Requests for Advice from the Board

[Max Spevack]

Somewhat separate from the rest of the thread, which is why I'm replying 
to the OP.

> At the same time we often see issues come before the Board that are 
> routinely met with a "this isn't the Board's business" sort of 
> reaction.

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.

If the Board wants to delegate a matter to another part of the Fedora 
community, that's fine.  But in making that delegation, a few sentences 
about why the Board wants to delegate the issue should always be given, 
as well as (optionally) any general thoughts or comments that the Board 
or Board members have on the issue that they'd like to see considered.

This has the positive result of continuing to push decision making and 
authority to the edges of the community, but it also has the benefit of 
establishing an institutional memory of why things happen the way they 
do, and can be instructive to future Board members who get a bit more 
insight into how decisions are made.

--Max