Re: AGA- Conflict of Interest in the go game community

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: You haven't seen nothing yet. According to a report from the AGA Governance and Policy Committee to the Board of Directors on the issue of conflict of interest. The AGA decided that it 'must be independent of outside influences. To best preserve this independence, the AGA agreed that the members of the Board of Directors must be free of any financial interest in any Go activity, and free from significant affiliation with non-AGA Go organizations.' (See the following site for reference). : http://www.hilltopgo.com/agej/2003/conflict0407.html : (In case of a cover-up, the AGA may tear down this site. But I have downloaded the entire article and can post it here if they do try to cover their asses.) : In the report, an example is given that all five AGA board of directors found it strongly unacceptable for a candidate who is an active managing partner in a for profit Go book or equipment publisher or distributor to become a board member. : Bill Cobb is an active managing partner in a for profit Go book or equipment publisher. The question is why is he qualified for being a board of director of the American Go Association? : The answer is simple. The buddy-buddy system is far more important than ethics. The AGA is hopelessly corrupt... : Nomad : : No wonder the E-Journal of AGA has been exclusively promoting the products of Bill Cobbs' company. I understand Bill Cobb is the righthand man of the editor of the E-Journal and a board member of the American Go Association. There is definitely a conflict of interest. The corruption of the AGA is astounding! : : Nathan : : : : : The biggest concern as someone pointed out is the Ing money. The Ing Foundation gives the American Go Association (AGA) $100,000 per year to promote Go. Now with AGA's officers having commercial interests in Go, the money can easily be used to promote their own interests and may even end up in the pockets of the AGA officers. This is absolutely unethical! : : : B.T. : : : : I am amazed to learn that some AGA officers are : : : : setting up their own company in the Go business, : : : : went after Yutopian's go game products and even : : : : sued them when they refused to give up their rights. : : : : How can the AGA be impartial in dealing with the : : : : vendors, and how can these AGA officers who have : : : : commercial interest delineate between the AGA's : : : : interest and that of themselves. I see a : : : : serious conflict of interest here. : : : : Jonathan 2d*

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