[Board] resignation

Jeff McKenna jmckenna at gatewaygeomatics.com
Mon Sep 15 13:24:11 PDT 2014


Hi Andrew,

I am in fact saying nice things about LocationTech.  Opposite.

The 'lawyers' reference was in terms of the ownership of the FOSS4G name 
that you mentioned (if this is what you are referring to?).

If you mean the back-channel talk that happened, this did happen 
throughout the event. It was unfortunate.

My email was not an attack, but rather a report of what I saw happening 
last week, as we all try to see how this all can work.

It is confusing, to say the least.

I do not apologize for my email.  ?

-jeff



On 2014-09-15 5:17 PM, Andrew Ross wrote:
> Jeff,
>
> Perhaps you might like to apologize?
>
> What you have written is very derogatory, FUD-laden, and extremely
> unprofessional. And it's completely uncalled for. Give me a break!
>
> Andrew
>
> On 15/09/14 13:17, Jeff McKenna wrote:
>> Bart, what if you stay on the Board, and I go away, for good?  This
>> way the merge can happen, and big business is happy.  I can't fight
>> with LocationTech lawyers, their big pockets...I realized this on the
>> plane home, it's a fight I cannot win.  If the little guy with the
>> massive FOSS4G spirit could win, I would; but reality, reality (damn)
>> is that this world needs money, business, funding, all that stuff I'm
>> not good at.
>>
>> This week I saw things I thought I would never see in this community:
>> talking behind backs, 'so and so said this', picking events to go
>> to....it was dirty dirty dirty.  THAT isn't what FOSS4G is supposed to
>> be about (no disrespect meant to the 2014 loc, which held an amazing
>> event, or LocationTech which did nothing wrong).  I saw friends turn
>> on friends.  I saw fear.  I even saw tears (yes i had tears in my eyes
>> on saturday, but i tried to hide them...i bet Gerald noticed them in
>> my eyes only during the meeting).
>>
>> It all saddens me deeply.
>>
>> -jeff
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 2014-09-15 4:05 PM, Jeff McKenna wrote:
>>> Hi Bart,
>>>
>>> I never closed any discussion with LocationTech, I did not run away from
>>> sitting down with Andrew, and even on the Discuss list we are all
>>> talking; I feel, this is all what must happen, talking, this all helps.
>>>   I ended up donating all of my Saturday to this, (and well, looks like
>>> all of my today to this)...because it is ultra important.
>>>
>>> This is a sad day.  I have been sad ever since the Board meeting ended.
>>>
>>> -jeff
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 2014-09-15 3:58 PM, Bart van den Eijnden wrote:
>>>> Jeff,
>>>>
>>>> you just wrote: "I do have a problem however with pointing out
>>>> problems with OSGeo and our baby, FOSS4G; instead of pointing out
>>>> problems, I feel those same people could be diving into helping OSGeo
>>>> grow and pick up the ball themselves.”
>>>>
>>>> Unfortunately I don’t have the energy to pick up the balls.
>>>>
>>>> Also, the e-mail by you and Venka over the weekend sounded to me like
>>>> we’re already closing down the LocationTech discussion before it even
>>>> really started: "Let’s take a few steps back and have a booth at each
>>>> other’s conference.”. This does not really encourage any further
>>>> actions to be honest.
>>>>
>>>> Anyway, I just don’t have the energy to fight anymore to make changes,
>>>> sorry.
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>> Bart
>>>>
>>>> On 15 Sep 2014, at 20:48, Jeff McKenna <jmckenna at gatewaygeomatics.com>
>>>> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> Hi Bart,
>>>>>
>>>>> I don't understand why you feel that we cannot tackle issues.  I
>>>>> personally make a point to do so (we met with Andrew on Saturday for
>>>>> this reason, donating must of our Saturday for that). However you
>>>>> are referring to public emails?  I feel we are just now opening up
>>>>> and discussing what it at the core of the issues (in today's email
>>>>> thread, done super publicly on the Discuss list).  How do you feel
>>>>> that we are avoiding the topic?
>>>>>
>>>>> Avoiding would be not attending the meeting with Andrew, or not
>>>>> responding on any thread in a mailing list.
>>>>>
>>>>> Can you explain how we (of if you mean myself) avoids issues in the
>>>>> public?  Should I have rather not responded in the public thread, in
>>>>> your opinion?  If we don't discuss it on the Discuss list, where else
>>>>> would we do it?
>>>>>
>>>>> -jeff
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> On 2014-09-15 3:35 PM, Bart van den Eijnden wrote:
>>>>>> Hello board,
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I’m resigning from the board of directors, mostly because, if I’m
>>>>>> honest with myself, this has been mostly a frustrating experience
>>>>>> for me, sadly.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I cannot function in an organisation where things / issues cannot be
>>>>>> put on the table publicly and get discussed.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I’d rather see someone else take up the spot.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> I wish you all the best.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>>> Bart
>



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