[Ma-linux] Extension to Tux.Org Board of Directors Elections deadline

[Julia Christianson]

Serge Wroclawski wrote:
> If you make voulenteering a clique activity, you will 
> burn people quickly, and they'll remember it.

I believe this is the core of the problem.  To my knowledge, both of the
truly shocking issues that I know about -- the mailserver fiasco and the
frozen funds (frozen much longer than a year; four iirc) -- happened
because people who were no longer active in the community remained in
control of the community's resources, and no one was willing to talk
about the issues in a public forum.  And as you say, many of us offered
to help, but received a "no thanks" response, if that.

>>So if you have a few moments, share what you think Tux.Org should be
>>doing.  Where should it be going? And without rehashing the mistakes of
>>the past, where should it not be going?

Nick didn't ask me, but I think two things would go a long way toward
making tux.org a viable institution.

(1) Transparency.  If you want people to feel a part of tux.org,
discussions of issues should be held in a public place.  This list would
be appropriate IMO, but if it can't take the load, a separate list
(tuxadvisors) would do -- but it needs to be openly listed among the
tux.org lists and people should be encouraged to join through messages
posted periodically on the other lists.  I've been on the ma-linux list
since 1998, and while I was aware of tuxadvisors, I was under the
impression that it was an invitation-only affair.   And as Serge says,
that's where discussions of the direction of the organization should
take place.  And there should be a website.  Yes, I know, tux.org ...
and there's even a small link at the bottom of the page for
"corporation" and another for "volunteers".  Both are incredibly out of
date, and the volunteers page says no volunteers are needed.  For
up-to-date information we must already know http://www.tux.org/~megan/
is the place to go.  And I cannot find meeting minutes later than 2003
posted anywhere.

(2) Mission.  I don't see a formal mission statement anywhere, and even
if there was one at some time in the past, the world has changed
enormously since the inception.  I suspect there is substantial
disagreement as to what the mission is, and that's a discussion that
needs to take place in public, if we expect people to feel they are part
of the organization.

Sorry to be so blunt, but I think it's time some of these issues got an
airing.  And of course, it's just one humble opinion.

-- Julia