hackathon hotel

[Theo de Raadt <deraadt_(_at_)_cvs_(_dot_)_openbsd_(_dot_)_org>]

The hotel where we will be holding our hackathon has been contacted
again by Mark West (the business manager in this case) and told that
they have to cancel the arrangements.

Contractually, they are required to pay 80% of the fee in cancellation.
That is something like 24K CDN.

The hotel has been told that this is a cancel, and that they are not
to permit the OpenBSD people to pay the balance due after that 80% payment
is made, (ie. 20%)

The hotel had been asked by me to also try to convince Mark West that
payment of the balance by OpenBSD (or me) was the sensible approach.
And the staff members I talked to there strongly believed that to be
the right thing.

According to the hotel person I talked to, Mark West said that having
us pay the balance had been discussed inside UPENN, but that it had
been decided not to permit that.  Mark West did not say who made that
decision, but it is clear to me that would be Jonathan Smith.  The
only persons involved in this are Jonathan Smith (PI for grant), and
Mark West (business manager).

This is an action of malice.  As far back as January, we received a
promise that the hackathon would happen because the hotel was funded,
and that nearly 60 people could go and order the airplane tickets they
have now bought with their own money.  A promise has not just been
broken, but an attempt is being made to disrupt something that we have
planned on for months.

Another piece of information I was told by the Hotel, is that they
were initially contacted by Mark West to cancel the booking before we
were made aware of the situation in the email shown below.  This means
the hotel received a around 1pm while this mail only arrived later.  Our
hotel was cancelled before we found out.

I've been hold back at publishing the above information, because I was
trying to solve it in the background.  If any of you can help apply
pressure regarding this, we would appreciate that.

Thanks.

The persons discussed above are:

	Jonathan M. Smith
	jms_(_at_)_central_(_dot_)_cis_(_dot_)_upenn_(_dot_)_edu
	215 898 9509
	609-306-0879 (mobile)

	Mark West
	mwest_(_at_)_central_(_dot_)_cis_(_dot_)_upenn_(_dot_)_edu


To: deraadt_(_at_)_openbsd_(_dot_)_org, drahn_(_at_)_openbsd_(_dot_)_org, derek_(_at_)_ihtfp_(_dot_)_com,
   angelos_(_at_)_cs_(_dot_)_columbia_(_dot_)_edu, ben_(_at_)_algroup_(_dot_)_co_(_dot_)_uk
cc: mwest_(_at_)_central_(_dot_)_cis_(_dot_)_upenn_(_dot_)_edu, jms_(_at_)_central_(_dot_)_cis_(_dot_)_upenn_(_dot_)_edu,
   sotiris_(_at_)_dsl_(_dot_)_cis_(_dot_)_upenn_(_dot_)_edu, gemilord_(_at_)_dsl_(_dot_)_cis_(_dot_)_upenn_(_dot_)_edu
Subject: The POSSE contract has been stopped effective today 4/17/03
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Date: Thu, 17 Apr 2003 16:18:49 EDT
From: "Jonathan M. Smith" <jms_(_at_)_central_(_dot_)_cis_(_dot_)_upenn_(_dot_)_edu>


Penn has been contacted by the Air Force and NO FURTHER COSTS MAY BE
INCURRED, effective today, 4/17/03. 

This means:

	1. All subcontracts are terminated, effective TODAY.
	2. No travel or equipment may be charged against POSSE.
	3. Penn must cancel/terminate contracts & obligations such
	as the Hyatt and travel not yet PAID. Mark, please carry this
	out ASAP per our contractual requirements with the government.

I am sorry to tell you that POSSE is over. 

Dale, Jason and Geoff, please contact me as soon as possible via telephone.

								-JMS