Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
On Sat, Jul 13, 2019 at 6:36 AM Benjamin Berg wrote: > Hi Philip, > > On Tue, 2019-06-11 at 11:56 +0200, Tobias Mueller wrote: > > On Thu, 2019-06-06 at 11:20 -0700, Philip Chimento via foundation-list > > wrote: > > > If elected to the board, how would you help to build trust and > > > collaborative working relationships among the directors, and encourage > > > healthy debate? > > I think this is a great question for all the candidates and I would be > > delighted to read statements of candidates who want to position > > themselves. > > I don't particularly like bringing this up again, however, I do find it > sad that you never responded to this question. I saw no purpose in that. > Also, I was surprised to > see that the archives have been updated recently but no public > statement has been made yet. > I am not intending to make any public statement. The board decided to make this change as a result of a private conversation with a person who was involved in that discussion, who intended that it be resolved without making a fuss. To be specific you updated the minutes of 2018-05-29 on the 2019-07-08 > adding[1]: > > """ > * Code of conduct approval (Alexandre) >* Alexandre wants to have on the record that he disagrees with how > the board approved the CoC > """ > > In contrast, your original summary on foundation-list read: > > """ > […], I am clarifying explicitly in this addendum that Alexandre Franke > was not present at the above board meeting (see list of attendees), and > that in the following board meeting he went on the record stating that > he disagreed with the outcome of the above votes. > """[2], similar during the 2018-10-09 Board meeting [3] > > Now. What strikes me is that this was a considerable misrepresentation > of what Alexandre said at the time, and the possibility of exactly such > a misrepresentation was a major concern in the discussion[4]. It may > appear like be a detail at first, but the fact that Alexandre voiced > his disagreement with *how* the vote happened and not with the > *outcome* of the vote is a fundamental difference. From his own > statement, we do not know whether or not Alexandre agrees with the > outcome. > That was how I read it at the time. I think the interpretation that I initially assumed is a reasonable interpretation of those words. I agree that yours is, too. I do not intend to argue about the meanings of words. I myself have no clue what Alexandre meant, as I was not part of the board when that discussion took place. Also honestly I don't care. The full extent of my involvement is that I inherited this action item from the 2017–2018 board. Now, I do believe that mistakes like this can and do happen. But > considering the situation, do you think that Alexandre or any other > foundation member have grounds to trust you? > I don't get to decide whether people have grounds to trust me. People make up their own minds. But this insinuation is ridiculous. -- Philip ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
El lun., 15 jul. 2019 a las 13:36, Benjamin Berg () escribió: > On Mon, 2019-07-15 at 12:47 +0100, Alberto Ruiz wrote: > > I find that final note utterly inappropriate. I can't find a single > > person that has worked with Philip that thinks he is untrustworthy, > > your implication here is VERY toxic and creates an environment of > > unnecessary tension, if you don't agree with how the board operates > > that is fine, but turning those concerns with the operations into > > personal accusations towards people who are doing this under a > > volunteer capacity and most likely with the best intentions is not > > acceptable and it damages the good spirit of this community. Please > > stop turning these issues into personal attacks. > > I never wanted to bring this whole issue to the public by posting about > it on foundation-list. Unfortunately, Philip brought this up during the > election and I do believe that it was important that there is some > follow up as public attention had been drawn to the issue already. > You are not addressing my comment, as I said, issues with how the board operates and suggestions/concerns are perfectly fine to discuss publicly. That was not my point and you know it. In letting your concerns and frustrations turn into an excuse to personally attack Philip is not acceptable, you are unfairly alienating: - Him individually, despite his efforts as a volunteer doing his best to fulfil his duties as a board member. - The board - The whole community by turning a position in the board as something that may risk yourself having to deal with the kind of comment you just used. Something for you to think about, what incentives does anybody have to run for the board if they have to deal with comments like that when people are not happy when things are not done the way they want to? I would encourage you to, instead of justifying yourself as you just did, apologize to Philip and the board for the sake of not just keeping things civil, but also to ensure that other people feel safe when running to the board in upcoming elections. > Benjamin > > > > > [1] > > > > https://wiki.gnome.org/action/diff/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20180529?action=diff=1=2 > > > [2] > > > > https://mail.gnome.org/archives/foundation-list/2018-October/msg1.html > > > [3] https://wiki.gnome.org/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20181009 > > > [4] https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Board/issues/60#note_344793 > > > ___ > > > foundation-list mailing list > > > foundation-list@gnome.org > > > https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list > > > > > -- Cheers, Alberto Ruiz ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
