[Foundation-l] [Announcement] update in board of trustees membership

[Anthony]

On Dec 16, 2007 10:21 PM, Florence Devouard <Anthere9 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> Anthony wrote:
> > On Dec 16, 2007 10:01 PM, Florence Devouard <Anthere9 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >> I feel there are two paths for the future. Either we keep a board mostly
> >> made of community members (elected or appointed), who may not be
> >> top-notch professionals, who can do mistakes, such as forgetting to do a
> >> background check, such as not being able to do an audit in 1 week, such
> >> as not signing the killer-deal with Google, but who can breath and pee
> >> wikimedia projects, dedicate their full energy to a project they love,
> >> without trying to put their own interest in front. A decentralized
> >> organization where chapters will have more room, authority and leadership.
> >>
> >> Or we get a board mostly made of big shots, famous, rich, or very
> >> skilled (all things potentially beneficial), but who just *do not get
> >> it*. A centralized organization, very powerful, but also very top-down.
> >>
> > If that's the only two possibilities, then you've already admitted defeat.
>
> You may add some middle path solutions.
> But not so many I fear
>
Look, the background check thing is understandable, a big mistake, but
an understandable one, although hiring a temp as COO maybe isn't.  But
if a board composed of community members can't ensure that someone or
a team of someones is hired to produce regular financial statements
which can be audited in under a month, then I don't think that board
is acceptable.  If you don't get that, then I don't think I have any
hope left.

I think you're right on that there are a lot of big decisions ahead
for the Foundation.  But breath and pee and energy and love aren't
going to be enough to put it down the right path.

I don't know.  I'll have to sleep on it.