Agenda for TDF board meeting on Monday, March 20th, 1800 Berlin time (UTC+1)

[thb]

Dear community,

find below the agenda for our

TDF board meeting with a public part, and followed by a private part
on Monday, March 20 at 1800 Berlin time at
https://jitsi.documentfoundation.org/TDFBoard

For time zone conversion, see e.g.
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converted.html?p1=37&p2=49&p3=107&iso=20230320T18

## AGENDA:

### Public Part

1. Answering questions from the community (tdf-board, 5 mins)
   Rationale: Provide an opportunity for the community to ask
   questions to the board and about TDF

2. Status Report, Discuss: Update on formalising board fiduciary
   duties (Paolo Vecchi, 5 mins)

3. Status Report: Move board-discuss & tdf-members to Discourse
   (Florian Effenberger, Thorsten Behrens, 5 mins)

   Materials:
   * test instance https://communitytest.documentfoundation.org/c/board-discuss/194
   * import options and shortcomings, see
     https://redmine.documentfoundation.org/issues/3567#note-15 to #note-19.

### Private Part

4. Vote, Discuss: Discussion and budget for developer roles (Florian
   Effenberger, 5 mins)

5. Status Report, Discuss: Improve tendering process (tdf-board, 5 mins)

6. Status Report, Discuss: Next steps legal ToDo items (Paolo Vecchi, 20 mins)

7. Status Report, Discuss: TDF 2023 Budget Planning (tdf-board, 5 mins)

8. Status Report: Leftover Brussels items (Florian Effenberger,
   Thorsten Behrens, 5 mins)

9. Discuss: Last minute item(s) (tdf-board, 5 mins)
   Rationale: if there is time left, and anything is popping up after
   sending the agenda

Total scheduled meeting time: 60 mins

-- Thorsten

[andreasma]

Hi Thorsten, board, all,

Dear community,

find below the agenda for our

TDF board meeting with a public part, and followed by a private part
on Monday, March 20 at 1800 Berlin time at
https://jitsi.documentfoundation.org/TDFBoard

For time zone conversion, see e.g.
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converted.html?p1=37&p2=49&p3=107&iso=20230320T18

## AGENDA:

### Public Part

1. Answering questions from the community (tdf-board, 5 mins)
    Rationale: Provide an opportunity for the community to ask
    questions to the board and about TDF

during the call a question from the community was asked to the chairman,
but he declined to give an answer in the call. But he said that the
question could be asked on this mailing list, if there is a real interest.

I think there is no doubt that there is a high and valuable interest for
an answer of the chairman to that question.

Thus I ask this question - as requested - here:

Thorsten:
You took over the position of the chairman of the board about one year ago.
What have been your most important personal achievements in the interest
of the foundation during this year?

i'd be interested in the answers of the other board members too, what
were their most important personal achievements in the interest of the
foundation during this last year.

Regards,
Andreas

[andreasma]

Hi all,

Dear community,

find below the agenda for our

TDF board meeting with a public part, and followed by a private part
on Monday, March 20 at 1800 Berlin time at
https://jitsi.documentfoundation.org/TDFBoard

For time zone conversion, see e.g.
https://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/converted.html?p1=37&p2=49&p3=107&iso=20230320T18

## AGENDA:

### Public Part

1. Answering questions from the community (tdf-board, 5 mins)
    Rationale: Provide an opportunity for the community to ask
    questions to the board and about TDF

I sense it very disturbing that the board put this topic on the agenda
and the chairman was not able to answer an easy and clear question from
the community during the call.

And even more unsettling and in no way appropriate are the attacks of a
board member on community members, especially questioning for a
justification about asking that question.

The board member also stated that he expect from the community members
to announce the subject of a question in advance of the call.

The chairman of the board, who was also chair of the meeting, didn't
intervene, stopped this attack, rebuked the attacker or protected the
ones asking.

This shows that some members of the board are not willing to hear any
serious question from the community during the call.

I'd remind the board that it was elected by the community and has to do
its work in the best interest of the community and the foundation. This
includes a fair interaction with all community / foundation members.

Regards,
Andreas

[thb]

Hi Andreas, dear list.

Andreas Mantke wrote:

I sense it very disturbing that the board put this topic on the agenda
and the chairman was not able to answer an easy and clear question from
the community during the call.

