If Kage is a member of the IARP, then I would agree that is dubious, though I never knew he was a member.
I think for his sake, and for IARP's if this was one of those "honorary member" things (which I'm guessing it is since I doubt Kage, other than hosting them at a con, actually does any data work) that has no meaning then it would probably be in Kage's and IARP's best interest to call it off. Because this 'honorary title' does generate the question if Kage's questioning of other research inquiries as legitimate or as politically motivated, as clearly shown here.
Is Kevin doing unethical things? Sure, but the 'shining light' gets a little blurrier when Kevin could equally accuse the IARP research team as conspiring to influence the furry convention runners by indoctrinating their leaders. Two wrongs clearly don't lead a right and Kevin will probably have to deal with the ethics bored for his acts, but I'm sure if he wants to argue or make the fight bigger and take down the accusers with him he could raise the ethical concerns you raise here as a 'revenge' offensive.
So if there there is no reason for giving Kage the membership other than "being nice" or a "friendly gesture". It may be a gift with too much a cost that can only harm both the recipient and the giver, and so should be discarded.
But on that other vain, the quote is from JM from this article. The quote still does not prove that the reason that Kevin was rejected from researching at MFF was because of any grand conspiracy between Kage, Gerbasi, and MFF. It seems like all of this 'conflict' outlined in the article between the IARP and Kevin accured in Feb - Mar of this year. So in fact, MFF, independently, said "No" to Kevin even before all this (in 2013), and Kevin didn't know "no means no".
If Kage is a member of the IARP, then I would agree that is dubious, though I never knew he was a member.
I think for his sake, and for IARP's if this was one of those "honorary member" things (which I'm guessing it is since I doubt Kage, other than hosting them at a con, actually does any data work) that has no meaning then it would probably be in Kage's and IARP's best interest to call it off. Because this 'honorary title' does generate the question if Kage's questioning of other research inquiries as legitimate or as politically motivated, as clearly shown here.
Is Kevin doing unethical things? Sure, but the 'shining light' gets a little blurrier when Kevin could equally accuse the IARP research team as conspiring to influence the furry convention runners by indoctrinating their leaders. Two wrongs clearly don't lead a right and Kevin will probably have to deal with the ethics bored for his acts, but I'm sure if he wants to argue or make the fight bigger and take down the accusers with him he could raise the ethical concerns you raise here as a 'revenge' offensive.
So if there there is no reason for giving Kage the membership other than "being nice" or a "friendly gesture". It may be a gift with too much a cost that can only harm both the recipient and the giver, and so should be discarded.
But on that other vain, the quote is from JM from this article. The quote still does not prove that the reason that Kevin was rejected from researching at MFF was because of any grand conspiracy between Kage, Gerbasi, and MFF. It seems like all of this 'conflict' outlined in the article between the IARP and Kevin accured in Feb - Mar of this year. So in fact, MFF, independently, said "No" to Kevin even before all this (in 2013), and Kevin didn't know "no means no".