On 15:17 Tue 16 Aug     , Rich Freeman wrote:
> What kind of conflict are we actually talking about?  It isn't a 
> conflict of interest to hold an opinion.  It is only a conflict if the 
> personal interests of a council member aren't aligned with the 
> interests of the developer community as a whole.
> 
> If a Council member has been investigating a situation closely, then 
> my feeling is that they're in a BETTER position to evaluate the 
> situation and not a worse one.  The DevRel process is not an 
> adversarial one.
> 
> If we as a community can't trust somebody's ability to be 
> professional, then the last thing we should do is elect them to the 
> Council.  Keep in mind that Developers only can lose their status if 
> they really tick a lot of people off.  Council members lose their 
> status by default every 12 months.
> 
> Is there a problem here that actually needs to be solved?  Can 
> somebody point to a recent situation where a conflict of interest 
> between a Council member and a developer led to a decision that a 
> majority of the community would consider inappropriate?

I don't normally post +1, but to get my opinion out as a council member 
I will do so. I agree with Rich 1000% on everything he's said in this 
thread.

-- 
Thanks,
Donnie

Donnie Berkholz
Council Member / Sr. Developer
Gentoo Linux
Blog: http://dberkholz.com