[fdn-ann]open issues

[Bart Decrem <bart eazel com>]

Hi everyone,

Here are some issues related to the Gnome Foundation Announcement that
need to be addressed.  Since there's a Gnome Steering Committee
conference call tomorrow, that would be a great time to get the steering
committee's take on these.  I don't want to impose on you by joining yet
another one of your meetings, but it'd be awesome if you could discuss
these and give us some feedback:

1- whether the annoucement will come from Miguel on behalf of GNOME, or
on behalf of the GNOME Steering Committee.  I don't think this is a huge
deal, but we do need to close this discussion.  It affects the wording
of the press release.
2- to pre-brief or not.  We need to decide if we want to debrief certain
key reporters before the press conference.  Those stories would then run
on Tuesday morning (with the press conference happening at noon).  The
list that's been proposed includes the NYTimes, Wall Street Journal,
CNSan Jose Mercury News, San Francisco Chronicle and the newswires.  If
we do this, we can probably get stories in most of these, but it will
dilute the press conference somwhat.  If we do pre-briefs, then Miguel
will need to be available Monday 8/14 to talk to reporters from those
publications.
3- Advisory Board.  We have decided to open up the Advisory Board.
IBM and VA Linux are now confirmed, and we'll probably get several more
companies on board in time for the announcement.  We are proposing to
allow all of these companies to have a person on stage at the press
conference, and to give them each quotes in the press release.  The
reason for this is to showcase that GNOME is building critical mass and
getting embraced by the corporate sector.The down side to this is that
it de-emphasizes the role of companies that have made major
contributions to Gnome, and that it may rub some hackers the wrong way
(charges of corporate carpet-baggers will be made).

It'd be awesome if you guys could agree at least on 1 and 3, and
hopefully on 2 as well.

Bart