Discussing changes to the GNOME Foundation Bylaws

[Tobias Mueller <tobiasmue gnome org>]

Dear Foundation,

we worked on the bylaws and this is the current status. Please find the 
current bylaws here: <http://www.gnome.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/bylaws.pdf>.
I converted that PDF to reStructuredText and you can find the current 
bylaws in that format here <http://people.gnome.org/~tobiasmue/bylaws2012/bylaws-2002.rst>.
(This list only allows attachments <40kB :-\ )

The membership voted to change the bylaws several times since 2002, but 
the actual bylaws were never updated. Also, some things work now 
differently than a decade ago. We came up with a changed version which 
you can find here 
<http://people.gnome.org/~tobiasmue/bylaws2012/bylaws-2012.rst>. The 
diff of the changes is here 
<http://people.gnome.org/~tobiasmue/bylaws2012/bylaws-2002-2012.diff>.


We think we have incorporated all the changes that should be made. But 
we'd obviously love if people check whether it's actually right. I 
suggest that interested people check whether the translation to .rst was 
correct and then go through the changes. In case there is any need to 
discuss, we do it here.

We will hopefully end up with a version that works for everyone. At some 
stage, we need to officially give 21 days notice of the change of the 
bylaws as per Article XVII of the current bylaws. Then people have time 
to object the changes. If 5% of the membership (currently that would be 
around 20) object, we will vote on that. I will clearly announce once we 
are in that stage. Let's try to start the notice period in one month 
from now though. So if you have any changes to the changes, make 
yourself heard until the 30th September 2012.

Cheers,
  Tobi