OASIS Member Discuss

  • 1.  Possible change to TC voting rules - input requested

    Posted 10-20-2006 19:37
    Dear OASIS Member,
    
    The OASIS Board Process Sub-Committee would like your input
    on a possible rule change regarding TC voting.
    
    Currently any person who is a TC member can be a voting member. Since
    eligibility is determined on an individual basis, not an
    organizational basis, an organization can have an unlimited number of
    voters (up to the number of members it has on that TC).  Some
    concerns have been raised about this being fair, being a drain on
    resources of those organizations, and making it harder to manage
    quorum. Other concerns have been raised that reducing voting power on
    TCs could reduce participation.
    
    The options we are evaluating include:
    (a) Leaving the rules as currently written;
    (b) Capping the total number of votes that may be cast by TC members
         from a single organization to 1, 2 or 3;
    (c) Capping the total number of votes that may be cast by TC members
         from a single organization based on membership class (e.g.,  
    sponsors
         might get 3 versus contributors having 2).
    
    The voting rights of individual and associate members in TCs would
    not be changed by these proposals.
    
    Please send your comments to:
      [oasis-member-discuss@lists.oasis-open.org] by 20 November, 2006.
    
    Thank you,
       Jeff Mischkinsky, Chair; for the OASIS Board Process Sub-Committee
    
    -- 
    Jeff Mischkinsky                               
    jeff.mischkinsky@oracle.com
    Director, Web Services Standards        +1(650)506-1975
    Consulting Member Technical Staff           500 Oracle Parkway, M/S 4OP9
    Oracle
    Redwood Shores, CA 94065
    
    
    
    


  • 2.  Re: [oasis-member-discuss] Possible change to TC voting rules - inputrequested

    Posted 10-20-2006 19:54
    > The options we are evaluating include:
    > (a) Leaving the rules as currently written;
    > (b) Capping the total number of votes that may be cast by TC members
    >     from a single organization to 1, 2 or 3;
    This seems reasonable. I would prefer 3 rather than 2 rather than 1 to 
    encourage wide involvement.
    > (c) Capping the total number of votes that may be cast by TC members
    >     from a single organization based on membership class (e.g., sponsors
    >     might get 3 versus contributors having 2).
    I don't approve of this option. The cost of paying for an extra member 
    to regularly participate in a working group is the real cost of voting, 
    and seems to me the real committment that OASIS should be asking for.
    
    Paul
    
    -- 
    Paul Fremantle
    VP/Technology and Partnerships, WSO2 
    OASIS WS-RX TC Co-chair
    
    http://bloglines.com/blog/paulfremantle
    paul@wso2.com
    (646) 290 8050
    
    "Oxygenating the Web Service Platform", www.wso2.com
    
    
    


  • 3.  RE: [oasis-member-discuss] Possible change to TC voting rules - input requested

    Posted 10-30-2006 18:29
    I'm in favor of some change to the current rules. I *have* participated
    in TCs with significant levels of "member packing" and it has the
    following problems:
    
    1.) It is unfair. Only the biggest organizations have the resources to
    pay people to do nothing but sit on concalls and vote.
    
    2.) It is escalatory. Once one organization packs a TC, other
    organizations are compelled to follow suite to "keep things even". This
    "member packing arms race" is a drain on resources that could be more
    productively applied elsewhere.
    
    3.) It is contrary to the whole notion of "everybody participates,
    everybody votes". The packees aren't there to participate, they are just
    there to vote.
    
    What I'd like to know is why people think that changing the voting rules
    will effect TCs that don't have member packing? If you're not
    participating in the TC for the sole purposes of voting, why should
    having to share your vote with other (1 or 2) members of your
    organization discourage you from participating?
    
    - gp
    
    > 


  • 4.  RE: [oasis-member-discuss] Possible change to TC voting rules - inputrequested

    Posted 10-31-2006 13:01

    +1

    Well said.

    Christopher Ferris
    STSM, Software Group Standards Strategy
    email: chrisfer@us.ibm.com
    blog: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/blogs/page/chrisferris
    phone: +1 508 377 9295


    "Gilbert Pilz" <gpilz@bea.com> wrote on 10/30/2006 01:27:14 PM:

    > I'm in favor of some change to the current rules. I *have* participated
    > in TCs with significant levels of "member packing" and it has the
    > following problems:
    >
    > 1.) It is unfair. Only the biggest organizations have the resources to
    > pay people to do nothing but sit on concalls and vote.
    >
    > 2.) It is escalatory. Once one organization packs a TC, other
    > organizations are compelled to follow suite to "keep things even". This
    > "member packing arms race" is a drain on resources that could be more
    > productively applied elsewhere.
    >
    > 3.) It is contrary to the whole notion of "everybody participates,
    > everybody votes". The packees aren't there to participate, they are just
    > there to vote.
    >
    > What I'd like to know is why people think that changing the voting rules
    > will effect TCs that don't have member packing? If you're not
    > participating in the TC for the sole purposes of voting, why should
    > having to share your vote with other (1 or 2) members of your
    > organization discourage you from participating?
    >
    > - gp
    >
    > >


  • 5.  RE: [oasis-member-discuss] Possible change to TC voting rules - input requested

    Posted 10-31-2006 15:16
    Board Process Sub-Committee,
    
    Please consider Gilbert's point here.  It's very well said.
    
    For comparison, think about the US Senate.  Each states would only have
    2 representative regardless of it size.
    
    Tony
    
    


  • 6.  RE: [oasis-member-discuss] Possible change to TC voting rules - input requested

    Posted 10-31-2006 15:53
    Yes, but a bill can only become law if passed by BOTH houses. 
    
    Note that a Committee Specification can only become an OASIS Standard if
    approved by 15% of Organizations. So we already have the equivalent of a
    Senate vote built into the process.
    
    Hal
    
    >