[Ubuntu-US-CA] California LoCo Team Assistance

[Grant Bowman]

First, I would like to apologize to the LoCo Council members. Our LoCo
team requires assistance. I appreciate the generous efforts already
offered and I look forward to working with council and team members
moving forward.

I feel that despite several internal efforts by different individuals
and/or groups we have not been able to promote or exemplify the spirit
or letter of the CoC, deal with team issues and preserve good will.
Some problems have not even been acknowledged, let alone cooperation
given to related communication and cooperative efforts made toward
resolution.  I welcome the guidance and assistance of the LoCo Council
in helping our team get unstuck and move Ubuntu forward in California.
Mirroring the Internet architecture itself, we have seen our team
fragment and try to route around real and perceived communication
problems. It is not desirable or sustainable to burn out well
intentioned volunteers yet we seem to have done that. I believe the
openness of the LoCo structure itself has been abused in this case to
artificially prolong some key team issues.

I do not believe (as I have heard that some people believe even now)
that our present course is a real or legitimate option moving forward
without any change. Most people I have talked with agree that
something must change before rebuilding can occur. Denying issues
exist from a position of relative authority, working through others
and/or hiding from legitimate issues are unsustainable responses from
any leader. The Ubuntu Code of Conduct (CoC) and the Leadership CoC
speak to related types of conduct.

The state of California is one of the most populous, economically
active and technologically progressive states in the USA. Why then is
our LoCo not only relatively weak but at times burdensome to those
that even attempt to participate actively? A weak California team is
mysterious given the activity levels of Linux and Ubuntu in the (world
famous) Silicon Valley and elsewhere in our state. A significant
amount of all open source development takes place right here in the
Golden State.

Given the team history, I do not seek an elected position at this
time. I do ask that a fair process is established. I do not claim
that, in hindsight, each and every one of my actions has been the best
possible choice. I would like to apologize for any action that was or
seemed to be less than helpful. I can only speak for myself but I am
ready, willing and able to do my part in the process moving forward.
My LoCo team experience negatively colored my Ubuntu contributions. I
hope the LoCo situation can be improved so that future contributors
can have a better experience than I had. California LoCo team problems
seem highly inconsistent with my experiences of other parts of the
Ubuntu community that I have seen and been involved with. I look
forward to assisting in whatever corrective action is deemed
appropriate by the council and getting our team back on track.

Regards,

Grant Bowman
Ubuntu Member
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/CaliforniaTeam