Meeting log for 2008-11-19

A fairly brief and workmanlike routine meeting. A few things brewing,
but I didn't notice anything major. Meeting minutes, www volunteering
and getting reliable reminders out seem to need more work. Again, all
three officers reported (yay!), but again, linuxpoet raised an
unannounced item at the meeting (boo!). "It is good practice to set
a deadline for submission of new business, and to list the business to
be conducted in meeting announcements." -- SPI, 2007.

HIGHLIGHTS

20:02:29 <bdale> [item 1, Opening] Welcome to today's Software in the
Public Interest board of directors meeting, which is now called to
order. Today's agenda and details of pending resolutions can be found
on the web at:
http://www.spi-inc.org/secretary/agenda/2008/2008-11-19.html

20:02:29 <bdale> [item 2, Roll Call] I received a private message on
IRC from Neil that he might be in transit at this time.
<Hydroxide> Jimmy Kaplowitz <bdale> Bdale Garbee
* zobel Martin Zobel-Helas <linuxpoet> Joshua Drake
<luk_> Luk Claes <Ganneff> Joerg Jaspert
<schultmc> Michael Schultheiss

20:05:13 <bdale> [item 3, President's Report]

<bdale> Privoxy is interested in becoming an associated project, and I
am working with them on a resolution. Hope to have it for next
month's meeting. Noting the long-standing $20 GNOME balance in our
financial statement, I emailed the GNOME Foundation executive director
earlier today suggesting we transfer the funds to them. An author
working on a document relating to Debian installation has approached
SPI for advice on licensing his article and about the possibility of
transfering copyright in the article to us. I plan to follow up with
him later today.

20:06:12 <bdale> [item 4, Treasurer's Report]

<schultmc> I sent out a balance sheet a few minutes ago and a copy of
it appears in the agenda. I was unable to get an income statement
prepared before this meeting but will have it completed by Saturday,
2008-11-22. SPI's 2007 Form 990 (tax form) was filed last week.
November 15, 2008 was the deadline.

20:08:25 <bdale> [item 5, Secretary's report]

<Hydroxide> just as per the agenda, volunteers are still needed for
the website. I got one offer from slef (MJ Ray) shortly before the
meeting today, which is appreciated. see the agenda about what I'm
looking for and how to put yourself forward. This will go out to an
SPI mailing list in the near future.

20:10:23 <bdale> [item 6, Outstanding minutes]

"Approve the October 15th, 2008 minutes": Yes: 6, No: 0, Abstain: 1

20:14:30 <bdale> [item 7, Items up for discussion]

<linuxpoet> As you guys know I do PgUS work too, part of that is
talking to [Education]. Well at the last talk it became readily
apparent that SPI has some strong educating efforts to be done too. So
if anyone has EDU contacts, I am trying to compile a list so we can
get some speakers out, Haven't yet but plan to [send to -general
mailing list]

20:16:44 <bdale> [item 8, Next board meeting]

Wednesday 17th December, 2008 - 20:00 UTC?

