Re: COMMON Election ----

*SNIP


What is the disenchantment with the current board?
Sorry for my ignorance about COMMON details.  We had a schism in our Local
Users Group (SF Bay Area) a few years back and half the members walked out
after a 51-49 vote.  It paralyzed our LUG for several years.  Then the
board resigned or retired and the LUG was taken over by the other faction.
Now we are one, the acrimony has been buried, and we are moving on.  Much
better.  Is something like this happening at the COMMON level?
*ENDSNIP

There are two problems IMHO.  First, COMMON is more interested in being a
conference provider that a users group.  This has lead to various decisions
along the way that have deluded COMMON's real strength, and that was the
interaction among the attendees.  I always thought that's what a users
group was.  Because they want to be a conference provider, the board has
made some dandy decisions about how/who will set up agenda,  what topics
will be allowed, and who will give them.  These decision used to be made by
volunteers who were in the field doing their jobs every day and knew the
industry.  Now we have "education  professionals" determining what is on
the agenda, all in the name of improving the quality of the COMMON
experience.   This is why the fees were doubled, and the number of sessions
were cut by over 25%.  To improve quality.  (????)

The second problem is the structure of COMMON itself.  The volunteers that
are now in place, and the paid staff COMMON have hired, tend to think that
COMMON is for them, and they will do as they please.  Even if I wanted to,
and I have tried very hard to become part of the solution rather than part
of the problem, I am not allowed to volunteer for COMMON.  I'm sure I an
not the only one that has tried, and failed to help.  Paid staff can only
improve their situation by making money, which will allow COMMON to improve
salaries, benefits, etc.  therefore the motivation they have is not the
same as volunteer staff..  The volunteers do not want change, otherwise
they loose all the way cool ribbons on the name tags, the all expense paid
trips two times a year, and all the other benefits.  Yes, being a volunteer
requires some devilish time commitments and effort in some of the cases,
but you would think after a couple years they would want a break.

In short your assessment is correct about the acrimony on the board and
with the volunteers.  Regarding your question about the board, complete
lack of any action to save COMMON from its current problems, and a
Clinton'esque ability to lie about what's going on and why they take the
actions they take.

Just my own opinion:

Jim Oberholtzer


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