Identification of problems

[Manoj Srivastava]

>>>>> In article <20030206224028.GA3407 at christoph.complete.org>, John Goerzen <jgoerzen at complete.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.spi-inc.org.  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
-- 
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Manoj Srivastava   <srivasta at acm.org>  <http://www.datasync.com/%7Esrivasta/>
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