<luk_> I would welcome an earlier reminder btw

20:17:53 <bdale> *GAVEL*

TIMED LOG

20:02:29 <bdale> *GAVEL*
20:02:29 <bdale> [item 1, Opening] Welcome to today's Software in the
Public Interest board of directors meeting, which is now called to order.
20:02:29 <bdale> Today's agenda and details of
pending resolutions can be found on the web at:
http://www.spi-inc.org/secretary/agenda/2008/2008-11-19.html
20:02:29 <bdale> [item 2, Roll Call]
20:02:29 <bdale> Board members, please state your name for the record.
As we have nine board members, quorum for today's meeting is six.
20:02:32 <bdale> Guests (including board advisors), please /msg your
names to Hydroxide if you wish your attendance to be recorded in the
minutes of this meeting.
20:02:35 <bdale> Jimmy, any regrets recorded? I received a private
message on IRC from Neil that he might be in transit at this time.
20:02:39 <Hydroxide> Jimmy Kaplowitz
20:02:40 <bdale> Bdale Garbee
20:02:41 * zobel Martin Zobel-Helas
20:02:42 <linuxpoet> Joshua Drake
20:02:43 <Hydroxide> no other regrets recorded
20:02:53 <luk_> Luk Claes
20:02:53 <Ganneff> Joerg Jaspert
20:03:02 <Hydroxide> bdale: pre-meeting? (re Neil's message)
20:03:15 <Hydroxide> we already have quorum.
20:03:26 <bdale> Hydroxide: I'm not sure when, it was in a /query window
I found on return from a trip into town a couple hours ago
20:03:33 <bdale> so definitely pre-meeting
20:03:39 <bdale> ok, we have quorum
20:03:45 <bdale> who are we missing?
20:03:49 - jello!~joe(at)dot(dot)nahmias(dot)net has joined #spi
20:04:06 <Hydroxide> Neil McGovern, David Graham, and ...?
20:04:08 <schultmc> Michael Schultheiss
20:04:09 <schultmc> sorry
20:04:12 <bdale> ah, thanks
20:04:14 <Hydroxide> him. right :)
20:04:14 <bdale> ok
20:04:29 <bdale> cdlu: ?
20:04:43 <Hydroxide> Maulkin: ping in case you're there
20:05:03 <bdale> since we have quorum, let's proceed. hopefully they
will join in.
20:05:13 <bdale> [item 3, President's Report]
20:05:13 <bdale> Privoxy is interested in becoming an associated project,
and I am working with them on a resolution. Hope to have it for next
month's meeting.
20:05:13 <bdale> Noting the long-standing $20 GNOME balance in our
financial statement, I emailed the GNOME Foundation executive director
earlier today suggesting
20:05:13 <bdale> we transfer the funds to them.
20:05:15 <bdale> An author working on a document relating to Debian
installation has approached SPI for advice on licensing his article and
about the possibility
20:05:17 <bdale> of transfering copyright in the article to us. I plan
to follow up with him later today.
20:05:19 <bdale> Any questions or comments?
20:05:43 * Hydroxide has no objection to any of that.
20:05:46 <linuxpoet> I am good
20:06:05 <Ganneff> none
20:06:12 <bdale> [item 4, Treasurer's Report]
20:06:13 <bdale> Michael?
20:06:29 <schultmc> I sent out a balance sheet a few minutes ago and a
copy of it appears in the agenda.
20:06:38 <bdale> yep, I saw it
20:06:50 <schultmc> I was unable to get an income statement prepared
before this meeting but will have it completed by Saturday, 2008-11-22.
20:07:02 <bdale> ok, thanks
20:07:09 <schultmc> SPI's 2007 Form 990 (tax form) was filed last week
20:07:15 * Hydroxide cheers
20:07:15 <bdale> good
20:07:20 <schultmc> that's all I have unless there's any questions
or comments
20:07:20 <Ganneff> formn 990?
20:07:31 <jello> what is/was the deadline for the 990?
20:07:33 <Ganneff> ah. tax. /me should parsesentences full
20:07:38 <Hydroxide> schultmc: slight mistake on the 2006 one - it said
I was treasurer, which wasn't true at the end of 2006 IIRC
20:08:12 <bdale> schultmc: thanks for the report. will look forward to
the full income statement this weekend.
20:08:25 <bdale> [item 5, Secretary's report]
20:08:25 <bdale> Jimmy?
20:08:54 <luk_> 21:05 <jello> what is/was the deadline for the 990?
20:08:55 <Hydroxide> just as per the agenda, volunteers are still needed
for the website. I got one offer from slef (MJ Ray) shortly before the
meeting today, which is appreciated.
20:09:15 <bdale> luk_: sorry, I missed that... schultmc, what was the
990 deadline?
20:09:25 <Hydroxide> see the agenda about what I'm looking for and how
to put yourself forward. This will go out to an SPI mailing list in the
near future.
20:09:29 <schultmc> jello: november 15, 2008
20:09:38 <jello> schultmc: great. thanks!
20:10:00 <bdale> Hydroxide: ok. I encourage anyone here who has time to
