reason why it should

remain there until anywhere near World Vegan Day and I will suggest that

it be removed well before then.

 

I agree that we don't want any more damage done to the Society's

reputation than has already been done, though the document to which Ian

refers has sadly already got much wider circulation than he states was

intended - as a result of recipients posting comments to forums such as

this. I therefore repeat my earlier plea that no one should indulge in

slanging matches on my behalf but note Ian's comments about the damaging

effect of this kind of stuff on the Society as a whole.

 

In the meantime, I hope that the great majority of members will consider

whatever evidence they can find in the various documents sent out to

them and vote according to conscience and common sense rather than with

their feet. I also hope that those of you are not members of the Vegan

Society will not be tempted to judge the Society or its staff on the

basis of the current rather unpleasant goings on.

 

Good wishes,

 

Vanessa (Clarke)

 

I add my surname to make it clear that I am emphatically NOT the Vanessa

whose name appears on the document to which Ian refers.

[Guest guest]

(Declaration of interest: I'm one of the names on the letter.)

 

Hi Vanessa,

 

I think moving the notice is worth it. If the website is going to say

something about a disagreement between members, then having a link to

" AGM Communications " would tell anyone who'd read the letter where to go

for another side of the story, without looking bad to folk who just

wanted diet advice. I take on board your point about World Vegan Day,

but there are still a lot of non-members who visit the website. I just

tried the word " vegan " in Google, and the society website was the first hit.

 

I don't believe anyone would think it biased if you asked - through your

role in the Information Group - for the notice to be moved away from the

home page.

 

Please?

 

Ian

 

interveg wrote:

 

> The comment about the home page could be taken further if it seems worth

> it, though I would prefer not to do this myself as I might be thought to

> be biased in seeking to have the stuff on the website made less visible

> (for the same reason, no doubt, I was not party to its composition or

> appearance there).

>

>

>

>