[Community] summary of last week's (3/28/2007) call

[Bill Washburn]

Admittedly I'm rather new to the actual discussion of principles and policies of Identity Commons and thus I must acknowledge I seem to be out of step frequently and deeply with the points of seeming ambiguity where someone will usually say in so many words, "We already decided that."  Well, I think it's a foolish policy.

If the only power or influence the Stewards Council has respecting a recognized working group is removal, well obviously I am out of alignment and ignorant of some elements of the overaching philosophy of Identity Commons.  By my lights, the Stewards Council having only the power of out and out removal of a working group is tantamount to having nothing but the brute force of a sledgehammer or a gun.  It is too blunt and so unsubtle as to be useless in the day-to-day of work of normal life.

For example:  

What if there were a high visibility and intrinsically worthwhile working group recognized by Identity Commons that was: 1.  expending lots of IC resources (financial and otherwise), 2. was  highly active and 3. had members within the working group with a relentless attitude of saying ugly, untrue, unfriendly and/or unfounded (pick your favorite) things about other IC recognized working groups.  Do you all really believe that the only thing the Stewards Council should be able to do is vote them out or ignore them?  

I don't get it, if that's the consensus thinking.

cheers,
-bill


 
----- Original Message ----
From: Owen Davis <owen at idcommons.net>
To: Joaquin Miller <jm-public at sbcglobal.net>
Cc: Identity Commons <community at idcommons.net>
Sent: Thursday, April 5, 2007 1:07:46 PM
Subject: Re: [Community] summary of last week's (3/28/2007) call

+1.  "the only power the Stewards Council has in this area is to remove a working group"

Removing a working group should likely be a last resort after other approaches (decreasing reputation, fines or other disciplinary actions) fail.


+1  "If our concern is about how to recognize the particular individual as indeed the representative of a particular working group, we have a good concern"


A groups charter needs to include how the group will choose stewards and the choosing process should be documented so that the stewards council can audit.  Perhaps a description of the process needs to be submitted everytime a steward is selected.  Having these records may need to be a requirement to remain in good standing. 
  

On Apr 5, 2007, at 11:08 AM, Joaquin Miller wrote:

 Folks

 From the notes of last weeks call:

   * Working Groups decide for themselves the process for
     changing/removing their Stewards.  The only way the Stewards Council
     can remove a Steward is to decharter a Working Group.  Joaquin
     suggested we need a provision for removing a Steward in the articles.
     Bill suggested "replacing" is a better word than "removing."
 I don't recall the conversation here, but I'm absolutely certain of this: Putting aside which is a better word, 'to replace' and 'to remove' have entirely different meanings.  

 Bill, no doubt, meant 'replacing' was a better word for whatever we were talking about at that poing.  I don't believe the Stewards have any authority to replace a steward.

 If we all agree that the only power the Stewards Council has in this area is to remove a working group, then we don't need any process for replacing a Steward nor a process for removing a steward.

 If our concern is about how to recognize the particular individual as indeed the representative of a particular working group, we have a good concern.  (This could arise when two persons present themselves, both claiming to be the representative.  (Don't think this can't happen.)  It could be even stickier, if each has a group behind them, both groups claiming to be the authentic working group.)

 Let's put the rules for that in the articles.  Nothing is more important to the operation of the legal entity than the procedures for determining who the Stewards are.

 Cordially, Joauqin

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