volunteer to help, I've stumbled myself in the last week over a couple
of things that are out of date...
20:10:13 <bdale> Hydroxide: anything else?
20:10:20 <Hydroxide> that's it.
20:10:23 <bdale> [item 6, Outstanding minutes]
20:10:23 <bdale> Jimmy, it appears we have at least one ready for
vote today?
20:10:29 <Hydroxide> yes, we do.
20:10:32 <Hydroxide> (one)
20:10:42 <Hydroxide> last meeting's.
20:11:08 <bdale> I hope everyone has looked them over... any comments?
20:11:21 <luk_> it's long :-)
20:11:29 <bdale> included texts
20:11:44 * bdale is ready to vote
20:11:56 <luk_> looks pretty nice on the website btw
20:12:01 * Ganneff will abstain to vote, but please vote on it.
20:12:21 <Hydroxide> Voting started, 7 people
(bdale,luk_,hydroxide,zobel,schultmc,ganneff,linuxpoet ) allowed to vote
on Approve the October 15th, 2008 minutes. - You may vote yes/no/abstain
only, type !vote $yourchoice now.
20:12:28 <schultmc> !vote yes
20:12:29 <Ganneff> !vote abstain
20:12:30 <bdale> !vote yes
20:12:32 <Hydroxide> !vote yes
20:12:33 <zobel> !vote yes
20:12:35 <linuxpoet> !vote yes
20:12:41 <luk_> !vote yes
20:12:47 <Hydroxide> Current voting results for "Approve the October 15th,
2008 minutes": Yes: 5, No: 0, Abstain: 1, Missing: 1 ( linuxpoet )
20:12:51 <Hydroxide> Voting for "Approve the October 15th, 2008 minutes"
closed.
20:12:53 <Hydroxide> oops
20:12:53 <linuxpoet> what
20:13:01 <Hydroxide> someone didn't vote
20:13:07 <bdale> he did too
20:13:14 <Hydroxide> heh, I miscounted then
20:13:15 <bdale> is there a trailing space?
20:13:15 <Hydroxide> ok :)
20:13:28 <Hydroxide> oh, yeah there is a trailing space, I think...
20:13:31 <Ganneff> you had linuxpoet with a space in your vote start.
20:13:33 <bdale> in any case, passes, minutes approved
20:13:36 <Ganneff> so it wasnt able to count it.
20:13:43 <Ganneff> dumb little script i wrote :)
20:13:47 <linuxpoet> sounds like a bug :P
20:13:52 <linuxpoet> btrim()
20:13:53 <Hydroxide> let's go on. anyone who I missed can let me know
their vote in-chan or in /msg before the end of the meeting.
20:13:59 <Ganneff> linuxpoet: tssk.
20:14:10 <bdale> Hydroxide: it's in the log, linuxpoet voted yes, so
it's 6 yes 1 abstain
20:14:15 <Hydroxide> ok
20:14:30 <bdale> [item 7, Items up for discussion]
20:14:30 <bdale> Do any board members have other items for discussion
they would like to address briefly?
20:14:39 <linuxpoet> I do real quick
20:14:44 <bdale> linuxpoet: go
20:14:58 <linuxpoet> As you guys know I do PgUS work too, part of that
is talking to EDU
20:15:19 <linuxpoet> Well at the last talk it became readily apparent
that SPI has some strong educating efforts to be done too
20:15:34 <Ganneff> edu?
20:15:37 <linuxpoet> So if anyone has EDU contacts, I am trying to
compile a list so we can get some speakers out
20:15:39 <linuxpoet> Education
20:16:02 <bdale> linuxpoet: sounds like a good item for the -general
mail list if you haven't gone there with this already
20:16:14 <linuxpoet> haven't yet but plan to yes
20:16:18 <bdale> ok, cool
20:16:21 <bdale> anything else?
20:16:25 <linuxpoet> nope I am good
20:16:31 <bdale> anyone else?
20:16:39 * Hydroxide is set
20:16:44 <bdale> [item 8, Next board meeting]
20:16:45 <bdale> I believe our default would be Wednesday 17th December,
2008 - 20:00 UTC?
20:16:45 <bdale> Anyone have strong objections?
20:16:50 <linuxpoet> checking
20:16:52 <zobel> waht will we do about the missing board meeting minutes.?
20:16:54 <Hydroxide> it's fine for me.
20:17:04 <Ganneff> should work
20:17:11 <luk_> ok
20:17:12 <Hydroxide> zobel: Neil needs to either do them or ask me to
find free time to do them, or get volunteers himself, or something.
20:17:14 <bdale> zobel: I hope they're all ready for vote next month
20:17:15 <zobel> will work for me too.
20:17:25 <schultmc> works for me as well
20:17:30 <linuxpoet> yeah I can do that
20:17:32 <bdale> ok, good
20:17:34 <Hydroxide> great
20:17:36 <luk_> I would welcome an earlier reminder btw
20:17:41 <bdale> agreed
20:17:41 * schultmc also
20:17:46 <Hydroxide> schultmc, luk_: yes, it was later than intended
20:17:52 <bdale> Ok, thank you to everyone present for participating
today.
20:17:53 <bdale> *GAVEL*

--
MJ Ray (slef)
Webmaster for hire, statistician and online shop builder for a small
worker cooperative http://www.ttllp.co.uk/ http://mjr.towers.org.uk/
(Notice http://mjr.towers.org.uk/email.html) tel:+44-844-4437-237