Some impressions from a fresh board member... Basically, I agree with most of Federico's email if you dilute everything in a 40%. Board tasks and followups are not that complex if board members are able to work as a team, share responsibilities with people out of the board, pick the tasks they can pick and not more, reckon when they need help to finish stuff, etc. One problem is that many people, including rock stars, are not that used to this. Another problem is probably that we have a quite distorted perception of what a rock star is. Traditionally rock stars are singers, lead guitars and also drummers: the ones you see & listen more directly. However, people understanding just a bit about music know that in fact most of the rock'n'roll that moves our bodies comes from bassists, second guitars, chorus, sound & light technicians and many other people behind the scenes. The board needs all these. I have sent 7 emails inviting some best kept secrets to run for election. I invite you to do the same: push the people you know are great to become board members! Do not fear. On Fri, 2006-11-10 at 13:29 -0600, Federico Mena Quintero wrote: > * If you are a rock star hacker (or a busy non-rock star hacker at > work), you will not be a good Board member. Unless you realize that your code will be more successful if the GNOME Foundation is successful, and you want to learn some interesting stuff of the context that surrounds pure software. > * If you are a hacker, your GUADEC experience will be destroyed. As former GUADEC coordinator I have some suggestions for Birmingham2007 so we can improve this aspect. However, think also that as a board member you have a reason to request sponsorship for travel & accommodation if nobody is paying for you and your pocket can't afford the experience. > If you are the kind of > person that forgets what you talked about two weeks ago, you won't > be a good Board member. False, if somebody (maybe you) is taking notes for the board meeting minutes. > * The Foundation will not reimburse you for the conference calls. True in the past. However, did someone ever request reimbursement? I would vote +1 if a student or someone living in a country without those cheap calls or etc would request it. You shouldn't need to be a bourgeois to accomplish your responsibilities as board member. I would add: you will learn a lot, you will know interesting people, you will understand much better what is GNOME and what is free software (code, projects, people) about. To me it has been a very interesting 1/2 year and I want to repeat. And I'm like you. -- Quim Gil /// http://desdeamericaconamor.org
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