Re: Volunteers for GNU and GNU management [Was: Subprojects in Savannah]

[Christopher Dimech]

> Sent: Tuesday, December 01, 2020 at 9:40 PM
> From: "Luis Falcon" <falcon@gnuhealth.org>
> To: "Christopher Dimech" <dimech@gmx.com>
> Cc: "Amin Bandali" <bandali@gnu.org>, savannah-hackers@gnu.org, bob@proulx.com
> Subject: Volunteers for GNU and GNU management [Was: Re: Subprojects in 
> Savannah]
>
> Dear Christopher, dear all
> On Tue, 1 Dec 2020 17:01:56 +0100
> Christopher Dimech <dimech@gmx.com> wrote:
>
> > I head submarine search and rescue and can attest to that.  In this
> > type of operations, volunteers are fully on.  We have had volunteer
> > diving teams taking tasks that would not be tackled by police forces.
>
> Thank you Christopher for sharing and for the work you do! Sadly, many
> times the amazing work done by volunteers as in your organization is
> taken for granted, and that's part of the reason I wrote the email.
>
> About the responsibility and commitment of being a volunteer... First of
> all, being a volunteer is a *personal decision*. Normally, no one asks
> you to volunteer. Now, at the moment that you decide to volunteer, then
> you should commit to the task, whatever that task might be. People
> depend on you as a volunteer, and this can not be taken for granted or
> as a frivolity.
>
> Sayings things such "Savannah is something that is done in volunteer's
> spare time when they feel like doing it" is wrong and we should avoid
> it. It's not the right message to send to the community. We all make
> mistakes and say wrong things, but we should be mindful.

These days, volunteer has become to mean "quit when I want".  In these last
few decades, volunteering is a way to  actually engage young people.
When young or adults volunteer, they develop confidence by helping
a cause.

Then there is Pro Bono Publico, a special type of volunteering that
has had a long history.  The term generally refers to services that
are rendered by professionals for free or at a lower cost.

It is this type of work that Dr. Falcon is referring.  It is still
professional work, but carries with it professional liability.

Something that is not currently thought about.

> Moving forward, I propose that each official GNU project becomes a
> volunteer entity, providing one or more volunteers for GNU. We can
> get organized in a federated way, with different tasks, timezones, etc.
> The more we are, the more sustainable and efficient will be managing
> the GNU resources. We can elect an international board, with RMS being
> the head of it. GNU belongs to all of us, and we should be able to
> manage it in an efficient and sustainable way.
>
> Let me know your thoughts.

Sounds good to me.  Such attitudes led by an International Board would
certainly elevate great seriousness to our endeavors.  Outside of Gnu,
it is rare to met people who consider Gnu at such level.

But, there have been notable members of the Chaos Computer Club that regularly
function as expert witnesses for the German Constitutional Court, organize
lawsuits and campaigns, and influence the political process.

> PS: I don't want to cross-post, but this discussion can be moved to
> another mailing list if this is not the right place to continue the
> discussion.
>
> Best,
> --
> Dr. Luis Falcon, MD, MSc
> President, GNU Solidario
> GNU Health: Freedom and Equity in Healthcare
> www.gnuhealth.org
> Fingerprint: ACBF C80F C891 631C 68AA 8DC8 C015 E1AE 0098 9199
>
>