On Tue, 2006-01-17 at 16:06 +0100, Laurent Godard wrote: > Hi all > > After the last Community Council (CC) meeting, i've been in charge to > handle the MarCon issue after Ryan's departure escalated to the CC by > two of OpenOffice.org marketing volunteers. > > The CC decided that it had not enough informations to decide anything. > The CC states that this is an internal marketing project issue to be > discussed and can be call as the last solution > > So the request has been to make public all the exchanged emails in > private by jacqueline, MP lead, and Ryan. > > I contacted them and they both kindly accepted > Thanks to Jacqueline an Ryan for allowing this to be public.
Sorry to bring this up now but I was away and missed this E-mail. I'd just like to say a couple of things. It surprises me that the Community Council has simply passed this back to marketing when the whole reason for it going to the CC was that the Project Manager said this was the correct procedure for making a complaint. Irrespective of whether or not the complaint was valid it doesn't help clarify the operating procedures and channels of communication when this is the outcome. >From the substance of the communication, it seems that Ryan was in fact dismissed. Certainly in the UK, the manner of his dismissal would not stand up in any industrial tribunal on unfair dismissal. I think its rather sad that we seem to be seen to be less than fair even when compared to a normal place of work. Perhaps volunteers are more expendable than employees. Normal procedures would be to provide a verbal warning, and a formal written warning with opportunities to improve before being fired. I don't think it matters whether Ryan was or was not a good Marcon though I do wonder how many other Marcons did any more than him. I do feel quite strongly that in the interests of fairness the CC should at least write some guidance on the treatment volunteers can expect when taking on roles of responsibility. I'm also surprised that given how emotive this topic was that there is such a deafening silence after this post. Maybe its just me, apologies for wasting the bandwidth if it is. I hope its not because people are resigned to there being no possibility of change. > Laurent > > '------------------------------- > Subject: revoking MarCon role > Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 10:22:48 +0800 > From: Jacqueline McNally <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > CC: Louis Suarez-Potts <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Hello Ryan > > I am sending this message to you privately to request that you step-down > from the MarCon role. > > The Project Leads are responsible for the recruitment of and liaison > with MarCons. I was hesitant about awarding the role to you initially, > as I was advised otherwise, but I decided to give you a go. I have > copied below the currently minimal requirements as to "What do MarCons > do?". The most important being communication, and I find that you have > not communicated or liaised with John and me as best you could. > > There are several reasons that it would be of benefit to OpenOffice.org > that you are removed from the MarCon role. The most recent being an > apparent conflict of interest as a MarCon and being a contact person for > the OpenDocument Fellowship. > > Specific examples of not communicating are: not following through and > reporting back on your contact with Mozilla, not responding to mail with > regard to DLS earlier this year, and responding in a very rude manner to > one of our supporters and contributors to the 100 Club. > > Also, I have not seen any activity or received feedback with regard to > distribution of press releases in the USA - West Coast region. > > I wish to advise that removal of the MarCon role is effective > immediately. Your name will be removed from the MarCon page, and your > email address removed from the MarCon lists during the next update of > the web page and mailing lists. > > Jacqueline McNally > Lead, OpenOffice.org Marketing Project > > ---///--- > > What do MarCons do? > > A MarCon: > > * is available and responds readily to individuals and organisations > that contact them with regard to OpenOffice.org. > > * liaises with the Marketing Project Leads in representing, and > coordinating relationships with OpenOffice.org. > > * conducts research and is aware of OpenOffice.org marketing > opportunities in their area, e.g. potential users, conferences for > OpenOffice.org to attend etc. > > * distributes OpenOffice.org press releases if applicable to their region. > > * conducts presentations and seminars if requested. > > * shares ideas, thoughts, plans, what has worked and not worked with > OpenOffice.org. > > * uses the OpenOffice.org Marketing Project as a resource and requests > assistance and ideas to assist them to market OpenOffice.org in their > region. > > * joins the Marketing Project and offers their specialist skills to > contribute to the goals and activities of the Project. > > * subscribes to or monitors [email protected] and > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ---///--- > '----------------------------- > > Ryan's