On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 10:46 AM, Rich Freeman <rich0@gentoo.org> wrote:

On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 12:03 PM, Daniel Robbins <drobbins@funtoo.org> wrote:
> On Mon, Feb 12, 2018 at 9:55 AM, William Hubbs <williamh@gentoo.org> wrote:
>>
>> The confusing thing about this is, how would we define "conflict of
>> interest"?
>>

Well, Google supplies this which seems reasonable:

"a situation in which a person is in a position to derive personal
benefit from actions or decisions made in their official capacity"

I think the definition in the world of Gentoo would be expanded to cover non-financial benefit, since Gentoo is a very egalitarian organization (unlike a for-profit company) and there is an expectation of impartiality. Also, in very few circumstances are the trustees or council voting on issues that even have the potential for financial benefit.

Well, nothing stops anybody from requesting anything, the question is
whether this is binding. You can't just leave it up to random
individuals to decide which specific Council/Trustee Members get to
vote on which issues, for reasons that I hope are obvious.

It wouldn't be binding but could be requested, and the council/trustees could decide whether the request is legitimate. Again, if there is the *perception* of a potential conflict of interest, that can be enough for someone to abstain from voting because it strengthens the legitimacy of the vote.

Of course, the trustees/council could choose to disregard silly/garbage requests. If they are a huuuuuge stretch, then declining them should not undermine the integrity of the vote in any way (because they would be pretty obviously based on paranoia or lack of true potential for conflict of interest by anyone who seriously looked at them.)

But I think it's helpful if any member can voice concern about a potential conflict of interest. If people have concerns about a lack of integrity in the process, it is best for them to be able to be voiced and addressed. I think we all want the votes of trustees and council to have weight and for everyone to have confidence in the voting process. This is a win-win for members and trustees/council. And as trust is built up over time, it just puts the council and trustees in a better position to move the project forward in a positive way and for everyone to feel good about the system we have here.

-Daniel