Requests for Advice from the Board

[inode0]

On Wed, Feb 15, 2012 at 7:09 AM, Paul W. Frields <stickster at gmail.com> wrote:
> On Tue, Feb 14, 2012 at 06:05:31PM -0600, inode0 wrote:
>> Even here I think you should consider the issue and share your
>> thoughts about it. If those folks ever do get together to work on this
>> issue they will be better off with your contribution to the cesspool
>> of ideas floating around in the project.
>
> Ouch, "cesspool"? :-)  (No worries John, I think I knew what you
> meant, it just made me chuckle this morning for some reason.)

I often refer to an abstract pool of ideas as a cesspool since I
expect almost all of them to be waste. But I also think of this
cesspool as the source of much magic when some of the good ideas in
there find each other and out of that comes something special. I
didn't mean it in a negative way, more a humorous characterization of
a large somewhat random pool of thought. I'll post a bit more about
this in another thread soon.

> I think Max also clarified in a way that jibes well with what you
> wrote here.  I think what you're suggesting is there should be
> followup with the people or team that is responsible (or could be
> responsible) for the work in question.  That way, there's not a
> misconception that the Board is saying "not our problem," as opposed
> to "well, you don't need us to decree this, let's talk together with
> these folks over here to see how this could just move forward."
>
> Does that about sum it up?

Pretty much. I'm not sure it would be the Board's responsibility to
track or do followup. I think it is the Board's responsibility to make
people who come to it with concerns or ideas not feel marginalized
doing so. And I think by responding to folks in a way that shows you
cared enough to actually consider and think about what they said goes
a long way even if in the end you explain why can't wave a magic wand
and just make it happen. It is the advisory board and I think by doing
more advising people feel better treated and the culture around the
project is improved by the existence of the advice.

John