Re: [gentoo-project] Comrel Improvements: Expectations of Privacy

[Rich Freeman]

On Mon, Oct 3, 2016 at 2:55 PM, William L. Thomson Jr.
<wlt-ml@××××××.com> wrote:
>
> I believe part of why I have been kept out is fear of change. What people are
> likely not aware of, that was part of my demise. I had just conducted a public
> review of the Gentoo By Laws in full on the -nfp list. Some things I changed
> people did not like and contested. Like saying YOU CANNOT BE A COUNCIL MEMBER
> AND TRUSTEE. Big changes led to others harassing me, and me stepping down to
> speak my mind, not as a Trustee. That led to my ban on -nfp, and the rest is
> known.
>

(EMPHASIS MINE)

I don't know all the events that led to your departure.  However, I
doubt it was because of things like this.

I'm not sure which side on this debate you took.

If you took the side that this should be policy, then that is in fact
what is policy today, so it could have hardly been a tiny minority
opinion likely to get you persecuted.

If you took the side that this should not be policy, then that is a
position I've been a fairly vocal advocate of myself, and while my
sense is that I'm in the minority, it hasn't caused me any trouble,
nor has it made it impossible for me to be elected to Trustees or to
Council (and I remain a Foundation officer today).  Heck, I wrote an
overly-long blog post on the topic which is still up there for anybody
who cares to read it.  I'm sure there are running debates on
-project/-nfp from the same timeframe in the archives.

I wouldn't try to use my position to change the policy unless I had
more assurance that this was in fact a majority opinion, but I
certainly don't hesitate to bring up arguments when the issue comes up
and try to persuade others.  As the code of conduct states:
Respectfully disagree with or challenge other members.  When I was
elected to Council I stepped down as a Trustee, and I had warned the
Trustees in advance that it was my intention to do so if elected so
that they could prepare, and of course I'm always willing to try to
help out with the Foundation when I can (you don't need to be a
Trustee to contribute to the Foundation).

Certainly this isn't the only opinion I've raised that is a minority
opinion around here.  (Let's not talk about what I run as pid 1.)
Gentoo is actually a fairly diverse place, and this is one of the
reasons we need a code of conduct in the first place.

-- 
Rich