Stories
Slash Boxes
Comments
NOTE: use Perl; is on undef hiatus. You can read content, but you can't post it. More info will be forthcoming forthcomingly.

All the Perl that's Practical to Extract and Report

use Perl Log In

Log In

[ Create a new account ]

TPF has new president, steering committee members

posted by Robrt on 2005.10.17 14:45   Printer-friendly
The Perl Foundation
Andy Lester writes "Bill Odom has been appointed president of The Perl Foundation, and four new members have been elected to its Steering Committee, the Perl Foundation announced today."
Allison Randal, president since 2002, is stepping aside to take a more active role in Perl 6 and Parrot development. "I endorse Bill wholeheartedly," she said. "Bill is calm in a crisis, follows through on what he starts, and inspires others to do great work. I can't think of anyone better suited to lead TPF through our next steps of growth."

Bill started working with TPF at OSCON in 2004 when he organized the exhibit hall booth and took charge of the auction. Soon after, he was elected to chair the Steering Committee.

There are also big changes in the Steering Committee that does the day-to-day work of TPF. Four new members have been elected.

The Grants Commmittee will be led by Curtis "Ovid" Poe, who has already distinguished himself as a grant manager for TPF. His experience and dedication, most recently with the Google Summer of Code / Perl Foundation grant recipients, has shown how valuable Curtis is to TPF.

Long-time TPF member Jim Brandt is stepping into the role of Conferences Committee chair. He assembled and managed the incredible team that hosted the very successful YAPC::NA in Buffalo in 2004, and has used that experience to help others organize subsequent conferences.

New public relations coordinator Andy Lester, while new to TPF, is no stranger to the Perl community. He's well-known as an outspoken, steadfast advocate of Perl, and is definitely the right person to provide "Public Relations the Perl way" -- honest, forthright, and useful information, as the community rightly demands.

Kirsten Jones may be a new name to many, but brings a wealth of experience to her role as the webmaster of perlfoundation.org. A self-described "serial volunteer," she's lent her considerable skills and energy to a variety of organizations over the past few years.

TPF president Bill Odom said "I'm very pleased with the results of these elections. We're fortunate to have such capable people willing to volunteer their time and talents for the Perl community, and I'm looking forward to working with all of them.
The Fine Print: The following comments are owned by whoever posted them. We are not responsible for them in any way.

TPF has new president, steering committee members 18 Comments More | Login | Reply /

 Full
 Abbreviated
 Hidden
More | Login | Reply
Loading... please wait.
  • Congrats to all who have joined TPF. Andy... good luck. Posting here is a good start for getting the public relations effort going!
  • I think it is the right moment to start asking fundamental questions about the fundamental design of the whole thing. The fundamental question is: How TPF board, the ultimate authority in the organization that controls copyright on intellectual property being created by entire Perl Community, is representative of Perl Community? Is it possible for Board of 4 members to adequately represent Perl Community? Is it possible for self-appointed narrow group of people to be the ultimate authority over the work don

    • While I understand your concerns, and they're obviously heartfelt, I'd like to clear up what I see as a serious misconception:

      You're ceding TPF far more authority than it has, or wants. I may be the newly-minted president of TPF, but I certainly don't consider it or myself the "ultimate authority" over All Things Perl. I view TPF much more as a steward, and an advocate, than a ruling elite. We're part of the community, acting in its service, not its masters.

      Can we do a better job of serving the commun

      • I view TPF much more as a steward, and an advocate, than a ruling elite. We're part of the community, acting in its service, not its masters.

        That is exactly what the issue is. Leadership is not about ruling elite, masters and servants. Every community needs right leadership, and TPF can only do a real service to Community if it assumes true leadership role. And TPF, as it is now, is half-way for the true leadership role. But only half-way, cause true leadership of the Community is not possible if TPF bo

    • The Perl Foundation Steering Committee [perlfoundation.org] is far more than the four members listed in the press release:

      • Steering Committee Chair - Bill Odom
      • Perl.org - Ask Bjorn Hansen and Robert Spier
      • Conferences - Jim Brandt
      • PerlFoundation.org - Kirsten Jones
      • Public Relations - Andy Lester
      • Donor Relations - Larry Hixson
      • Perl Mongers - Dave Cross
      • Grants - Curtis "Ovid" Poe
      • CPAN - Graham Barr
      • "At Large" committee members:
        • David Adler (Awards)
        • Uri Guttman (Social Events)
        • Paul Blair (PR)
        • Kevin Meltzer
      • Ex o

      • Please, do not confuse things. The steering committee is OK, and it is not the issue. The issue is the most important top level of organization that holds ultimate authority and is the source of ultimate authority that is mostly delegated to (not directly held by) steering committee. The source of ultimate authority is a FUNDAMENTAL THING that shapes entire organization and, consequently, affects entire Community via assumed TPFs leadership role. Despite board is not directly in control of daily operation (

        • I don't see any reason why TPF board cannot be extended to wider constituency representing many key and recognized members of the community.

