Efficient board meetings, revised

[Ian Jackson]

Bruce Perens writes ("Re: Efficient board meetings, revised"):
> If we are not going to use IRC for interactive discussions, what is the 
> point of IRC? Why not then simply vote via email or a web form?

This is a good question.  I have two answers:

* IRC meetings provide a hook for promoting active participation by
the board members.  I agree that this participation hasn't been ideal
(including by me) but I think that strengthening the meeting process -
in particular, the preparations for the meeting - can meet this goal.

* Various legalities mean that we have to have a meeting.  It's
unclear under what circumstances a signed exchange of emails would
consititute a legitimate resolution of the board, since the bylaws
provide for acts of the board only by board meetings.  The current
email voting process resolutions are designed with this ambiguity in
mind: they ensure that a resolution that any member of the board
disagrees with isn't considered approved, so that the corporation
isn't put in the position of acting on a resolution that a board
member disagrees with and which a court might later decide was void.

Ian.