Re: Identification of problems

>>>>> In article <20030206224028(dot)GA3407(at)christoph(dot)complete(dot)org>, John Goerzen <jgoerzen(at)complete(dot)org> writes:

> I propose we handle it this way:

> 1. Each of us reads the bylaws, list archives, etc., making a list
> of problems we see. We send this list to
> spi-bylaws(at)lists(dot)spi-inc(dot)org(dot) We will also accept input from
> the membership here (like always).

I suggest that we also look at the by-laws of other free
software organizations to see how they handle things, perhaps some
if them incorporate solutions to problems thatmay not have occurred
to us.

In particular, I bring to your attention the following:
http://www.apache.org/foundation/bylaws.html,
http://www.python.org/psf/bylaws.html,
http://www.jabber.org/jsf/bylaws.php

Unfortunately, only the jabber by-laws even consider
non-physical meetings; and one of the major problems we have been
set to address is the inability of the board to function, because of
failing to meet quorum, etc.

Some of the problems I can identify off the top of my head are
a) Real time meetings are hard to schedule at a time conenient to a
globally distributed set of directors.
b) Having real time meetings during work days precludes control over
being able to schedule time for these meetings; often, the
requirements of the workplace must needs come first.
c) inability to act unless there is a real time meeting; a mode
where major arguments for each item on the agenda can be
presented a priori and offline, and allow people to vote either
before (send in votes for agenda items before the meeting, to be
opened by the chair, or to send or change votes after the
meeting, offline, in case the meeting minutes changes ones
mind). This is not as good as being present in real time, and in
person, but does prevent the board from being stymyied.
d) Identification of, and action for truly missing members of the
board; we need to allow people to take vacation/sabbatticals;
radical solutions like the board has X members, a fraction of
those are active, when someone needs to be away, they move to the
inactive set, and poll is taken of the inactive members to see
which ones can return to active duty, perhaps in a FIFO manner.

manoj
--
"You don't go out and kick a mad dog. If you have a mad dog with
rabies, you take a gun and shoot him." Pat Robertson, TV Evangelist,
about Muammar Kadhafy
Manoj Srivastava <srivasta(at)acm(dot)org> <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
1024R/C7261095 print CB D9 F4 12 68 07 E4 05 CC 2D 27 12 1D F5 E8 6E
1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C