Full minutes are due soon, excerpt below to clarify:

* What has been your most important personal achievements in the
   interest of the foundation since you took over as chairman around
   one year ago? (Stephan)
   * running board in a difficult time, getting decisions made (Thorsten)
* what's the relevance of raising this right now? (Cor)
* if there's concerns - perhaps ask directly or 1:1? (Thorsten)

While that's not exactly a print-ready answer from me, I fail to see
where responding to questions was ducked.

Andreas, you're now a member of TDF again, after a longer period of
absence. As a fellow board of trustees member, I honestly wonder, how
can we encourage you to contribute positively to this project? We've
had a friendly conversation during FrOSCon, but you otherwise seem
mostly busy hounding people and finding (perceived) fault. That's not
how it should be.

All the best,

-- Thorsten

[andreasma]

Hi Thorsten, all,

what is the reason for this biting tone of your reply?

Hi Andreas, dear list.

Andreas Mantke wrote:

I sense it very disturbing that the board put this topic on the agenda
and the chairman was not able to answer an easy and clear question from
the community during the call.

Full minutes are due soon, excerpt below to clarify:

  * What has been your most important personal achievements in the
    interest of the foundation since you took over as chairman around
    one year ago? (Stephan)
    * running board in a difficult time, getting decisions made (Thorsten)

I made some notes myself and you forgot to mention the second part of
your reply to Stephan:

* you wonder if we are already in election mode

(This can be perceived as an attempt intimidation in this context. It 
stops the questioner. But it also mirrors the nervousness with getting
such question.)

  * what's the relevance of raising this right now? (Cor)

And this was an aggressive behavior of a board member against a
community member.

@Thorsten: why you didn't stop this behavior, rebuked the attacker or
protected the ones asking?

  * if there's concerns - perhaps ask directly or 1:1? (Thorsten)

too, and not only for concerns, but if there is honestly interest (on an
answer to that question).

While that's not exactly a print-ready answer from me, I fail to see
where responding to questions was ducked.

If you'd look on your above answer from the perspective of the community
and also from the donors to TDF, what would be your perception? Did you
get any idea which important achievement for the foundation you reached
during the last year?

That a chair of the board and its meetings are able to run a successful
decision making process seemed to be nothing outstanding (important). It
is the usual job description.

But there is enough space in the other thread
(https://listarchives.documentfoundation.org/www/board-discuss/2023/msg00072.html)
to extend your answer and give the community more insight, what
seriously were your important achievements for the foundation during
your first year as chairman of the board.

Regards,
Andreas

[htietze]

Thorsten's reply is not biting, neither I read Cor's question as aggressive why you ask. The answer with keeping the show running is reasonable given the challenges we face, although a bit pity for the project.

Turning things positively means to not just ask for sake of asking but to give ideas how to improve. Something like "it would be good to define milestones for the board", ideally with your personal view.

[andreasma]

Hi Heiko, all,

what is the reason for this biting tone of your reply?

Thorsten's reply is not biting, neither I read Cor's question as
aggressive why you ask. The answer with keeping the show running is
reasonable given the challenges we face, although a bit pity for the
project.

if I didn't miss anything you have not been in the call this Monday and
according to the minutes of former BoD calls you have not been in those
meetings at least for a longer time.

If you would have participated in the call I'm sure you would have a
similar feeling. You would have recognized the facial expression and the
gesture connected to the questions. Thus with your professional
background  this should have given you a different assessment on the
situation.

For me the target course of the questions was very obvious. And I think
other participants in the call got the same perception.

And about the answer: your expectations on a chairman of the board and
on the board seemed to be very low. I don't know if the members and
donors of TDF would share your expectations.

Turning things positively means to not just ask for sake of asking but
to give ideas how to improve. Something like "it would be good to
define milestones for the board", ideally with your personal view.

The question was put to the chairman of the board. I wasn't asked to be
the prompter of the chairman. I think he and the members of the board
will be able to answer questions themselves without my assistance.

Regards,
Andreas

[mariosv]

When will you forget that you didn’t get the order to develop the extensions website? It’s been so many years.

Besides, I don’t remember you being very willing to listen.

Miguel Ángel.