Requests for Advice from the Board

[Stephen John Smoogen]

2012/2/14 Máirín Duffy <duffy at fedoraproject.org>:
> Don't hate me, but...
>
> On Tue, 2012-02-14 at 12:59 -0800, Max Spevack wrote:
>> I know that John is just paraphrasing here, but the truth is that there
>> are a number of times where all you see is something along the lines of
>> "not an issue for the Board" or "Board says that $PROJECT should do what
>> it thinks is best".
>>
>> If I were on the Fedora Board, or the FPL, I would make it a rule that
>> answers like that are no longer going to be given.  It's okay for that
>> to be the message -- and there are many times where it will be the
>> message.  But my point is that there should be more.
>
> 'Not an issue, do what you think is best' with no other guidance can at
> times come off as being a polite / well-intentioned 'we don't care' or
> worse, 'go figure it out yourself.'

On the other hand, pretty much every time the board does the opposite
and give guidance people seem to say that is some sort of unfunded
mandate that they have to live with.

Before being a board member,

me: "hey that sounds like a good idea."
others: "cool, but have you seen B".
me: "no I haven't. hmm I will have to look at that."

Being a board member
me: "hey that sounds like a good idea."
others: "dude the board is saying that idea A should be implemented. I
guess they think our idea B sucks. Time to crank out the email drama
farm."

I would blame this on email lists, but heck this occurrs on IRC, on
the phone, and FUDcons. Even when I or others clearly say this is our
own opinion and not that of whatever Board we are representing.

It makes serving on any of the boards: Famsco, Fesco, FAB all a
horrible grind after a while. Where taking any stand basically means
you get told by various people that you have alienated 80% of the
people who are on the project.  In most cases that is not reality, but
man it can feel that way (and pretty much every person who has served
on these boards have said it at more than one point.)

Now how can we make this better? Because I can't see being able to
truly answer various questions before the board.

-- 
Stephen J Smoogen.
"The core skill of innovators is error recovery, not failure avoidance."
Randy Nelson, President of Pixar University.
"Years ago my mother used to say to me,... Elwood, you must be oh
so smart or oh so pleasant. Well, for years I was smart. I
recommend pleasant. You may quote me."  —James Stewart as Elwood P. Dowd