On Mon, 2019-07-15 at 12:47 +0100, Alberto Ruiz wrote: > I find that final note utterly inappropriate. I can't find a single > person that has worked with Philip that thinks he is untrustworthy, > your implication here is VERY toxic and creates an environment of > unnecessary tension, if you don't agree with how the board operates > that is fine, but turning those concerns with the operations into > personal accusations towards people who are doing this under a > volunteer capacity and most likely with the best intentions is not > acceptable and it damages the good spirit of this community. Please > stop turning these issues into personal attacks. I never wanted to bring this whole issue to the public by posting about it on foundation-list. Unfortunately, Philip brought this up during the election and I do believe that it was important that there is some follow up as public attention had been drawn to the issue already. Benjamin > > [1] > > https://wiki.gnome.org/action/diff/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20180529?action=diff=1=2 > > [2] > > https://mail.gnome.org/archives/foundation-list/2018-October/msg1.html > > [3] https://wiki.gnome.org/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20181009 > > [4] https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Board/issues/60#note_344793 > > ___ > > foundation-list mailing list > > foundation-list@gnome.org > > https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list > > signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
El sáb., 13 jul. 2019 a las 14:36, Benjamin Berg () escribió: > Hi Philip, > > On Tue, 2019-06-11 at 11:56 +0200, Tobias Mueller wrote: > > On Thu, 2019-06-06 at 11:20 -0700, Philip Chimento via foundation-list > > wrote: > > > If elected to the board, how would you help to build trust and > > > collaborative working relationships among the directors, and encourage > > > healthy debate? > > I think this is a great question for all the candidates and I would be > > delighted to read statements of candidates who want to position > > themselves. > > I don't particularly like bringing this up again, however, I do find it > sad that you never responded to this question. Also, I was surprised to > see that the archives have been updated recently but no public > statement has been made yet. > > To be specific you updated the minutes of 2018-05-29 on the 2019-07-08 > adding[1]: > > """ > * Code of conduct approval (Alexandre) >* Alexandre wants to have on the record that he disagrees with how > the board approved the CoC > """ > > In contrast, your original summary on foundation-list read: > > """ > […], I am clarifying explicitly in this addendum that Alexandre Franke > was not present at the above board meeting (see list of attendees), and > that in the following board meeting he went on the record stating that > he disagreed with the outcome of the above votes. > """[2], similar during the 2018-10-09 Board meeting [3] > > Now. What strikes me is that this was a considerable misrepresentation > of what Alexandre said at the time, and the possibility of exactly such > a misrepresentation was a major concern in the discussion[4]. It may > appear like be a detail at first, but the fact that Alexandre voiced > his disagreement with *how* the vote happened and not with the > *outcome* of the vote is a fundamental difference. From his own > statement, we do not know whether or not Alexandre agrees with the > outcome. > > Now, I do believe that mistakes like this can and do happen. But > considering the situation, do you think that Alexandre or any other > foundation member have grounds to trust you? > I find that final note utterly inappropriate. I can't find a single person that has worked with Philip that thinks he is untrustworthy, your implication here is VERY toxic and creates an environment of unnecessary tension, if you don't agree with how the board operates that is fine, but turning those concerns with the operations into personal accusations towards people who are doing this under a volunteer capacity and most likely with the best intentions is not acceptable and it damages the good spirit of this community. Please stop turning these issues into personal attacks. > Benjamin > > [1] > https://wiki.gnome.org/action/diff/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20180529?action=diff=1=2 > [2] > https://mail.gnome.org/archives/foundation-list/2018-October/msg1.html > [3] https://wiki.gnome.org/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20181009 > [4] https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Board/issues/60#note_344793 > ___ > foundation-list mailing list > foundation-list@gnome.org > https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list > -- Cheers, Alberto Ruiz ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
