[Foundation-l] jobs

Mon Jun 5 01:19:34 UTC 2006

Ray Saintonge wrote:
> Anthere wrote:
> 
> 
>>Kelly Martin wrote:
>> 
>>
>>
>>>On 6/1/06, Anthere <Anthere9 at yahoo.com> wrote:
>>>   
>>>
>>>
>>>>There is something hugely upsetting in the comments I read in this
>>>>thread. It is seeing people complain things are not publicly
>>>>discussed... but who do not even comments when the issues are raised
>>>>publicly. It is seeing people complain things are not done... but they
>>>>do not do things themselves. It is seeing people complain we do not
>>>>welcome their help... but they say no when we ask them.
>>>>     
>>>>
>>>
>>>Well, my perspective on the above comments:
>>>
>>>I complain about the Foundation to many people.  I don't do anything
>>>about it because the structure of the Foundation is such that I am
>>>disenfranchised from actually having any influence other than through
>>>backchannel politicking.  The bylaws of the Foundation concentrate all
>>>power in the Board, and further structured so that a majority of Board
>>>members are not responsible to anyone but themselves.  This structure
>>>makes the Board inherently resistant to change.  I am not sanguine
>>>that the Board will ever even recognize all of the problems that exist
>>>right now, let alone come up with a useful solution.
>>>   
>>>
>>
>>it is the second time I see you using that expression. What does that 
>>mean "I am not sanguine" ? except for not being an orange which is 
>>probably true ?
>>
> 
> "Sanguine" in English as in French draws its origins from the French 
> "sang".  It can be applied to many things with a characteristic blood 
> red colouring including varieties of oranges and pears, and hematite 
> drawing crayons.  When applied to persons the subject gets interesting.  
> While it is clearly related to people who are red in the face, or often 
> in relation to large people who have many broken small blood vessels in 
> their cheeks.  English and French physiognomists interpreted the 
> associated temperaments quite differently.  For the English it 
> represents cheerful optimism, and a hopeful and even naïve belief that 
> everything will be all right.  For the French a sanguine person was seen 
> as someone with a quick temper (un coléreux), unless you were from  that 
> other school of thought that saw them as possessing a calm practical 
> sense of things. 

That clarifies !!!
As for me, it means something with a quick temper. So, I could really 
not make sense of Karynn use.
Thanks Ec (it really helps to be between two languages :-))

>>>So, yes, you may be asking for help, but frankly I find it hard to
>>>figure out what help you need or who to talk to about it -- and
>>>besides, your volunteer coordinators should be working to match
>>>volunteers with tasks that need doing, instead of making volunteers
>>>hunt around to find something to do that fits their talents.  But then
>>>again, that's yet another one of the myriad defects of the WMF: the
>>>Foundation appears to have no clue how to manage volunteers, either.
>>>(Does WMF even have a volunteer coordinator?)
>>>   
>>>
>>
>>Interesting question.
>>Is the job of a board member
>>1) define the strategy of the Foundation in the long run
>>2) manage everyday operations of the organisation
>>3) focus on human management of volunteers ?
>>
>>According to books, it is 1. According to reality, it is 2. According to 
>>wishes, is it 3 ?
>>
> 
> I would rephrase that slightly to refer to the job of the Board as a 
> whole rather than individual members.  The first is clearly the most 
> important job of the Board.  It should set broad guidelines for the 
> second, without getting involved in micro-management.  If you trust 
> someone enough to put him in a position you need to trust him enough to 
> let him get on with the job.  The human management of volunteers is a 
> very special skill which could be handled at the highest level by the 
> right board member, but not necessarily.
> 
> 
>>Let me see... I need
>>
>>1) 
>>
>>...
>>
>>11) 
>>
> 
> The length of your list alone says a lot  about the needs that have 
> developed.  We may very well have volunteers who _can_ do these jobs, 
> but how much can you fairly expect of them?
> 
> Ec

I am a volunteer who _can_ do the job of a board member, but how much 
can you fairly expect of me ?

Ant

PS : I will hire a nanny ;-)