Re: [gentoo-project] Re: [gentoo-nfp] 2021 Trustees election

[Aaron Bauman <bman@gentoo.org>]

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On Tue, Jul 06, 2021 at 06:12:42PM -0700, Matt Turner wrote:
> On Tue, Jul 6, 2021 at 3:27 PM Aaron Bauman <bman@gentoo.org> wrote:
> >
> > On Tue, Jul 06, 2021 at 02:57:38PM -0700, Matt Turner wrote:
> > > On Tue, Jul 6, 2021 at 2:32 PM Micha?? Górny <mgorny@gentoo.org> wrote:

<snip>

> In fact you didn't, and that is not the perception I was left with
> from our conversation. I suggest that you reread our conversation,
> because I don't think you have an accurate memory of it.
> 
> 18:25 <@   mattst88> | I'm also disappointed that some Trustees that
> were elected on a platform of merging the Foundation into an
> umbrella... don't seem to have done anything towards that goal
> 18:25 <FreedomBear> | mattst88: It is a long process...
> 18:25 <FreedomBear> | mattst88: of course, I think some opinions have changed :)
> 18:26 <@   mattst88> | It is, but I see mgorny (not a Trustee)
> reaching out to umbrella orgs, not Trustees
> 18:26 <FreedomBear> | mattst88: he requested to do so and it was
> approved by the trustees.
> 18:26 <@   mattst88> | I think he took the initiative because it
> wasn't happening otherwise
> 18:26 <@FreedomBear> | Fair enough.
>

There was much more to the conversation than just this. Please don't
pick and choose what you present.

> Obviously the financial work Robin has done is valuable and necessary
> if we're to merge into an umbrella organization. I was not referring
> to him when I wrote the first line in that snippet.
>

The entire year was focused on righting taxes. This was clearly
communicated through several bugs, emails (from the Foundation
president), #gentoo-trustees, and -nfp mails. There are some emails
which go to trustees@ but these are not public and are communications
with the tax people.

> At no point in the conversation did you give an HTTP link. You said
> basically: it's on the Wiki and Bugzilla. Before today, there were
> only two minor edits to
> https://wiki.gentoo.org/index.php?title=Foundation:FoundationFutureState
> since September 2020. Is that an accurate picture of the Trustees'
> progress? I have no idea.
>

It is all out there. Go look for it... or ask for a specific link. I did
ask what else could be done to smooth communication. If asked, I would
have provided a direct link.

> There are no non-trivial changes to
> https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Foundation:Main_Page this year. The
> https://wiki.gentoo.org/wiki/Foundation:Main_Page#Board_Minutes
> section ends in 2018 with no explanation as to why.
> 
> The Foundation:Main_Page doesn't even have an accurate "Last elected"
> date for the President.
> 

I think this is accurate as he has served consecutive terms.

> I'm unsure what you find disagreeable about what I said?
>

It is the manner in which you do it. You throw stones instead of asking
questions or requesting information. If you care enough... ask. I was
more than willing to support with my broad offer and request to
facilitate better communications as seen on IRC.

> On IRC I asked how I could follow what the Trustees do, and you said:
> 
> 18:32 <@   mattst88> | right. I meant, is there evidence of activity?
> presumably I can't just add myself to the trustees@ alias, so if I
> wanted to follow along I should... watch bugzilla?
> 18:33 <FreedomBear> | mattst88: bugzilla for sure. Wiki has the
> account information.
> 
> But I'm not sure if Bugzilla contains everything. Presumably not. For
> example, it seems that a Trustee contacted the Linux Foundation in
> February and March [1]. I only learned about that because I saw
> robbat2 ask alicef in #gentoo-dev to summarize it for the Wiki. Robin
> added a bunch of information to that page today, and that's great, but
> probably insufficient as a general strategy for keeping Foundation
> members informed.
> 

So, you would like a better flow of information. That is fair and should
be addressed.

> > Yet, here you are publically tossing out false information based on
> > your imperfect perception.
> 
> It's probably not a great strategy to scold people for not knowing
> what you know, when you're failing to document what you know...
> 

See above.

> Anway, I'm not sure what's false about my statement, but this is kind
> of my point precisely!
> 
> I don't know what the Trustees do. I don't mean in general; I know you
> approve funds, etc. But like, what things have you actually done in
> the last $timeframe?
> 

Do you have some specific question? Do you think we should be doing
other things than what we are tasked with as a Foundation? Do you have a
recommendation?

> The Council has monthly meetings with logs and summaries. Trustees
> have one annual meeting. Obviously the Trustees do things between
> annual meetings. How can anyone stay informed?
> 

This is understandable, they have a need for such things as day-to-day
project requirements drive such meeting frequency. 

Do you think the trustees should meet monthly? We have done this before,
but it was not very productive as most tasks, outside of approving
funds, are longer term.

> Maybe you could just clearly state what you've done towards the goal
> of merging the Foundation into an umbrella org? (I thought that at
> least at one point you were against that, so I'm not even completely
> sure of your position!) Maybe you're all working tirelessly to this
> end, but if you are, I'm almost completely unaware of it, and I don't
> think that's for lack of attention on my part.
> 

I have not done anything to assist in dissolving the Foundation as a
trustee. I don't agree that an umbrella is right for Gentoo. We can
discuss this further on another thread on -nfp if you like. I,
personally, have stated this across many mediums.

The dissolution of the Foundation is what Alec proposed in his trustee
manifesto. 

Aside from this, one critical factor of doing so (as you have noted) is
correcting the taxes which has been completed. This too was communicated
in official letters to -nfp and "President Updates".

-Aaron

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