Re: A few questions for the candidates

[Brian Cameron <brian cameron oracle com>]

Vincent:

> 1) I've read with interest the mails from the candidates announcing
>     they're running, and most (if not all -- I didn't double-check)
>     include some motivations with examples of what they'd be interested
>     in working on.
>     Why are those tasks/ideas things you cannot work on while not being
>     on the board?

Several tasks that I work on for the board are, in fact, things I could
do if I weren't on the board.  If I am not elected, I anticipate that I
would continue participating on GNOME marketing, legal, and other areas.

As a board member I act as Stormy's manager and as secretary.  I would
unlikely be in a position to continue providing these sorts of services
to the board if I were not a board member.

> 2) What are your non-usual (ie, not code, not translations, not
>     documentation, etc.) contributions as a GNOME Foundation member?
>     (organizing events, pushing people to do things, finding sponsors,
>     etc. are all possible answers)

I have organized or helped to organize several GNOME events including
the GNOME Usability hackfest and GNOME.Asia (3 years running).  I also
tend to be involved with getting things done on the GNOME Marketing,
Usability, legal, and the new developing world mailing lists.

> 3) What is your opinion on the co-location of Akademy and GUADEC in
>     2011? And if you think it was not the best choice, will you still be
>     able to help it happen?

I think that free software communities should work together to battle
our true competition, those proprietary desktops.  I think co-located
events helps with fostering this attitude and cross-platform solutions.

> 4) How much free time per week do you think you will be able to allocate
>     for the board? (I'm very well aware that this could be 0 for some
>     weeks, and 100% of your time for other weeks; I'm just asking in
>     general)

I currently spend about 8-12 hours per week working on Foundation
activities.  I anticipate this will continue.

> 5) Are you okay giving up some of your current GNOME
>     responsabilities/activities to join the board? (give up a maintainer
>     hat, or hack less, or participate less in a specific team) Or do you
>     think it won't be necessary and why?
>     (I know it's a bit related to the previous question :-))

I have found that I hack less since serving on the board, but I still
find time to co-maintain GDM, work on multimedia, and work in other
areas on the desktop.

> 6) Will you be interested in being treasurer, president or secretary if
>     elected? If yes, which role and why?

If elected, I anticipate I will serve as secretary again.  Though I
would consider a different position if someone else really wants to be
secretary.

> 7) What do you think of the current GNOME Foundation budget? Had you
>     read it at least once before reading this mail?
>     (it's okay if you didn't look at it before, btw)

Last year there was a real concern about the budget and how The GNOME
Foundation would be able to continue covering costs associated with
having Stormy as an employee.  I think the work done over the past
year to raise funds by doubling the advisory board fees, improving
Friends of GNOME, and the great work done to find sponsors for various
events and projects has put The GNOME Foundation in a good position
moving forward.

> 8) What do you think our next fundraising campaign should be about?
>     (I'd love to not read 11 times the same answer, thanks :-))

I think The GNOME Foundation should do a Friends of GNOME outreach
program to GNOME users.  Statistics show that most people who donate
are users, not developers.  However, we have never effectively done
a marketing campaign directed towards our usres.

> 9) Will you be at GUADEC this year? (there's a board meeting and an
>     advisory board meeting there)

Yes, I plan to be there.

> 10) Make or break question: what's your favorite french expression?

Tu n'as rien de mieux à faire?

Brian