1 |
On Sun, Jun 17, 2018 at 1:37 PM, Rich Freeman <rich0@g.o> wrote: |
2 |
|
3 |
> On Sun, Jun 17, 2018 at 1:26 PM William Hubbs <williamh@g.o> wrote: |
4 |
> > |
5 |
> > My opinion though is we should give the trustees time to catch up |
6 |
> > |
7 |
> |
8 |
> How much time? We're 14 years in, and Robin has been working on the |
9 |
> books for a few years I think. Don't get me wrong - I appreciate the |
10 |
> work he is doing, but I'm not convinced it is a one-person project, |
11 |
> and it doesn't end when the past is caught up. |
12 |
> |
13 |
|
14 |
I'm fairly confident we can fix the current tax problems (in the end, its a |
15 |
problem we can solve with money, and we have some money.) |
16 |
I'm less convinced the non-profit yields any value over other alternatives, |
17 |
and so from an effort-basis I feel its necessary to wind down and replace |
18 |
with something else. |
19 |
|
20 |
|
21 |
> |
22 |
> > |
23 |
> > Once that happens, I think it is better to work with them to choose the |
24 |
> > future path since they own the Gentoo trademark, name, logo etc [1]. |
25 |
> > |
26 |
> |
27 |
> Working with somebody isn't the same as deferring everything to them. |
28 |
> |
29 |
> The problem with leaving the fate of the Foundation entirely to the |
30 |
> Trustees is that there is a lot of selection bias at work. Trustees |
31 |
> are a bunch of individuals selected for their interest in running a |
32 |
> non-profit (for the most part, simply volunteering for the post is |
33 |
> sufficient to be voted in). Should we be surprised when they advocate |
34 |
> for continuing to run a non-profit? |
35 |
> |
36 |
|
37 |
I really don't think this is true. Its explicitly not true for me. I was a |
38 |
trustee because there were open slots and someone had to 'keep the lights |
39 |
on.' |
40 |
Other people who ran for the board have expressed similar sentiments. I am |
41 |
running again in the next election on a platform of dissolution (closing |
42 |
the foundation) which is again contrary to your argument. There is no point |
43 |
in continuing to run a non-profit that continues to nominally accrue risk |
44 |
with little or no upside. Eventually it will become so toxic that you will |
45 |
be unable to find anyone to run it (some may say this has already begun to |
46 |
happen.) This is evident partially by the board's reduction in numbers. |
47 |
Previously the board had 13 seats, then 7, then 5. I'm not superbly |
48 |
confident we will be able to fill 5 seats in the next election. |
49 |
|
50 |
|
51 |
> There is also no need to wait for the Foundation to fix everything |
52 |
> before working on a path forward. Just as individuals can use their |
53 |
> own property to work on Gentoo-related projects, or donate their own |
54 |
> money to the Gentoo Foundation, so other entities can use their own |
55 |
> property to work on Gentoo-related projects, or donate their money to |
56 |
> the Foundation. |
57 |
> |
58 |
|
59 |
I think some of the conflict is a result of communication style (America v |
60 |
European) and also the internet-based communication methods we use to meet |
61 |
and converse with each other. I've often pitched something else (audio or |
62 |
video) but have never reached consensus. This isn't to discount the actual |
63 |
area of conflict (e.g. Finances) but how ones communicate ones ideas |
64 |
matters a fair bit. |
65 |
|
66 |
-A |
67 |
|
68 |
|
69 |
> |
70 |
> -- |
71 |
> Rich |
72 |
> |
73 |
> |