Hi Philip, On Tue, 2019-06-11 at 11:56 +0200, Tobias Mueller wrote: > On Thu, 2019-06-06 at 11:20 -0700, Philip Chimento via foundation-list > wrote: > > If elected to the board, how would you help to build trust and > > collaborative working relationships among the directors, and encourage > > healthy debate? > I think this is a great question for all the candidates and I would be > delighted to read statements of candidates who want to position > themselves. I don't particularly like bringing this up again, however, I do find it sad that you never responded to this question. Also, I was surprised to see that the archives have been updated recently but no public statement has been made yet. To be specific you updated the minutes of 2018-05-29 on the 2019-07-08 adding[1]: """ * Code of conduct approval (Alexandre) * Alexandre wants to have on the record that he disagrees with how the board approved the CoC """ In contrast, your original summary on foundation-list read: """ […], I am clarifying explicitly in this addendum that Alexandre Franke was not present at the above board meeting (see list of attendees), and that in the following board meeting he went on the record stating that he disagreed with the outcome of the above votes. """[2], similar during the 2018-10-09 Board meeting [3] Now. What strikes me is that this was a considerable misrepresentation of what Alexandre said at the time, and the possibility of exactly such a misrepresentation was a major concern in the discussion[4]. It may appear like be a detail at first, but the fact that Alexandre voiced his disagreement with *how* the vote happened and not with the *outcome* of the vote is a fundamental difference. From his own statement, we do not know whether or not Alexandre agrees with the outcome. Now, I do believe that mistakes like this can and do happen. But considering the situation, do you think that Alexandre or any other foundation member have grounds to trust you? Benjamin [1] https://wiki.gnome.org/action/diff/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20180529?action=diff=1=2 [2] https://mail.gnome.org/archives/foundation-list/2018-October/msg1.html [3] https://wiki.gnome.org/FoundationBoard/Minutes/20181009 [4] https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Board/issues/60#note_344793 signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
Sorry for the late response, I just saw this question. If I were elected to the board, how would I help to build trust and a collaborative working relationship amount the directors? This is a tough question to answer in a quantitative way, as interactions and human psychology are very complicated and very unique. From my experience working as a research scientist in academia where tensions and emotions are often high, I have found that the seed of any positive working relationship is to treat everyone and their ideas with respect, and to give each the benefit of the doubt that their viewpoint comes from a place of love for the mission and the project. To view someone through a lens of distrust, or to assume a nefarious nature, halts the conversation before it can even begin. Likewise, the key to healthy debate is to not lose sight of the big picture, and as such, before a working relationship can be established all parties must agree on the nature of the big picture. However, in places where conflicts do arise, inevitably stemming from topics such as monetary allocation, ethics, and organizational philosophy, I think it crucial to keep emotion to a minimum, as strong emotion leads to frustration, which will lead to grudges and hostility. It is particularly hard to set emotions aside for the sake of discussion, especially in a passion project such as this, but clear, level-headed rationality is how responsible decisions are made. With all that said, I believe a huge pet peeve of mine to be on the receiving end of is dismissivness. Having an idea dismissed outright before consideration is a belittling, aggravating, and disrespectful experience. With that said, my track record is not flawless having found myself being dismissive of points of view before considering the justification and having to retroactively make amends, but each occurrence has reinforced my learning and my personal growth to be a better and more patient listener. If I were to have a seat on the board, this would be a strong stance of mine: to not be dismissive the ideas, points of view, and perspective of my peers, and to expect my peers to do the same for each other. I hope that answers your question, or at the very least gives you an idea of where I am coming from. -Britt Yazel On Tue, Jun 11, 2019 at 2:56 AM Tobias Mueller wrote: > Hi Philip and the other candidates, > > On Thu, 2019-06-06 at 11:20 -0700, Philip Chimento via foundation-list > wrote: > > If elected to the board, how would you help to build trust and > > collaborative working relationships among the directors, and encourage > > healthy debate? > I think this is a great question for all the candidates and I would be > delighted to read statements of candidates who want to position > themselves. > > Having worked with Benjamin on several occasions, the biggest one being > GUADEC 2016, I know that maintaining a collaborative working > relationship and healthy debate are not a problem. > > Cheers, > Tobi > > ___ > foundation-list mailing list > foundation-list@gnome.org > https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list > ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
Hi Philip and the other candidates, On Thu, 2019-06-06 at 11:20 -0700, Philip Chimento via foundation-list wrote: > If elected to the board, how would you help to build trust and > collaborative working relationships among the directors, and encourage > healthy debate? I think this is a great question for all the candidates and I would be delighted to read statements of candidates who want to position themselves. Having worked with Benjamin on several occasions, the biggest one being GUADEC 2016, I know that maintaining a collaborative working relationship and healthy debate are not a problem. Cheers, Tobi ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