          Perhaps many key and recognized members of the community don't want to be on the board. I wouldn't either, even if I had time.

          • Perhaps many key and recognized members of the community don't want to be on the board. I wouldn't either, even if I had time.

            Still many would accept board membership if invited to. Most members of extended board are not supposed to be involved in running TPF's every day activities, their job mostly is voting on strategic decisions on board meetings (or by e-mail) for those decisions to reflect interests of the Community at large. Currently organization that calls itself The Perl Foundation receives unp

            • What are you smoking, son? The only reason you think you want to be on that board or in any way involved is that you have a romantic notion of what TPF is rather than a bit more realistic one. It's a PO Box with an occasionally updated web page. There's no smoking man, no star chamber and no conspiracy. And, as the wise old rabbi once said, "Trust is knowing exactly what someone will do."

              • What are you smoking, son? The only reason you think you want to be on that board or in any way involved is...

                That was funny, I was smiling:) Thanks for creativity. Let me clear things up. I am personally do not want "on that board", because my presence there is unlikely to solve problem that I want to be solved. "Be involved" is another matter - I think it is not bad for community members, like me and you, to be involved in community affairs - I would even say it is good, if you don't mind.

                ...that you

                • ...a legal entity with only huge intangible assets of community's intellectual property...

                  No, only the right to manage the compilation of code contributed by the few members of the community who contribute the code. Your code is your own. The code of CPAN contributors is their own. The TPF does not manage it unless you give them the right to do so.

                  This will be clearer when the new license and contributor agreements are available.

                  • ...a legal entity with only huge intangible assets of community's intellectual property...

                    No, only the right to manage the compilation of code contributed by the few members of the community who contribute the code. Your code is your own. The code of CPAN contributors is their own. The TPF does not manage it unless you give them the right to do so.

                    Yes, I mean what you call "the right to manage the compilation of code contributed by the few" -  huge intangible assets o

        • You keep saying "the source of ultimate authority". Can you define that for me? Who is it or what is it?

          I see the TPF as an organization to help evangelize Perl and all that implies.

          I am curious to know why you think "fundamental issues should be decided in community-wide discussion"? I was never under the impression that Perl or the Perl community was a democracy.

          Inquiring minds want to know. : )

          • You keep saying "the source of ultimate authority". Can you define that for me? Who is it or what is it?

            It's a simple question. Read this: BYLAWS OF YET ANOTHER SOCIETY (http://www.perlfoundation.org/legal/bylaws.html [perlfoundation.org]), ARTICLE III BOARD, "3.01 General Powers. The business, property, and affairs of the corporation shall be managed by the board of directors." That simple.

            For those who is unaware, Yet Another Society is actually what "The Perl Foundation" is alias for.

            I am curious to know why you think

            • Well let's see. Python is decided by one man (Guido), Ruby is decided by one man (Matz), Tcl does have a TCT panel but that was spelled out when Ousterhout handed it over to them. I always thought Perl was decided by one man (with input from the community), Larry Wall.

              I read the bylaws you linked. There is nothing in there about "controlling Perl" and so they would not be "the source of ultimate authority". I think you are making them out to be far more than they are.

              • Well let's see. Python is decided by one man (Guido), Ruby is decided by one man (Matz), Tcl does have a TCT panel but that was spelled out when Ousterhout handed it over to them. I always thought Perl was decided by one man (with input from the community), Larry Wall.

                Yes, Larry was the ultimate authority and it was the right way, but now this is (expectedly) changing, and what I am arguing here is to have this change the right way. Tcl got it. Python and Ruby not yet, but they will eventual

  • Allison has made great efforts to present a public face of the TPF external to the conferences held in North America. Europe is currently a hotbed of Perl conferences and workshops, with those in Australia, Asia and South America increasing their prescence. Seeing as 15 out of the 17 members of the steering committee are based in the US, are there plans to ensure that a decent number of non-US conferences and workshops have a representative of the TPF attending?

    • I agree with you on the importance of TPF staying engaged and involved, especially outside North America. In fact, this is one of the first issues I discussed with Allison when she asked me if I'd consider taking on my new role. Personally, I intend to follow her example and attend as many conferences and workshops as I can, both inside and outside North America. I strongly encourage other members of TPF to do the same.

      This won't be easy. Many of us (myself included) will have to finance these internatio

Stories, comments, journals, and other submissions on use Perl; are Copyright 1998-2006, their respective owners.