TI entschuldigt sicht - TI apologizes

Wau, I habe gerade gelesen, daß TI sich irgendwie bei Moni entschuldigt hat. Sie schreibt: "Der Inhalt dieses Briefes hat in den Punkten, die für mich entscheidend sind, hinreichende Aussagen getroffen und so freue ich mich, dass diese Auseinandersetzung nun beendet ist." Offensichtlich schenken die höheren Kader der Organisation den Graffiti auf den "Klowände des Internets" doch etwas Beachtung.

Moni's Geschichte war aber leider nur ein Beispiel in der deutschen Abmahnlawine. Schon geht es weiter und die Meinungsfreiheit wird Bröckchen für Bröckchen auch im Internet herausgeklagt.


Wow, I just read, that TI has somehow apologized to Moni. She writes that "[t]he content of the letter made satisfactory statements regarding issues that were decisive to me, and I am glad that the controversy is over now." Apparently, higher-ups in the organization do pay some attention to the graffiti on the "Toilet Stalls of the Internet" (a derogatory term for blogs in Germany which, much like the whole pyjama affair, became a badge of pride to the blogging "proletariat").

Unfortunately, Moni's story was just an example of the cease-and-desist avalanche hitting Germany. Already it continues. With each (pur)suit, freedom of expression is expelled bit by bit from the Internet.

Vaudeville and Ethics

Hallo Mutti. 'Tschuldige, daß das hier alles gerade nur englischsprachig ist, aber wenn es um Meinungsfreiheit geht, muß ich meinen Beitrag leisten. Wir reden am Telefon darüber...

After translating Moni's original post and TI's press release that was caused by it, I thought that I definitely needed to translate the email she got from the legal advisor and ethics commissary Prof. Dr. Marten. After reading it, you might wonder where this guy got his ethics from. Apparently Jürgen used to be a show entertainer and lawyer in East Germany. (I kid you not!)

Anyway, here is his message he sent her on Friday, 3/24/2006, as quoted in the "Unexpected Email from legal advisor, got until Sunday to decide" post by Moni:

---

Dear Mrs. xxx,

At the address http://wasweissich.twoday.net/stories/1407348/ within the European web hosting service twoday.net operated by Knallgrau New Media Solutions GmbH, you placed a text into the web that substantially violates the personality rights of the organization represented by me. This text is evidently based on information from our former employee Mrs. xxx, who has to be accused of considerable infringements as well.

Essentially, the allegations brought forth by you do not correspond to the facts. In the case of evaluations on your part, you are liable of unlawful slander.

I will spare myself the explication of details for now, and instead give you the opportunity to remove the text from the web immediately, no later than 3/26/2006, 12:00 am.

Should this not occur, I am already notifying you of a cease-and-desist letter and, if necessary, a cease-and-desist order. I am assuming that you are aware of the resulting legal and also financial consequences to you.

Sincerely,

---

Mkay... I'm gonna go take a shower now. I feel all... hairy.

Transparency Germany Press Release

Here is the translation of the press release by Transparency Germany, that was apparently pulled just hours later. (Can they do that?) I found a copy of it here. Alas, the salary numbers are x-ed out...

Anyway, notice how they corroborate Moni's story but still call her a liar? Yep, that's some quality German PR...

The friend of a former employee published an account about a terminated work relationship between a friend and Transparency Germany (TI) in her Weblog "“Gedankenträger"”. The contents of this post did, for the most part, not correspond to the facts and conveyed to the readers the impression that the former employee was treated unfairly.

Fact is that the work relationship was not continued at the end of the probationary period, as the former employee made the increase in work hours dependent on salary demands, which could not be fulfilled on the part of TI. Since her job interview, the employee was aware that the initially agreed upon number of hours of 20 hours per week was to be increased at the end of the probationary period. The initially arranged salary for 20 work hours per week was XXXX Euro per month without deductions. The employee demanded a salary of XXXX Euro per month without deductions for the increased time of 30 work hours per week. The yearly budget of a non-profit non-governmental organization like Transparency Germany (see http://www.transparency.de/Jahresabschluss_2004.70.0.html) and the consideration of the salaries of other employees of the organization does not permit pay raises such as this.

Per communication of our legal advisor, the blogger was asked to remove the post due to the misrepresentations within, which actually happened in the meantime.

We abstained deliberately from a cease-and-desist letter in the communication and granted the blogger an opportunity to remove the text. No legal or financial ramifications arose for the blogger.

Transparency Germany has acknowledged the discussions in the blogs regarding this subject. We are of the opinion that weblogs should not be abused as platform for dissemination of misrepresentations.

Transparency Germany

Hier mal ein kleiner Dienst für Moni auf dieser normalerweise unpolitischen Familienseite. Meine bescheidenen Übersetztungstalente müssen doch auch mal für was gut sein. Falls ihr diese ganze Geschichte nicht kennt, könnt ihr hier, hier und hier(Tagesschau mal parteiisch und schlecht recherchiert, wow) und hier auch und dann noch hier und hier und hier nachlesen.


Here is a small service for Moni on this usually unpolitical family page. My humble translation talents have to be good for something. If you don't know this story, you can read about it here, here, here and here, also here.