statements > > Laurent, > > I am providing you with the email Jacqueline sent with my own views inline. > > On 12/19/05, Jacqueline McNally < [EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Hello Ryan > > I am sending this message to you privately to request that you > step-down > from the MarCon role. > > > This was the first time someone from OOo expressed dissatisfaction from > me. No warnings, no requests for further action. > > The Project Leads are responsible for the recruitment of and liaison > with MarCons. I was hesitant about awarding the role to you initially, > as I was advised otherwise, but I decided to give you a go. I have > copied below the currently minimal requirements as to "What do MarCons > do?". The most important being communication, and I find that you have > not communicated or liaised with John and me as best you could. > > > A legitimate complaint. I wish I had known she felt this way while I > was still marcon, I would have tried to remedy it. > > There are several reasons that it would be of benefit to OpenOffice.org > that you are removed from the MarCon role. The most recent being an > apparent conflict of interest as a MarCon and being a contact > person for > the OpenDocument Fellowship. > > > I am simply offended by her saying this to me in a letter where she is > taking official action. It is very common in Open Source communities > for people to be involved in multiple projects. I do not believe that a > role in another community in any way gets in the way of my other > functions. OOo and ODF goals align easily, but if I thought they > diverged, I would have expressed my concern and asked for help. This is > a serious accusation, and there should have been a discussion with me > first before making such a statement. It would be like me saying that > Louis should not be community manager because there will be times when > the community and Collabnet disagree. In cases like this in a volunteer > organization, benefit of the doubt should be the rule. > > Specific examples of not communicating are: not following through and > reporting back on your contact with Mozilla, not responding to mail > with > regard to DLS earlier this year, and responding in a very rude > manner to > one of our supporters and contributors to the 100 Club. > > > I did follow through and report back about Mozilla to the best of my > ability. As I am sure the council is aware, this is not the first > non-starter with the mozilla community, Louis has had things like this > disappear before too. With regard to mail about DLS, I am unaware of a > message I didn't reply to, but if reminded, I can research that > allegation. I also never intended to be rude to anyone, and don't know > who that comment is referring too. If I did offend someone, I > apologize, it was not my intention. > > Also, I have not seen any activity or received feedback with regard to > distribution of press releases in the USA - West Coast region. > > > When I first started as Marcon, Louis and I had a discussion about press > releases, and basically it boiled down to most US institutions were > already picking up press releases on the press list or from the website. > Had I been told there was dissatisfaction, I would have taken guidance > as to improve distribution. > > I wish to advise that removal of the MarCon role is effective > immediately. Your name will be removed from the MarCon page, and your > email address removed from the MarCon lists during the next update of > the web page and mailing lists. > > > This is why I resigned from the community. There is a complete lack of > process and volunteers are handled roughly. > > Ryan > > Jacqueline McNally > Lead, OpenOffice.org Marketing Project > > ---///--- > > What do MarCons do? > > A MarCon: > > * is available and responds readily to individuals and organisations > that contact them with regard to OpenOffice.org. > > * liaises with the Marketing Project Leads in representing, and > coordinating relationships with OpenOffice.org. > > * conducts research and is aware of OpenOffice.org marketing > opportunities in their area, e.g. potential users, conferences for > OpenOffice.org to attend etc. > > * distributes OpenOffice.org press releases if applicable to their > region. > > * conducts presentations and seminars if requested. > > * shares ideas, thoughts, plans, what has worked and not worked with > OpenOffice.org. > > * uses the OpenOffice.org Marketing Project as a resource and requests > assistance and ideas to assist them to market OpenOffice.org in their > region. > > * joins the Marketing Project and offers their specialist skills to > contribute to the goals and activities of the Project. > > * subscribes to or monitors [email protected] and > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > ---///--- > > > > > -- > _________________ > Ryan Singer > > -- Ian Lynch <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> ZMS Ltd --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] For additional commands, e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
