[CentOS-devel] Is this the right channel to address the board?

Johnny Hughes

johnny at centos.org
Wed May 6 14:37:26 UTC 2020


On 5/6/20 8:31 AM, Rich Bowen wrote:
> I must lead with this: It is with great trepidation that I even write
> this message, because I have no desire to burn bridges. I currently
> enjoy a cordial working relationship with everyone on the board, and,
> without exception, have great respect for each of them personally. But
> it is my job to point out that the board's method of engaging with the
> community isn't working.
> 
> On 5/6/20 4:28 AM, john tatt via CentOS-devel wrote:
>> At the first place, what kind of "issue" do you speak of ?
> 
> 1) The website redesign
> 2) The logo design process (we finally got a response from one
> individual board member, but as yet no *decision* from the board)
> 3) The open question as to what the board will do about the stated
> policy that Red Hat must hold a majority of seats, given that one board
> member has announced that he is leaving Red Hat.
> 
> There are others, but those are the three most recent, and the most
> pressing.
> 
> Mostly, though, in this email, I do not seek to address those issues. I
> seek to find out the correct way that the board wishes for us to engage
> with them.
> 
>> At the second place you tell you are not the only one to claim for
>> replies.  Where are the others ? Whey do they not countersign ?
> 
> Two reasons.
> 
> One, it's literally my job. I am paid, full time, to be the community
> manager. That means that it's my job to represent the community's
> interests, both externally (ie, to the public), internally (ie, to the
> board and community), and to our major financial partner, Red Hat.
> 
> Two, because the people in question have expressed frustration enough
> times that they have quit trying. To me, this is a tragedy.
> 
>> And at the third place I should say that tou can't ignore who are the
>> people in charge. So why not just send a mail to them instead of using
>> this public list ?
> 
> I am most definitely not ignoring the people in charge. They have told
> me that this is the correct place to raise issues to their attention.
> But it's not working.
> 
> On the one hand, I *do* send them email directly. Frequently. And I have
> weekly meetings with several of them. But that is not how open source
> projects work. Open source projects are, by name and philosophy, open.
> Privately emailing board members is not transparent.
> 
> Secondly, most of you, the community, don't have the level of access
> that I have. It's not fair to assume that any one of the community can,
> or should, email or call our board members directly. We need a process
> by which the community can raise issues, publicly, transparently, and
> expect that we will be heard.
> 
>> Do you hear me Fabian and others ?
> 
> Fabian is not a board member. If, by "others", you me the other board
> members, then I ask the same question: Do you hear me?
> 
> Please understand that I have no anger or animosity here. Just
> frustration, and a desire to improve *our* project's communication and
> processes. I am available, and at your disposal, for any way in which I
> can be part of that improvement.
> 

Rich,

We have 4 people who are working on 'CentOS Linux' .. and 'CentOS Stream'.

We just had Red Hat Summit (the CentOS team had major deliverables for
that) and 2 major point releases drop (RHEL 7.8 and 8.2 releases) .. as
well as creating the entire CentOS Stream process.

There is really just not a lot of cycles right now for logos or website
redesign talk.

Thanks,
Johnny Hughes

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