[Community] IC participation in IDTBD

[Kaliya Hamlin]

Dear IC Community,

We (Mary, Kaliya and Drummond) have represented Identity Commons in  
the "IDTBD" conversation; we have done our best to put forward the  
values of IC and engage in a real dialogue about how we could  
collaborate more deeply and potentially merge these two organizations.

Some key Liberty Alliance board members appear from our point of view  
to be driving the process to a predetermined conclusion rather than  
having a conversation about how these organizations can work  
together. They do not appear to us to have understood the Identity  
Commons culture, principles and practices, and they have not  
addressed the concerns we have raised to our satisfaction. After  
numerous attempts, we have not found a way to make the conversation  
address what we view to be the issues which are central to the   
concerns of IC members, and so we are not prepared to put any more  
time into the IDTBD negotiation.

The conversation on the IDTBD list has shifted to how we have two  
thriving, different but effective and collaborative organizations.
http://groups.google.com/group/idtbd/browse_thread/thread/ 
5546f1035c8d74e3

Liberty Alliance participants appear to us to have discounted this  
conversation, and have continued to pursue an proposal to create a  
single IDTBD organization which does not address the core IC  
concerns. Liberty members are drawing up Letters of Intent to join  
this IDTBD organization, and will shortly present these letters for  
signature to a variety of organizations including IC members. See  
slide http://docs.google.com/Presentation?id=dd9vb6dc_2cd2j98fm slide  
15/16

We (Mary, Kaliya, Drummond) do not believe the proposed organization  
accomplishes the goals Identity Commons was formed to achieve. We do  
not see how we can influence the conversation going forward to move  
in a direction more compatible with IC's aims. For this reason, we  
(Mary, Kaliya, Drummond) wish to withdraw formally as the IC  
representatives to the discussion about how IC and Liberty Alliance  
become a single organization under the umbrella of the IDTBD  
structure as described in V3 of the IDTBD proposal.

We strongly recommend that IC stewards not sign a Letter of Intent to  
join the organization described in the V3 IDTBD proposal.

Regards,
Kaliya Hamlin
Mary Ruddy
Drummond Reed


Here is a link to an extensive e-mail list summary from both the IC  
and IDTBD lists. http://wiki.idcommons.net/IDTBD_Summary

Here is a short summary of the latest IDTBD strawmen and conversations.

The IDTBD list was started mid July after ideas were floated to the  
IC community list. The first strawman proposal was put forward by  
Liberty on July 17th in a webinar to their members.
http://idisk.mac.com/brett.mcdowell-Public?view=web
It is not clear how it was developed or over what period of time. It  
did come out a strategic review process that did include some  
"outsiders". The proposal did not change significantly in the month  
of dialogue prior to the Anaheim meeting before DIDW on Sept 8th.

That meeting moderated by Bob Blakley conculded with all the Liberty  
people saying yes to the proposal and everyone else saying No or  
expressing a very reserved maybe. Out of this Kaliya Hamlin and Mary  
Ruddy agreed to put together a 2nd strawman proposal.

September 16 Mary Ruddy posts the IDTBD Strawman 2 to IC list
http://mail.idcommons.net/pipermail/community/2008-September/001544.html
this was worked on by Kaliya Hamlin and Mary Ruddy as an action item  
coming out of the Sept 8 F2F in Anaheim. It was reviewed and  
commented on by Drummond Reed, Eugene Kim and Bob Blakley before  
being posted.
This proposal seeks to evolve the existing IC community model to meet  
the needs expressed by many parties. It

1) Has a more coherent branding (it introduces prefix and suffix  
branding for groups)

2) Supports existing organizations being a part of IC/IDTBD as  
separate organizations like OIDF and ICF have done, and large  
entities like Liberty Alliance would continue in time and integration/ 
merger with community process would happen over time.

3) Sets out a plan to have an action group form to address the need  
for a common community message about how the existing technologies  
fit together.

4) Seeks to harmonize Concordia and OSIS working groups focused on  
interoperability.

5) Seeks to harmonize both geographically regional and vertical  
industry outreach around identity.

6) Has a lightweight core infrastructure focused on services for the  
community with an emphasis on collaboration and harmonization.

7) Keeps with the principle of self organization. It does not take  
community driven efforts into the core - these are guided and funded  
by groups. Having a light weight core reduces the politics and  
increases the ability of groups to join and participate without  
feeling it is a huge time/energy commitment.

8) Acknowledges and supports corporate contributions to the community  
and facilitates a smoother integrated path of giving into the  
community but does not give corporate contributors veto power over  
the use of funds they have not contributed.

9) Has a taxation model - so groups that generate revenue/have  
funding contribute a percentage to the core to - a potential  
percentage of 10%.

10) Changs the NAME


Brett McDowell posts a counter proposal by redlined the version 2  
proposal creating "version 3" which does not address core differences.

Sept 24 Brett posts a "strawman 3" this was known as version 1.5
http://groups.google.com/group/idtbd/browse_thread/thread/ 
c2d0de5551c4d83a

Brett took the Strawman 2 that was developed by Mary and Kaliya and  
red lined it creating a "version 3"
It now includes a Liberty like membership model and governance  
structure.
The largest corporate board members have a seat on what is called the  
"trustees council" this council has final approval of 1) Budget  
decisions for the core of the organization
2) Manages any staff
3) Has final say over how the BRAND of IDTBD is used - can prefix or  
suffix groups use it - their choice "One additional benefit to  
members of IDTBD is the final vote on IDTBD product that will carry  
the brand of IDTBD. "
The core of the organization does more for speaking and doing for the  
community as a whole.


Kaliya wrote this post about IC based on insights I had participating  
in the conversation these past few months. Based on things  
articulated on the mailing list or on phone calls.
http://www.identitywoman.net/?p=786

The words in the proposal may be the same but there is a wide gap  
between the way the largest Liberty Alliance corporate board members  
understand how communities work and how the IC representatives  
understand it. Merging two communities with quite different  
worldviews and ways of working together would be a recipe for  
community gridlock and extensive politicking rather then getting work  
done and collaborating together. We believe that dialogue and  
collaboration and trust can grow over time (potentially if really  
deeply engaged in a short amount of time) but it is too soon to force  
these two different ways together.