Re: [gentoo-project] Re: [gentoo-dev] Special meeting [WAS: Council meeting summary for 8 May 2008]

[Richard Freeman]

Alistair Bush wrote:
> It really isn't the Councils decision and the only thing they can do to
> get themselves out of this situation is to hold an election. Firstly,
> even tho this is absolutely minor , GLEP 39 has been "breached" and it
> details what the solution is for that breach.  Therefore that solution,
> a new council via an election, _must_ be performed.
>

Uh - the word "must" is a bit strong.  Why "must" an election be 
performed?  GLEP 39 is a document several years old, that probably 
pre-dates half of the devs here, and most likely most of the ones that 
were around weren't really envisioning that it be used in this way today.

> If it isn't then we will no longer have a functioning Council with a
> mandate from the ppl!!! ( maybe a little over dramatic ).  There would
> be no requirement for anything they say to be enacted upon and the "shit
> would hit the fan". ( or would we just elect a new council and let them
> pretend to be the one true Council ).

First - I suspect that most devs don't really care a great deal about 
this issue - I doubt that the hundred-or-so required devs to fork a new 
distro are going to leave because a few people missed a scheduled 
meeting.  If the council announced that there would be a re-do of the 
meeting and a new discussion of GLEP 39 I doubt that people would start 
ignoring the resolutions of the council - particular those in key roles 
in the project (ie those with administrative access to project 
resources, the trustees, etc).  If the council announced new elections 
then everybody would start working towards new elections.

The council was elected because they already had the respect of most 
gentoo devs.  That isn't going to change simply because a few people 
missed a meeting.  Organizations aren't run by job titles unless those 
job titles come with the ability to sign paychecks.  They're run by 
people - and leadership is respected regardless of policies written on 
paper.

>
> Could any developer challenge the validity of the Council.  Who would be
> responsible for judging that, Foundation members?

Anybody can do anything they want - most of us live in free countries. 
Who would judge that?  Well, that would be our peers.  When we say 
stupid things people start ignoring us.  When we say smart things people 
listen to us.  I can post a poll on some forum somewhere and call it a 
gentoo election, but nobody is going to pay attention to the results 
because most people wouldn't recognize me as a gentoo leader.  If a 
bunch of well-respected devs did the same thing then there is a good 
chance everybody else would go along with it (or there would be a fork). 
  However, I don't think all that many well-respected devs are eager to 
mount a coup over a single missed meeting.

>
> In fact, whose duty is it too call the election? Decide when any
> election is to take place?

Hmm - I suspect that would again be the council - since everybody 
already looks to them for leadership.  Why don't we see what their 
perspective is?  If you feel strongly about new elections try contacting 
one of them directly and talking about it.  Most council members have 
gotten where they are because folks think they have a good head on their 
shoulders - they're likely to listen to you.  If they hear lots of 
people calling for a new election I suspect that they'd go ahead and 
hold one.  I think that those who are concerned about this issue would 
get further in this way than by kicking up a storm on a mailing list 
(not that open discussion is a bad thing).  Don't be surprised if they 
don't take action on the basis of one communication, but if they hear 
from lots of devs they'd probably take it seriously.
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