Translation of "Transparency Deutschland" blog post on gedankenträger: Links to copy of original post (cached version of original)

A friend of mine, who has to take care of a three and a half year old son, has just been fired under totally unacceptable circumstances after her probationary period. She used to work at Transparency Germany, the German chapter of the non-governmental organization Transparency International, who pledged themselves against corruption in businesses. She worked there 20 hours a week for 1000 Euros gross, with a finished degree, several years of job experience etc. She only survived, because she also worked as a freelance journalist on top of that.

After the managing director told her that she was doing an excellent job, she asked my friend if she could increase from 20 to 30 hours after the probationary period. This of course meant that my friend would had to give up her freelance work and live only on their salary, so she made a salary demand, to receive 1400 Euros after deductions for 30 hours. If that was not possible, my friend offered to stay with the 20 hours and 1000 Euros without deductions. Next there was a board meeting and after that my friends manager informed her in brief that she would be let go at the end of her probationary period. Without an offer, without any negotiation, without any further talk even.

The manager told her about her successor, too: concerning a woman, who was applying for a different position and said right at the job interview that the low salary would not be a problem, her husband earned enough, and she did not really need the money. That's how quick and easy things go. No solutions that everybody can live with are pursued, just a simple switch made. In a job market situation, in which so many are depending on the work and the money, they are hiring highly qualified people for a pittance and then swap them out, as soon as they find somebody, who does not even use the money, even if they were very satisfied with the work. My friend is now left there with her kid and her freelance work, which by itself is not securing her survival. Things like that seem to be “normal” nowadays? But truly not with an NGO, who fly the banner of morals and ethics and whose basic tenets include integrity. This is a real disappointment.

[Jan 29, 2006: More than two weeks ago, my friend wrote a letter to the board, which, to this day, has not received a reply.]

Schnee! - Snow!

Vor ein paar Wochen bekamen wir endlich auch ein bißchen Schnee hier im niederschlagsarmen Arizona (143 Tage kein Regen). Es schneite zwei Tage lang und ich war froh, daß ich vorsorglich etwas Holz gespalten hatte. Das Feuer prasselte rund um die Uhr im Ofen. Die wenigen nassen Holzscheite trockneten wir auf dem Ofen und der Duft des Wacholders durchzog alle Zimmer.

A few weeks ago we finally got some snow in arid Arizona (no rain for 143 days). It snowed for two days and I was glad I had split some wood beforehand. The fire crackled in the stove round the clock. We dried the few wet logs on the stove and the smell of juniper pervaded all rooms.





Dieser Reichtum an winterlicher Freude mußte natürlich sofort ausgenutzt werden, da es in ein paar Tagen wieder verschwinden würde. Der Schnee war zu pulverig um einen Schneemann zu bauen, aber für Schnee-Engel und Schneeballschlachten war es genau richtig.

This wealth of wintery joy had to be exploited immediately, as it would vanish in a few days time. The snow was too powdery for a snowman, but just right for snow angels and snowball fights.









In zwei Tagen war alles vorüber. Es schmolz übernacht. Was blieb waren ein paar schmutzige Schneeflecken im Schatten der Felsen und die Erinnerung an einen Wintertag mit den Kindern.

After two days, everything was over. It melted overnight. All that remained was a few dirty snow patches in the shadow of the rocks and the memory of a winter day with the kids.

Arbeit, Arbeit, Arbeit! - Work, work, work!

Nur damit ihr wisst, warum ich in letzter Zeit so selten blogge; ich habe für dieses neue deutsche Unternehmen namens Hitec Security gearbeitet, das Sicherheitstechnik vertreibt. Ich schrieb alle Originaltexte und übersetzte eine Schiffsladung englischer Produktbeschreibungen. Schaut Euch doch mal die fertige Webseite an. (Sagt bescheid, wenn ihr Schreibfehler seht! :-D )

[Update 02-02-2006: Ich sehe gerade, daß die Webseite doch noch nicht fertig ist. Das dauert wohl noch etwas, bis sie den Produktkatalog online schalten...]

[Update 16-03-2006: Aha! Nun ist sie endlich komplett online. Viel Spaß beim shoppen! ;-)]


Just to let you know, why I have not been blogging very frequently lately; I've been working for this German security start-up called Hitec Security. I wrote all the original copy and translated a shipload of English product descriptions. Check out the finished web site.

[Update 2/2/2006: I just saw that the web site is not done yet. It is probably going to take some time, before they make the product catalog available online...]

[Update 3/16/2006: Aha! It's finally completely online, although the English is rather spotty. I guess I'll have to translate my original German text into English eventually, duh! Anyway, have fun shopping! ;-)]

Erbnil - Go Chica

Obwohl ich dort mehrere Jahre gelebt habe, kann ich mich auf dieser neuartigen Karte des öffentlichen Verkehrs in Berlin kaum zurecht finden. Warum ist das bloß....

Noch mehr Karten gibt's hier. Vielen Dank Seb!


Even though I just was there for Christmas, I have a hard time finding my way around this transit map of Chicago. I wonder why...

More maps, including one of Berlin, here. Thanks Seb!