Free Speech Union meltdown and failure to take over Internet NZ
Free Speech Union’s bid to reshape InternetNZ: The results are in, with a late twist – Tech Insider
The Free Speech Union has only been partially successful in its bid to take over InternetNZ, gaining a seat on the board but suffering a series of knockbacks at the non-profit’s annual general meeting.
Earlier this year, the Free Speech Union (FSU) encouraged its members to join InternetNZ, the non-profit that administers the 750,000 or so websites with a .nz domain.
FSU chief executive Jonathan Ayling saw a constitutional review opening the door to co-governance and setting up InternetNZ as a “judge and jury” in free speech controversies (Tech Insider found the draft constitution heavy on what Ayling might call “woke” language but light on specifics about diversity, veering InternetNZ towards maintaining its primary focus on its technical role).
Membership surge
A surge of people duly joined InternetNZ (annual dues: $21). As of February 1, the incorporated society had 383 members, a number its chairman Stephen Judd said had been stable for years.
By the time of its board election and annual meeting last week there were 4462 eligible voting members.
Things hung in the balance, with it not being clear how many of the newcomers had answered Ayling’s call and how many were aiming to counter the FSU incursion.
Auditor Grant Thornton says 62.4% of eligible members cast votes – up from 43% last year.
FSU wins one of two open seats, none of 12 motions
Two of eight board positions were up for grabs, with 13 candidates in contention.
Ayling won one of the open seats with 929 votes.
The other was picked up by Dylan Reeve (1372 votes), whose varied career includes being the creative partner to journalist David Farrier, who will never make the FSU’s Christmas card list.
…Bahahahahahaha!
FSU only won 1 seat, while Dylan Reeve picked up the other thanks to the counter protest against FSU.
Now Dylan and I loath each other, he’s as woke as woke gets and his deplorable Mr Organ which was a taxpayer funded revenge fantasy for David Farrier is possibly the worst journalism this country has ever seen, but as a guardian of the Internet I would prefer Dylan over the FSU any day of the week.
So the counter protest to FSU attempting a right wing take over of Internet NZ mattered, but then it gets really weird, for no reason whatsoever, FSU chief executive Jonathan Ayling has suddenly resigned from the FSU…
In a twist, Ayling quit as FSU chief executive on Saturday. No reason was given for his departure after four years in the role and he could not be immediately reached for comment.
…well, well, well.
Now why did he resign?
In the interests of free speech, let’s allow the FSU to explain things before TDB publishes what we’ve been told.
In the interests of Free Speech of course.
Why are the FSU looking so nervous?
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha.
Cough. Sorry.
Please, let’s hear the offical explanation from the Free Speech Union as to why their Chief Executive suddenly resigned.
We are waiting and totally support free speech, so please enlighten us with your free speech.
Please, speak up Comrades, we can’t hear you back here.
Increasingly having independent opinion in a mainstream media environment which mostly echo one another has become more important than ever, so if you value having an independent voice – please donate here.
The FSU has been coming under criticism from its controllers for not supporting zionist suppression of human speech enough, so that’s likely the reason for the resignation.