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Grex > Coop > #335: The jep agenda: Board election 2013 | |
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jep
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The jep agenda: Board election 2013
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Dec 26 19:14 UTC 2012 |
I wrote the following in the item asking for nominations, foolishly
asking that it not be cause to take over the nominations item. I am
sorry for that.
This item is the place to argue over my agenda, and my other
qualifications and intentions if I win a seat on the Grex Board.
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I have a specific agenda. I want Grex/Cyberspace Inc. to merge with
Arbornet. If necessary, Grex should disband and donate it's assets to
Arbornet. It could then use either the general conference as it now
uses agora, or ask for the grex conference to be renamed 'agora' and
it's usage changed to duplicate the current Grex agora.
The purpose is that there are not enough people to justify two systems.
Grex is not self-sufficient. It has no staff other than tonster who is
the staff of both systems, and i who acts as cfadm on the rare occasions
when that is needed. M-Net really isn't self-sufficient, either. It
exists on the sufferance of tonster who keeps both Grex and M-Net in his
basement, and through the continuing efforts of tonster and Greg Russo
(who acts as cfadm).
Arbornet's bylaws currently allow for there to be one Board meeting per
year, and for that to be done on-line.
There is currently no Board for Arbornet.
At present I do not represent anyone. I have not attempted to gain any
support for my agenda from either M-Netters or Grexers.
Beyond that agenda, I served on the Arbornet Board for several years,
though not currently. I have been treasurer, vice president and
secretary. I never missed a Board meeting, and I always promoted the
best interests of Arbornet. I think I would be an asset to
Grex/Cyberspace as well. I will serve if elected, even if my agenda is
not accepted, but I will persistently and energetically pursue that
agenda if I become a member of the Board. I expect it to pass if I am
elected.
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| 71 responses total. |
jep
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response 1 of 71:
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Dec 26 19:36 UTC 2012 |
Both tonster and cross are opposed. They are also both staff members of
M-Net and Grex.
My initiative is not intended to resolve staff issues. I think it could
help, but that isn't the intention.
The purpose is that the two systems support a *tiny* number of users. I
would like to see the two communities join to become a more active
community. This could work. It may not, but it could. What we've got
isn't working. We're all waiting to see which of the exclusive list of
users lives the longest, then that person can shut down the system.
The purpose is that neither organization is sustaining itself. Neither
Grex/Cyberspace nor M-Net/Arbornet has regular board meetings or
elections any more. Neither one really needs them, either; they aren't
doing anything anyway.
The purpose is that things really can't get any worse. When you get
close enough to that point, it's time to make a change, and it doesn't
matter much what it is. For several years, I've been reading regular
items titled "Future of Grex", complaining nothing is changing. All
right, here's change.
The purpose is NOT to make everything be like M-Net, or like Grex. Even
if Grex shuts down and becomes part of M-Net, it's not going to do that.
Right now, three people could become members, call for an election, and
take over all of Arbornet. It wouldn't take much more effort to take
over Cyberspace Communications. (It is conceivable to me that I did
that already by nominating myself. If no one else wants anything here,
I will have an easy time of enacting my agenda.)
Eventually I'll post something like this on M-net's policy conference.
It is entirely a side benefit, and probably a silly one, but I have
always hated the name, "Cyberspace Communications". It doesn't describe
what this place is about, or was ever intended to do. It captures a
buzz word. That is all it does. It's a buzz word from 20 years ago at
that. It's like opening a tomato stand in 1958 and calling it
"Eisenhower Interstate Highway System, Inc.". If I can cause us to do
away with that name, it will be worthwhile.
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rcurl
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response 2 of 71:
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Dec 27 00:32 UTC 2012 |
"Cyberspace Communications" (and cyberspace.org), as name and domain, may have
some value on the internet market. Certainly as antiquarian value. I'm
inclined to lean toward keeping them.
What do the articles of incoporation of the two require on dissolution? That
might have some affect on the decision.
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kentn
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response 3 of 71:
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Dec 27 01:35 UTC 2012 |
As I noted previously, Grex is not running of money, and with our
current expenses, the donations people make cover them reasonably well.
We are looking forward to a new server soon, which will be a huge jump
in performance. That may let us do some things we never could do before
due to resource limitations. Something to look forward to!
The Board has met, on average, more than once a year for the last
several years. The Board has made numerous decisions, including
bringing to a vote the reduction in Board size that makes it easier for
us to field enough candidates to keep that aspect of Grex running.
As rabid as some people on each system are that "that other system"
not be merged with, agreed with, cooperated with, etc. I'm guessing at
least some people would rather see any benefits of a dissolution go to
any other charity other than the other system. I don't know if many
users would hang around after such a change. The two systems have their
own cultures and tend to be like oil and water. Thus, dissolution to
improve the other system doesn't seem like a good thing to pursue.
Grex has a lot of resources left, but I'd agree that motivated
volunteers tend to be in short supply. Even so, we have a dedicated
staff working behind the scenes, whether you see them or not. The Board
has been in communication and making decisions the entire year, mostly
in e-mail. This is the first time, I think, that we've had the majority
of Board members from outside Ann Arbor. That has been a challenge, but
we have a method of communicating for meetings (teleconference) and it
does work. Our bylaws allow for this form of Board meeting.
I oppose any dissolution of Grex at this time.
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richard
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response 4 of 71:
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Dec 27 17:16 UTC 2012 |
This response has been erased.
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richard
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response 5 of 71:
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Dec 27 17:18 UTC 2012 |
This response has been erased.
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richard
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response 6 of 71:
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Dec 27 17:20 UTC 2012 |
I seem to recall that I suggested a grex/mnet merger on mnet's 'grex''
conf two or three years ago, at a time when grew was down for a few
weeks, and dave was posting (former owner of mnet at the time grew was
formed) He said something along the lines of "any such merger will
happen over my dead body' He still harbored much bitterness toward the
group of users that left mnet after he bought it and apparently became
dictatorial, to form grex all those years ago. I think I said it was
silly for him to still be that bitter, but that only made more angry.
I think its a good idea to merge. I did then.
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jep
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response 7 of 71:
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Dec 27 20:51 UTC 2012 |
Heh, Dave Parks (kite) hasn't been associated with M-Net since shortly
after he sold the system to OAFS and then OAFS merged with Arbornet.
That was about 1990 or thereabouts.
You should run for the Board, richard. We can make it happen.
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kentn
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response 8 of 71:
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Dec 28 02:29 UTC 2012 |
I think it's a bad idea to merge. I sure hope it doesn't happen.
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cross
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response 9 of 71:
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Dec 28 19:04 UTC 2012 |
For the record, I actually support a merger. I think it would make things
simpler, and I'm kind of into the idea of setting up separate communities on
the same physical system, but I recognize that that's not universally wanted.
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kentn
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response 10 of 71:
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Dec 28 21:41 UTC 2012 |
The trouble with a merger, Dan, is that usually one culture or the other
will eventually get dropped. This is because one organization owns both
and someone will suggest to remove the duplication to save money (it's
only common sense to do so, right?).
Want to guess which system gets dropped if Grex is taken over by
Arbornet? And yes, I've seen this before in companies taken over by
merger. It's no fun and the loss of a good culture to the owner of both
leaves a lot of people wondering why things turned out so badly. It may
take a few years before it happens, but there's a very good chance it
will. The reason Grex started was to control its own destiny. A merger
will destroy that.
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