[ok-scotland] Fwd: first board meeting?

Wed Jun 30 11:28:45 UTC 2010

Hi Paola,

OKF is an organisation like any other which receives funds and has to 
act legally. I don't know how well or not they accomplish that (or how 
other stakeholders view their transparency or lack of it), but 
associating the Open Knowledge Scotland activity such as the recent 
event with that organisation was simply a convenience, and presumably 
our event's success (e.g. turnout) was in part due to the good 
reputation of OKF.

The Scotland group is more like a user group, and fortunately we don't 
have to deal with money or laws so I'd say the simplest thing is to use 
the list and occasional meetings to progress common interests without 
getting bogged down in organisational malarkey. Having a wiki space on 
the OKF site and this list is again a convenience, so let's use it 
productively.  I doubt anyone has time to add much more 
structure/overhead/governance to our activities than that.

I'd suggest using a non-OKF list if you want to start up a group that is 
not associated with OKF. Personally I'd rather we use this list and wiki 
to continue to share ideas and projects of the sort that were shared in 
the recent event. And bear in mind if the list gets too active people 
will unsubscribe, so let's use it with care.

I'd also suggest removing the word Board from the wiki since there are 
no terms of reference for a board and we are really just an informal group.

cheers,
Robin

Paola Di Maio wrote:
> Hi Robin
> 
> thats a great question, because technically, in the absence of a 
> statute, none of this board stuff sense
> except that all decisions re OK Foundation are taken by a board that 
> meets secretly and is makiing decisions for OKScotland without us knowing it
> 
> So, my comments in the notes shared with Jonathan and Joe are precisely 
> aimed at claryfying what kind of open society
> are we working o here?
> 
> I think that it is implicitly understood that the bord makes all the 
> strategic decisions, and the board at the moment
> does have 'secret' meetings where members of the community are not 
> invited, nor the contents of which is divulged
> to members via minutes. That is a very poor model of transparency afaik, 
> 
> Of course I have a problem with an organisational structure that 
> replicates the social models open knowledge is trying to
> impact and evolve.
> 
> OKF as it stands is a bit stuck, and thats because all decision making 
> processes are a bit of a mess, and not particularly 
> effective, even potentially doing exactly the contrary of what it says 
> it does :-)
> 
> 
> being in Scotland i think its accepted tradition to strive for 
> independence and justice
> 
> As a consequence of studying with interest this field  today it is 
> suggested that Open Knowledge Foundation Scotland is to have its own
> decision making process which is not dependent on the non transparent 
>  of OK Foundation in the UK
> 
> A decision that I welcome anyone to challenge on this list (if someone 
> thinks its the wrong thing to do, lets talk about it)
> 
> And I put it to you, and to this community, whether we should have a 
> board  at all (I think 'techically' Scotlan should have its own board i
> unless OK Foundation dissolves its board too, otherwise we depend on them
> 
> And how do we go about self governance? I suggest we meet to discuss 
> this and all related issues when Jo is back fro holiday
> 
> P
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Jun 30, 2010 at 10:56 AM, Robin Rice <R.Rice at ed.ac.uk 
> <mailto:R.Rice at ed.ac.uk>> wrote:
> 
>     Paola,
> 
>     What is the difference between being a member of the group and a
>     member of the board? What is the remit of a board that anyone may join?
> 
>     Sorry if I haven't been paying enough attention.
>     Robin
> 
> 
>     Paola Di Maio wrote:
> 
> 
> 
> 
>         Greetings Folks
> 
> 
>         Following discussions with Jo and jonathan Gray
>         I have upated the OK Scotland page
> 
>         http://wiki.okfn.org/okscotland#preview
> 
>          we should start thinking of the first date for a meeting, pref
>         mid July onwards
> 
>         Please add yourself to the page if you d like to be on the
>         board, and write what meeting daterange  would suit you
>         from the 15 July onwards
> 
>         cheers
> 
>         PDM
> 
> 
> 
>         ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> 
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>         ok-scotland at lists.okfn.org <mailto:ok-scotland at lists.okfn.org>
>         http://lists.okfn.org/mailman/listinfo/ok-scotland
> 
> 
>     -- 
> 
>     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
>     Robin Rice
>     EDINA and Data Library
>     University of Edinburgh
> 
>     R.Rice at ed.ac.uk <mailto:R.Rice at ed.ac.uk>
>     0131 651 1317 (M, W, F)
>     0131 651 1431 (T, Th)
>     http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/data-library
>     ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
>     --
>     The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in
>     Scotland, with registration number SC005336.
> 
> 

-- 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Robin Rice
EDINA and Data Library
University of Edinburgh

R.Rice at ed.ac.uk
0131 651 1317 (M, W, F)
0131 651 1431 (T, Th)
http://www.ed.ac.uk/is/data-library
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

--
The University of Edinburgh is a charitable body, registered in 
Scotland, with registration number SC005336.