No subject
Fri Dec 18 02:33:18 GMT 2009
be five themes.<br>
<br>
1. =A0Some people are in favour of an 'ACC', giving the community a=
say<br>
in how things are run.<br>
2. =A0Some people are happy with the way things are now.<br>
3. =A0Some people have real grievances about how they have been treated<br>
in the past (& present).<br>
4. =A0Some people think that 'Less Talk - More Action' is required.=
<br>
5. =A0The Silent Majority.<br>
<br>
"Everybody is right and all of your arguments are valid."<br>
We bring with us, our own Prejudice, Ego, Agenda, Thoughts and<br>
Perceptions.<br>
We just differ on how we perceive the situation. Does it need fixing?<br>
How to fix it?<br>
<br>
THE MODEL:<br>
When I presented the Model, I admit that it might have scared some<br>
people (Maybe I didn't sell it enough).<br>
It is not really a scary document, it does talk about 3 levels,<br>
'Local, State, National' and it goes into some detail about Roles,<=
br>
Responsibilities, Elections and 'what if' scenarios. I apologise, i=
t<br>
is due to my 'Systems Analyst', 'Big Picture thinking' and =
my<br>
'Applications/Programmer', 'small details' background. =A0(=
That's enough<br>
about me)<br>
<br>
The Model was a collaboration so I can't take all of the credit. (Not<b=
r>
that I'm seeking it)<br>
As there has been NO comment on the structure of the model, IMO, it<br>
must be pretty close to the 'money'.<br>
Not to say that there is no room for improvement or changes.<br>
I have made slight changes to it see <a href=3D"https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ubu=
ntu-au/council/structure-detailed" target=3D"_blank">https://wiki.ubuntu.co=
m/ubuntu-au/council/structure-detailed</a><br>
<br>
<br>
Out of the discussions a couple of concerns that people raised:<br>
1. =A0"The Model is three(3) levels of 'Bureaucracy'<br>
It is NOT a 'Bureaucracy', there are just three(3) levels<br>
'Local'- A group of people on the ground, at a local level, 'Ci=
ty' or<br>
'Region'<br>
'State'- IF the numbers on the ACC get too large for meaningful<br>
discussion/decision making<br>
THEN a 'State Council' would be formed. ELSE a possible 'Talk-F=
est'<br>
with no decision making at the ACC meetings.<br>
'National'- A collection of representatives(leaders), from the '=
;local'<br>
groups.<br>
<br>
Everybody is autonomous, just like it currently stands.<br>
Anybody can make a contribution in anyway as they see fit (within<br>
reason, that doesn't damage ubuntu-au).<br>
<br>
2. =A0"There is no need for 'Titles'"<br>
It is true that you don't need a 'Title' to make a contribution=
or be<br>
a 'Leader'.<br>
It is also true that you need to 'Earn' a 'Title', through =
your<br>
'Actions'.<br>
<br>
However, people are identified through their 'Title', it gives us a=
<br>
clue as to their role within an organisation.<br>
A 'Team Contact' performs a role, a 'Local Contact' perform=
s another,<br>
a 'Web Master' performs another. etc.<br>
When a 'New' person comes along, they look for people with a 'T=
itle'<br>
and have certain expectations.<br>
An organisation that doesn't APPEAR to have many people with a 'Tit=
le'<br>
does little to inspire peoples' interest (& confidence). 'Who d=
o I<br>
contact?, =A0Who do I talk to about this?, Is there somebody local?'<br=
>
You may argue that 'what we currently have', addresses these issues=
,<br>
IRC, email list etc. =A0But is it really enough?<br>
<br>
3. =A0"We don't have the numbers?"<br>
Is this a 'Chicken & Egg' scenario? =A0Acccording to the 'O=
fficial<br>
numbers' there are 211 members(launchpad), with 337 subscribers to<br>
this list. Duplicates ??<br>
Who knows how many 'Un-official' members we have, Ie. Those who<br>
register on the '<a href=3D"http://ubuntu.com.au" target=3D"_blank">ubu=
ntu.com.au</a>' website and go no further! (This is a<br>
question I have been asking, for a long time and have yet to get an<br>
answer. It seams to be a secret! =A0I see new people every time I take a<br=
>
look at the website.) Then there is 'Facebook', 'Google Groups&=
#39;,<br>
'flickr' and numerous other groups around the place.<br>
<br>
Maybe the Question should be, "How do we Motivate this silent majority=
<br>
to become active?"<br>
My answer would be "Put in place an environment & structure to fos=
ter<br>
participation"<br>
We just need to look at the phenomenon of 'Ebay', 'Facebook'=
;,<br>
'Twitter' to see this. (These may not be the best examples) When yo=
u<br>
build a structure around a sound concept things happen, the 'snowball&#=
39;<br>
effect.<br>
<br>
One 'Goal' of the ubuntu-au community could be to have a 'Local=
' group<br>
in every 'Capital city'.<br>
Whether it be a part of a 'LUG' or another organisation or<br>
independently organised.<br>
<br>
Currently it seems that we have 'active' groups in 'Brisbane &a=
mp;<br>
Adelaide'.<br>
I don't know what happens in 'Melbourne & Sydney', either n=
othing or<br>
nobody else hears about it. (I shouldn't have to ask) According to our<=
br>
'wiki membership list' there seem to be many people in 'Sydney =
&<br>
Melbourne'.<br>
