[Linux-aus] Nominations and their spiels for the LA election

[Sridhar Dhanapalan]

On Wednesday 03 January 2007 11:52, Jeff Waugh <jdub at perkypants.org> wrote:
> <quote who="Christopher Yeoh">
>
> > If there are problems with not having sufficently geographic diverse
> > representation on the committee, then what about changing things in the
> > future to allow LUGs (say with minimum size and regular meeting
> > qualifications) to be have the right to internally vote for a
> > representative on the LA committee (eg additional reserved spots - maybe
> > only for those areas/LUGs where there aren't existing reps)?
>
> There was an attempt a while back to create a forum for LUG leaders to work
> together and interact with the LA committee. It was in the form of a
> mailing list at that time, but could be something else. I would far prefer
> something like that to swelling the committee with geographical
> representatives. Do we need geographical *representation* to pursue LA's
> goals (ie. the community's goals) or do we need better *communication*? I'd
> suggest the latter.

Please spare us the burden of a geographically-based system of governance! It 
might be (or might have been) a good choice for nation-states, but it would 
shackle a flexible technology-based organisation like LA.

Is there genuinely a sentiment that certain geographical areas are being 
underrepresented (or even misrepresented)? If so, are there 
alternative/modified forms of governance/communication that we can 
investigate? It sounds like we may be allowing ourselves to over-speculate 
and over-emphasise minor issues, thereby distracting ourselves from more 
important matters.

Note that there are other divisions other than geographical, like 
socio-economic, occupational and educational. Do we alter our structure for 
those as well? How do we reconcile these all at once? The answer, as I see 
it, is to maintain a flexible form of governance and infrastructure, not much 
different in principle from what we have now.

-- 
Your toaster doesn't crash. Your television doesn't crash.
Why should your computer? http://www.whylinuxisbetter.net
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