[maemo-community] Open Letter from the Hildon Foundation Board to the Maemo Community

[From: Iván Gálvez Junquera]

Dear all,

There is a mistake in the summary, the letter is written by Tim Samoff, but
the actual chairman of the foundation is Randall Arnold.

Regards

2012/11/8 Community Council: Ivan Galvez Junquera <council at maemo.org>

> By Tim Samoff, chairman of the Hildon Foundation Board.
>
> Dear Maemo Community,
>
> As long-time supporters and contributors -- and, in all humility, quite
> honored to be counted among all of you -- we, the inaugural Hildon
> Foundation Board felt it necessary that we put forth an open, public
> statement about how we feel the "Board" should be considered and engaged
> with.
>
> At this point, the first Board meeting minutes have been published for
> public review. As we hope you'll see, it is nothing but the Maemo
> Community's best interests that we are concerned with. In fact, the
> entire reason for the Hildon Foundation to exist is so that the
> community may continue with as few interruptions as possible. So, as
> you read on, please keep this in mind.
>
> A little history first...
>
> Sometime in 2007 this community reached a tipping point. There were many
> active users, new devices, new code, and a lot of questions pertaining
> to the future of the [maemo.org][1] website and the community's
> relationship
> with Nokia. Because of this, the idea to create a "community council" as
> a way of fielding community issues and communicating them with Nokia was
> proposed. Those of you who have been a part of this community for a
> while will remember that the idea was widely agreed upon and the Maemo
> Community Council was born.
>
> This new entity, while totally unpaid and volunteer, ended up being an
> amazingly efficient conduit between community matters and those at Nokia
> who considered Maemo their charge. Both the community and Nokia
> flourished because of this relational reorganization.
>
> Fast-forward to the present...
>
> Nokia is leaving the scene (figuratively, of course, as we hope that the
> community still sees some Nokia faces here and there); the community is
> in a bit of an identity crisis; the Council and Foundation Board
> elections are rife with issues... The list could go on. But, regardless
> of these problems, we now have a new phase of community life to forge.
>
> Because of this, it is necessary to reevaluate how the community
> operates and who is responsible for its continued operations.
>
> Today's Maemo Community Council...
>
> Thankfully, the new Maemo Community Council is made up of very dedicated
> and trustworthy folks. And, as it has been since the Council's
>
> inception, these are the people who will directly fend for the daily
> life of our community. It is with gratitude that our community should
> receive this new Council. Treat them respectfully and always give them
> the benefit of the doubt. They are our dedicated and faithful guides.
>
> The Hildon Foundation...
>
> The Hildon Foundation and, specifically, the Foundation Board should be
> viewed in quite a different light, though. It is the Hildon Foundation
> that will oversee the transition of the Maemo Community away from Nokia
>
> and into the hands of the community. Of course, the Foundation is also
> very concerned with ongoing development within both the Mer and Nemo
> projects, so facilitating their future is also quite important.
>
>
> It is the Hildon Foundation that will administer such things as
> community infrastructure, managing money needed to continue the
> community, and general oversight of features and functionality in and
>
> around the strata of the community. Understand that it is the
> "Foundation Board" -- regardless of the individuals who actually occupy
> the roles within -- who accept and administer responsibilities.
>
> ![cleardot.gif][2]
>
> Because of this, it is the current Board's opinion that the relational
> dynamic between the community, the Council, and the Board should remain
> very similar to how they existed between the community, the Council, and
> Nokia in past years. And, because of this, it is the Boards opinion
> that the community should continue to communicate directly with the
> Council, and not necessarily with the Board. (Hence, discussion forums
> such as "Ask the Board" are quite inappropriate for these purposes as
> they never existed between the community and Nokia.)
>
> In Conclusion...
>
> All of this being said, the Hildon Foundation Board will make every
> attempt to run "business" in an open source manner. We will publish as
> much of our meeting minutes as possible without violating any non
> disclosure agreements. Likewise, we will make every attempt to respond
> to community communication via the Maemo Community Council, especially
> those things that pertain to community infrastructure and daily
> operations. Lastly, we will remain active within the community as
> regular community members.
>
> Thank you...
>
> Thank you for supporting this community. It is the reason why we who
> choose to serve in more political capacities like the Community Council
> and the Board. There is no other reason. We believe in this community.
> We desire this community to succeed. We will do everything we can to
> facilitate the growth of this community.
>
> In service,
> The Hildon Foundation Board
>
>    [1]: http://maemo.org
>    [2]: https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/images/cleardot.gif
>
> URL:
> http://maemo.org/community/council/open_letter_from_the_hildon_foundation_board_to_the_maemo_community/
> _______________________________________________
> maemo-community mailing list
> maemo-community at maemo.org
> https://lists.maemo.org/mailman/listinfo/maemo-community
>



-- 
Iván Gálvez Junquera
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