[Foundation-l] Board restructuring and community

[Jussi-Ville Heiskanen]

Florence Devouard wrote:

<Some very good stuff>

...

> 
> There are many ideas. But only so much time available. And some much 
> energy. There are two main problems in my view.
> 
> One is that some board members hardly every communicate with the 
> community. If these were elected community members, I would dare to say 
> that this is the responsibility of the community to make sure they elect 
> members with good communication skills. And the responsibility of the 
> community to contact the board member if they feel the communication is 
> not sufficient.

I don't wish to be rude, but there seems to be a pattern emerging,
where people joining the board are open and approachable, with good
communication skills, but when they join it, soon forget these skills
and clam up. As for community contacting the board to urge more
communication, I think this what we are exactly doing here.


> The second is a way to not only communicate with community, but to make 
> sure that the answer we get is really representative of what the 
> community think. And not simply the grumbles of 2-3 isolated 
> individuals. Discussion on this list provides me with good ideas and 
> allow me to feel very unpopular decisions, but it does not provide me 
> with a good and accurate measure of what the community really think 
> globally. Neither would a wikicouncil.

I think the last point is very well made. However, I do think it is
wrong to characterize what is happening now (if that is what you
intend to do) as grumbling by isolated individuals. When decisions
coming from the board are wildly unexpected and, frankly, puzzling
as to their motivations, it is not reasonable to be astonished that
people are genuinely and honestly puzzled.

Nor is it grumbling to ask for an explanation for a puzzling and
unexpected, out of the blue, decision, and ask for the backround
reasoning for the same, on part of the individual board members.

Yours in Wikimedia;

Jussi-Ville Heiskanen, AKA. Cimon Avaro