[ogb-discuss] Meeting Minutes, OGB Call :: Wednesday 4th April

[Roy T. Fielding]

On Apr 4, 2007, at 6:37 PM, Keith M Wesolowski wrote:
> Forgive me for being defensive, but I don't believe this
> interpretation is incorrect, nor that that it led to any form of
> paralysis.  We'll be meeting next week, same bat-time, same
> bat-channel - only this time you and others will be able to listen in
> and perhaps even ask questions.  If we'd gone ahead with our meeting,
> there would undoubtedly have been complaints that we're not
> sufficiently open; that's not a good way to start the year.

Hogwash. Consider this a complaint for having totally wasted a week
of organization time over a completely misinformed interpretation of

    6.7. Place of Meetings. Regular and special meetings of the OGB
    may be held in person or via a shared teleconference, IRC, or
    equivalent medium for shared communication by means of which all
    persons participating in the meeting can hear or read each others'
    comments at the same time. Participating by such means shall
    constitute presence in person at a meeting. OGB meetings are,
    in general, open to attendance by any Members provided that such
    attendance does not interfere with attendance by OGB members and
    officers. The OGB may, when appropriate, choose to discuss items
    of confidential or sensitive nature in a closed session, but any
    acts of the OGB taken as a result of such discussion must be
    approved in open session and recorded for public review.

A teleconference with minutes is an open session of the OGB.
It would only be a closed session if decisions were made and then
never published for review (i.e., no minutes).  The same rules are
used for every non-public-sector governing body in the U.S.

The OGB has been elected to perform a task that is *not* central
to the day-to-day work of the organization.  It will need to have
private discussions, on many occasions, if it intends to actually
do the work of interfacing with external entities.  That's why we
elect boards -- to provide representatives with the power to act
in ways that the entire membership cannot act on its own.  One of
those things that a board can do, that the membership cannot, is
have a reasonably focused discussion in which the participants
are equally informed and capable of making a decision.

The ONLY reason that the OGB meetings specifically say that they are
open to attendance is because the default procedure would be for
non-OGB attendees to invited by the board members prior to the
meeting.  This way, the few people who are interested in a particular
topic can invite themselves, up to a reasonable limit that enables
the OGB to get work done.  This has nothing whatsoever to do
with "open meeting" laws that apply to public sector governance.
OpenSolaris is not that type of governing body.

Regardless, it is completely reasonable to limit the teleconference
to a max of 20 callers.  The purpose of having meetings is so that
you can get work done officially as a board.  Anyone who disputes
a given discussion or decision can do so using the asynchronous
mechanisms that are much more inclusive of the entire membership.
Like this one.

....Roy