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Fri Dec 18 02:33:18 GMT 2009
be five themes.<br /> <br />
1. Some people are in favour of an 'ACC', giving the community a say<br />
in how things are run.<br />
2. Some people are happy with the way things are now.<br />
3. Some people have real grievances about how they have been treated<br />
in the past (& present).<br />
4. Some people think that 'Less Talk - More Action' is required.<br />
5. The 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, it<br />
is due to my 'Systems Analyst', 'Big Picture thinking' and my<br />
'Applications/Programmer', 'small details' background. (That's enough<br />
about me)<br /> <br />
The Model was a collaboration so I can't take all of the credit. (Not<br />
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 target="_blank" href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-au/council/structure-detailed">https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-au/council/structure-detailed</a><br /> <br /> <br />
Out of the discussions a couple of concerns that people raised:<br />
1. "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, 'City' 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-Fest'<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. "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' performs another,<br />
a 'Web Master' performs another. etc.<br />
When a 'New' person comes along, they look for people with a 'Title'<br />
and have certain expectations.<br />
An organisation that doesn't APPEAR to have many people with a 'Title'<br />
does little to inspire peoples' interest (& confidence). 'Who do I<br />
contact?, Who 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. But is it really enough?<br /> <br />
3. "We don't have the numbers?"<br />
Is this a 'Chicken & Egg' scenario? Acccording to the 'Official<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 target="_blank" href="http://ubuntu.com.au">ubuntu.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! I see new people every time I take a<br />
look at the website.) Then there is 'Facebook', 'Google Groups',<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 foster<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 you<br />
build a structure around a sound concept things happen, the 'snowball'<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 &<br />
Adelaide'.<br />
I don't know what happens in 'Melbourne & Sydney', either nothing 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 people together<br />
wanting to form their own 'Local Groups'.<br />
It is not enough to 'tell' people 'That they need to become more<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 target="_blank" href="http://www.ubuntu-au.gandella.com">www.ubuntu-au.gandella.com</a> to<br />
illustrate extra information that could be<br />
conveyed to current & new visitors on our <a target="_blank" href="http://ubuntu.com.au">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' That makes<br />
six(6), a nice number to start with.<br /> <br /> <br />
TRIAL PERIOD: 18 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. If 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 community 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 model<br />
is a good one and that it needs to be implemented. In some respects<br />
it is 'already' implemented, anybody has the freedom to create a<br />
'Local' group or 'BE' a leader. It '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. Some think that there is a problem and that<br />
this may go part of the way to solve it. Others just want 'Less Talk<br />
and More Action'. Then 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 is<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'? (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. "<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. I have tried to follow the guidelines set down in<br /> <a target="_blank" href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoResolvingProblems">https://wiki.ubuntu.com/LoCoResolvingProblems</a><br />
This post has been made available as an attachment at<br /> <a target="_blank" href="https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-au/council/structure-detailed">https://wiki.ubuntu.com/ubuntu-au/council/structure-detailed</a>.<br /> <font color="#888888"><br />
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