I'm sure that there is enough 'leadership' material, for a '=
;local-<br>
Contact' & someone to organise.<br>
<br>
For the other Capitals, Nothing much happens in 'Hobart, Canberra,<br>
Darwin or Perth', from what I can tell.<br>
There needs to be 'Support' & 'A Mechanism' to bring pe=
ople together<br>
wanting to form their own 'Local Groups'.<br>
It is not enough to 'tell' people 'That they need to become mor=
e<br>
active' without helping them. (Less talk More-action)<br>
<br>
We have the tools, Website, Wiki, IRC, mailing list but we are not<br>
using them properly.<br>
I have created a 'mock' website at <a href=3D"http://www.ubuntu-au.=
gandella.com" target=3D"_blank">www.ubuntu-au.gandella.com</a> to<br>
illustrate extra information that could be<br>
conveyed to current & new visitors on our <a href=3D"http://ubuntu.com.=
au" target=3D"_blank">ubuntu.com.au</a> website, but<br>
this is not the subject of this post.<br>
<br>
Currently the numbers on an ACC could be 'Team-Contact, Web-master,<br>
Brisbane, Adelaide' with possibly 'Sydney & Melbourne' =A0T=
hat makes<br>
six(6), a nice number to start with.<br>
<br>
<br>
TRIAL PERIOD: =A018 Months<br>
As it has been previously stated there would be a review in 18 months<br>
time as to the effectiveness of an ACC and the Model. =A0If it doesn't<=
br>
work we can scrap it, if it needs changing we can change it.<br>
In my mind, 'Nothing ventured, nothing gained"<br>
<br>
SUMMARY:<br>
Nothing really changes, Individuals & Groups are autonomous.<br>
Nobody will be 'telling' anybody what to do. 'Guiding' yes =
- 'Telling'<br>
no.<br>
<br>
The ACC (Leadership group) is a visible 'Contact' that provides<br>
'Support & Consultation' to the ubuntu-au community, the commun=
ity at<br>
large and to each other.<br>
<br>
Adopting this model has many advantages, with very few disadvantages.<br>
Among the best:<br>
1. It shares 'leadership' amongst many. (Currently there is very<br=
>
little)<br>
2. A 'Visible' contact at a local level for existing and new people=
.<br>
(Currently limited)<br>
3. Co-ordination at a National level. (None at the moment)<br>
4. Group goals can be set and implemented. (Currently they are very<br>
loose)<br>
5. Extra communication channels going both-ways. (Currently limited)<br>
6. A 'Roadmap' for the 'Present' with the 'Future' =
in mind. (???)<br>
7. We could be a well organised group that is to be taken seriously.<br>
<br>
<br>
IMPLEMENTATION & ACTION:<br>
Hopefully, I have convinced some of the 'nay-sayers' that this mode=
l<br>
is a good one and that it needs to be implemented. =A0In some respects<br>
it is 'already' implemented, anybody has the freedom to create a<br=
>
'Local' group or 'BE' a leader. =A0It 'Formalises' =
it a little bit and<br>
hopefully it will foster more participation amongst ourselves & in<br>
turn the wider community.<br>
<br>
I know that some of you still don't care either way because you are<br>
happy with how things are currently or that you think that things are<br>
not broken so why fix. =A0Some think that there is a problem and that<br>
this may go part of the way to solve it. =A0Others just want 'Less Talk=
<br>
and More Action'. =A0Then there is the 'Silent Majority'.<br>
<br>
For it to work, it needs the support of this community and especially<br>
the 'leaders' in the group.<br>
<br>
Most importantly it needs the support of out 'Team Contact' Melissa=
<br>
Draper.<br>
<br>
Melissa, You have been very quiet, observing these proceedings!<br>
I'm sure that you have an 'Opinion' we would like to hear?<br>
(You do hold a certain 'Sway' in this community)<br>
Will you Work (& Share) with the members of an ACC (The<br>
representatives from 'Local' groups) ?<br>
Will you allocate access to resources to implement 'change' if it i=
s<br>
deemed necessary?<br>
<br>
<br>
MOVING THINGS FORWARD:<br>
<br>
Can we get some sort of 'CONSENSUS' that this 'PROPOSAL' be=
<br>
implemented?<br>
<br>
Do we need to take it to a 'VOTE'? =A0(if we take a vote, how will =
it be<br>
validated?)<br>
<br>
FINALLY:<br>
Thanks to Daniel for asking this<br>
"The question we should be asking is what needs to be done and what<br=
>
isn't<br>
being done with the current system and how adding this will help. =A0 "=
;<br>
<br>
I hope that I have gone some of the way in answering your question.<br>
<br>
We all have one thing in common, a passion for 'UBUNTU' and that #1=
<br>
bug to work on.<br>
<br>
<br>
Regards,<br>
<br>
Andrew G.<br>
<br>
<br>
PS. =A0I have tried to follow the guidelines set down in<br>
<a href=3D"https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoResolvingProblems" target=3D"_blank"=
>https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoResolvingProblems</a><br>
This post has been made available as an attachment at<br>
<a href=3D"https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-au/council/structure-detailed" ta=
rget=3D"_blank">https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-au/council/structure-detaile=
d</a>.<br>
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