Re: [gentoo-project] Gentoo Council nominee 2018/19 questions

[Aaron Bauman]

On Wednesday, June 27, 2018 4:25:07 AM EDT Michał Górny wrote:
> (CC-ing the remaining people to remind them to be subscribed to -project
> and read archives)
>
> W dniu wto, 26.06.2018 o godzinie 09∶11 +0200, użytkownik Michał Górny
>
> napisał:
> > To improve readability of the thread, I'll ask my question in reply to
> > myself ;-).
>
> Three more questions from me:
>
>
> 1. Do you believe that Council members should respect the requests of
> the developer community even if they disagree with them?  Or should
> Council members decide based on their own judgment of arguments
> presented?
>

Absolutely, they should represent the developer community even if they 
disagree with them.  This is of course a very politically charged question 
though and I am glad you asked it.  If any elected member fails to represent 
their constituents (the larger developer community) then they have either 
failed to understand their requests, perpetrated a lie during the election 
with falsehoods, or a numerous amount of other scenarios.  

I am not running for the council in order to elevate my own agenda or advocate 
that somehow I am superior in my own thinking, judgement, or other 
characteristics than another developer.  What I am running for is to 
*represent* the ideas, wishes, and concerns that the larger developer 
community has.  This is of critical importance to me.  While probably not 
liked due to the corporation affiliation, Steve Jobs once said:

“it doesn’t make sense to hire smart people and tell them what to do; we hire 
smart people so they can tell us what to do.” [1]

I am not proposing that this is a company or by any means that we hire 
individuals.  What I am proposing is that the council is representing a 
collective group of developers who are very smart and technically savvy at 
what they do.  It would be *ignorant* of me to believe that somehow i can make 
a proper decision without seeking the advice of the very talented individuals 
we have within Gentoo.

With those ideals in mind, it would be incomplete of me to say that 
disagreements will not happen.  Surely, I have and will continue to have 
disagreements with other developers on a certain way in which to address 
something.  However, if a majority of developers are saying something 
collectively and I am completely disregarding it then I need a self-checkup.

This also brings to light that civil discourse is important.  As I have 
mentioend before, we (developers) tend to be a very opinionated and charged 
group of individuals.  Civil discourse allows us to achieve a better outcome 
and leverage the ingenuity of those around us.

> Example: there's a heated debate, and the majority of respondents
> request that X is implemented.  However, after reading all the arguments
> you don't think that X is a good idea but you haven't managed to
> convince others.  Would you vote for X (as your electorate demands)
> or against it (as you believe is better for the distro)?
>
>
> 2. Do you believe that the Council should proactively research the state
> of affairs and make decisions whenever they believe the direction
> of the distribution needs to be adjusted?  Or should it be passive
> and avoid involvement unless developers explicitly request Council's
> intervention?
>

I do believe there is value in the council being proactive, but smartly 
addressing these issues should they impact developers.  This is most effective 
especially at quelling any potential risks or interference for developers.  
One of the goals and responsibilities of the council should be to remain 
proactive and ensure developers can do their work unobstructed.

We often elect individuals to positions so they may take care of such tasks 
and "let us be" to do what we find most important.  Again, I cannot stress 
enough that competent council members should know when to ensure the larger 
community is kept abreast of impacting changes.  This does *not* give the 
council a free ticket to do what they want.

>
> 3. Do you believe the developer community should hold the power
> to veto or dissolve the Council at any point?  Provided there's a global
> developer vote agreeing on that.

Absolutely.  I have mentioned this on IRC before.  As I have previously 
mentioned in this email, the council *represents* the developer community.  If 
the council is failing to to meet what their constituents are most concerned 
with then there should be a path to removal.

Of course, just like the previously mentioned disagreements, it should be done 
smartly and no room for malice or ill intent.  As you mentioned, a majority 
vote or something similair would be a consideration.

-Aaron

[1]: http://fortune.com/2015/06/09/shahrzad-rafati-keeping-your-best-employees/