[seul-edu] Managing the coalition--responsibilities

[Doug Loss <drloss@home.com>]

Here's the second part of my ideas about running this thing.  This
is about how responsibilities are parceled out and met.

The first thing is for each member group to designate one person to
be its representative to the coalition.  At least that one person
(and any more who desire) from the group must subscribe to the
coalition management mailing list and monitor it regularly.  When
questions about managing the coalition arise, these people would be
expected to take part in the discussion of the question.  At some
point each question will be put to a vote, with the designated
person from each group having one vote.  Majority of votes would
determine the answer to the question.  The designated person would
be expected to keep his or her group apprised of the question and
the discussion, but would be under no hard and fast rules about
that.

The person responsible for calling for votes on the various
questions would be one of the group representatives, selected for a
period of one to three months from the list of groups.  After one
representative's period ends, the next group on the list's
representative would assume the responsibility.

Management of the coalition website itself would be the
responsibility of one of the member groups, which might be its
contribution to the coalition.

Each member group would be expected to join a coalition mailing list
devoted to its primary purpose and subscribed to by similar groups.
Again, at least one but potentially as many as would like to may
subscribe from each group.  These mailing lists would be the primary
means of inter-group communication.  They may be augmented by IRC
channels, weblogs, etc., but the mailing list would be a minimum
requirement.

Each group would be expected to consult with other coalition members
before starting a new effort that might impact an already-existing
effort.  For example, if group X decided to set up a public weblog
about using free software in teaching the sciences, it would first
ask other coalition members if they already had anything like this.
If so, the first priority ought to go to sharing resources with the
existing effort.  If not, other interested groups ought to be
invited to help with the development and deployment of the new
feature.  Again, no hard and fast rules, but an expectation of
courtesy.

--
Doug Loss                 Always do right.  This
Data Network Coordinator  will gratify some people
Bloomsburg University     and astonish the rest.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Mark Twain