Hi Philip, On Thu, 2019-06-06 at 11:20 -0700, Philip Chimento via foundation-list wrote: > [SNIP] > It's public knowledge that you've disagreed with decisions made by > the currently sitting board of directors. Different points of view, > disagreement, and debate within the board are normal, healthy, and > expected, but I believe that so are collaboration, respect, and trust > while engaging in debate. > > On several occasions you've insinuated publicly that the current > directors are untrustworthy or involved in something shady, without > making any overt accusations that could be responded to factually. > https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Board/issues/60 is an example of this. > I can't speak for any of the other candidates, but I would find an > atmosphere where people operate out of distrust, if it existed on the > board, detrimental to a good working relationship. > > If elected to the board, how would you help to build trust and > collaborative working relationships among the directors, and > encourage healthy debate? I did not mean to express distrust when asking for more transparency. I am really not proud of some of the things that I said in that ticket. But I also maintain that its handling by the Board has been far from optimal and remains insufficient to this day[1]. I do not think that issue #60 is at all comparable with the work on the Board. Issue #60 is all about the Board being in the position where it holds all the information but it did not share this information in a timely and efficient manner. On the other hand, when working inside the Board everyone has access to the same information, creating an environment where healthy discussions become much easier. Furthermore, I can only stress, that I do not see any trust issues between individuals here. This is a matter of transparency and other concerns about the Boards handling of issue #60. Looking at the other questions to candidates, I am not the only one with such concerns. I am really happy to see that many candidates have brought in ideas on how the Board can become more transparent and approachable. I am sure that such an improved approachability will help to prevent situations like issue #60. I am looking forward to working with you and other Directors to implement these ideas. Regards, Benjamin [1] Against Alexandre's explicit request his statement from the following meeting has never been published verbatim. PS: To anyone who might try to read issue #60, please be advised that there are plenty of references to events that happened years ago and in private situations. I am happy to answer questions about this, but will likely not be able to share all details. signature.asc Description: This is a digitally signed message part ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Board of Directors Elections 2019 - Candidacy - Benjamin Berg
On Sun, Jun 2, 2019 at 7:32 AM Benjamin Berg wrote: > Name: Benjamin Berg > Affiliation: Red Hat > E-Mail: bb...@gnome.org > IRC: benzea > > Hello, > > I would like to run for the Board of Directors of the GNOME Foundation. > > I have been contributing to GNOME since 2006. In addition to > development work I have regularly helped with events and also organised > GUADEC 2016 in Karlsruhe. > > The Foundation is still undergoing deeper changes with the hiring of > multiple employees. This is an interesting challenge as the role of the > Board continues to change and it may have a large impact on the > Foundation and the GNOME community. I expect that shaping this future > will be an important part of the Boards work and I would like to be > part of this. Both by reflecting on whether we are moving in the right > direction and constructively working with everyone to get there. > > Apart from that I keep wondering about how to enable more collaboration > between the Board and the membership. An example on how I think the > situation can be improved is to move some tasks like the ongoing work > to develop 5 and 10-year goals into focused working groups. Doing so is > associated with an overhead but it guarantees that the work happens in > a transparent manner and that everyone can join the conversation. > > That is just one idea. As a Director I would like to work on creating > such opportunities for members to take on responsibilities inside the > Foundation. I believe that this is important so that members can grow > into new roles, creating a path from being an active member of the > community to joining a committee or serving as a Director. > Hi Benjamin, It's public knowledge that you've disagreed with decisions made by the currently sitting board of directors. Different points of view, disagreement, and debate within the board are normal, healthy, and expected, but I believe that so are collaboration, respect, and trust while engaging in debate. On several occasions you've insinuated publicly that the current directors are untrustworthy or involved in something shady, without making any overt accusations that could be responded to factually. https://gitlab.gnome.org/Teams/Board/issues/60 is an example of this. I can't speak for any of the other candidates, but I would find an atmosphere where people operate out of distrust, if it existed on the board, detrimental to a good working relationship. If elected to the board, how would you help to build trust and collaborative working relationships among the directors, and encourage healthy debate? Regards, Philip C ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
