No Pissing Matches, please

[Joe Mabel]

Last week I sent an email to Rich L. in an effort to discuss how he might 
get his points across while causing less offense.  Much of my email 
consisted of
my paraphrase of an earlier email of Rich's.  I myself do not necessarily 
agree with everything here (although I agree with a lot of it).

I originally sent this message only to Rich.  He has emailed me back saying 
I am free to post it.  I have edited out some remarks directed specifically 
to Rich about my disagreements with his style.  The following is the 
paraphrase.  I have included Rich's original email for reference	

<begin paraphrase>
SCNA is declining in membership.  May I suggest that the board is more to 
blame for this than I?  Please don't fob it off on me.

I am saying that easy, essential work is not getting done.  If the board 
doesn't have time to do it, we have the wrong board.

However, it is true that there are serious demands on time and all of us
realize that volunteers, (including board members) by definition, don't
have the same amount of time as a paid worker.  We are all fitting SCN
into other lives.  You are and it is to your credit.  My limited knowledge
of your goals suggests to me that your basic life style includes
contributions to the community.  Would that most people did the same.

But we, the SCN users, do get to complain if EASY and/or ESSENTIAL
jobs are not being done.
(1) There is no good reason for the board not to institute advance agenda 
notice.
(2) If electronic voting is too tough to implement (which surprises me) how 
about some form of mail-in ballot?
(2) There is no good reason for the board not to post
minutes on the web site.  These items are ESSENTIAL to running a
democratic organzation.

I don't accept your characterization that I am pushing just
a personal agenda and that I am insisting on impossible accomplishments.

Also, it's been six months since those things were suggested to the board. 
I have become skeptical about whether this is simply a matter of technical 
difficulties.  It looks to me like organizational democracy is not a 
priority for the board.
<end paraphrase>

The remainder of this is Rich's original message.
-----Original Message-----
From:	Rich Littleton [SMTP:be718 at scn.org]
Sent:	Thursday, December 03, 1998 12:30 AM
To:	Sharma
Cc:	scna-board at scn.org; scn at scn.org; bb140 at scn.org
Subject:	Sharma, Part 2


Sharma,

Even if only 6 people are watching, I still think we are unearthing some
things that need to be unearthed.

One point I want to deal with straightaway is your repeated assertion
that I am driving people away.  To be blunt, YOUR board lost 20% of its
membership due to dissatisfaction.  I don't flatter myself that I could 
ever
affect 20% of the SCN list users.  So, between me and the board, the
board has a much worse DOCUMENTED record for driving out previously
interested people.

So dump that complaint.  First, it's vague.  (Who? How many? Involved in
what?) Second, you all do worse. If dissatisfying others is really a
serious infraction, the board should be impeached.  So, enough of that
excuse for being mad at me.

Now, to the insufficient time complaint.

If a board member does not have time to do board-like stuff, that board
member should resign.  Not rocket science.  So let's dump the I-didn't-
have-enough-time excuse.

However, it is true that there are serious demands on time and all of us
realize that volunteers, (including board members) by definition, don't
have the same amount of time as a paid worker.  We are all fitting SCN
into other lives.  You are and it is to your credit.  My limited knowledge
of your goals suggests to me that your basic life style includes
contributions to the community.  Would that most people did the same.

But we, the SCN users, do get to complain if EASY and/or ESSENTIAL
jobs are not being done.  Thus my strident complaints about the board
(1) not instituting advance agenda notice (a pop quiz follows soon, so
look out!); (2) not setting up universal SCNA voting;  (3) not posting
minutes on the web site.  These items are ESSENTIAL to running a
democratic organzation.

Here's the quiz.  If SCN(A) truly does not have the resources to do
electronic voting, what is the alternative that gets the job done?  (Pause
to think ....)  Answer:  mail-in ballots!  Ta DA.  Along with a 
pre-election
fundraising mailing (to SCNA members), we include ballots.  Allow the
return time to span a week.  Bingo!  Near universal voting is
accomplished.

(I expect a resounding chorus of "Brilliant!"  "Bravo!"  "Swell job!" from
all of you who are dedicated to positive communication.)

The point is, I don't accept your characterization that I am pushing just
a personal agenda and that I am insisting on impossible accomplishments.

Also, it's been months since those things were suggested to the board.

March
April
May
June
July
August
September

So I am not unreasonable in pushing these things.  My question is:  Why
is there any resistence to the implementation to these things....unless,
.....unless, ....unless these sorts of things are not important to the 
board.

Enough for now.  More later, ..... perhaps.

Keep blasting, but direct a little of it at your colleagues.  (Your calm,
collegial, cooperative approach has not pushed them to act.)

Later,

Rich

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