Re: AFFS workings (was: [Fsfe-uk] Resignation from AFFS committee)

[MJ Ray]

Alex Hudson <address@hidden> wrote:
> There isn't a *need* for any of this to be done at committee level - in
> fact, a while ago, we setup the AFFS-Project mailing list to act as an
> organisational medium without overloading this list with unwelcome
> traffic. It hasn't really worked though, I'm not sure why (I mean;
> obviously just adding a new mailing list doesn't do squat, but we did
> think there were people out there for whom it would be useful).

The creation of that mailing list is an example of how AFFS-ctte
doesn't work. There was a needlessly painful debate among ctte,
but eventually a decision was made, then the listmasters did the
opposite. There is good advice on how to start and run mailing
lists, which was ignored. The first task was the expo stand
and there is good advice on how to organise trade show stands,
which was ignored, dismissed, ridiculed.

I was flamed about everything from sending too many emails to
not being "co-operative" enough (which is sort of funny anyway,
given my business is AFAIK the only one among ctte which acts
as a co-operative...)  With such a flame-laden start, it's
not a surprise to me that the end of affs-project came early.
Where was the list owner while this was going on?

> I suspect the main reason is that "doing AFFS work" isn't even nearly as
> interesting as "doing [X task I want to do] under the AFFS umbrella",
> even though the two are hopefully the same thing. There are certainly
> many other reasons, though. [...]

I think there are a lot of things which AFFS could be supporting:
 - community events like LUG Radio
 - cataloguing/coordination activities like British languages l10n
 - local groups and branches
but all need ctte to be more open and vocal than it has been.

-- 
MJ Ray (slef), K. Lynn, England, email see http://mjr.towers.org.uk/