[Notice] - openSUSE Regular Board election 2024 - Extension of nomination and Ballot periods.

Dear openSUSE members, openSUSE Board Election 2024 [1] As we have not received any nominations to date in accordance with our Election Rules [2] the ballot period will be extended by two weeks and the election schedule will be updated as below: ## Schedule ## Friday 15 November 2024 * Announcement for the Board Election 2024 * Call for nominations and applications for Board candidacy * Membership drive Saturday 14 December 2024 * Announcement of the final list of candidates * Campaign begins * Membership drive continues, opportunity to apply for openSUSE membership, but new members will only be eligible to vote and not run as candidate Sunday 15 December 2024 * Ballots open: Please cast your vote during this time * Campaign continues Sunday 22 December 2024 * Ballots close Monday 23 December 2024 * Announcement of results To stand for a position in the openSUSE Board please send an email to: * project@lists.opensuse.org and * election-officials@lists.opensuse.org If a member would like to nominate another member, please inform the Election Committee and the officials will contact the nominee to ask whether they would like to run as a Board candidate. Only openSUSE members are eligible to run for openSUSE Board openings in accordance with the Eligibility and Validity section of our Election Rules [2]. The Election Committee [3] are hereby calling for Nominations & Applications for the openSUSE Board. [1] https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Board_election [2] https://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Board_election_rules [3] Members: Ish Sookun, Edwin Zakaria and Ariez Vachha. -- Regards, The Election Committee election-officials@lists.opensuse.org

Hi folks, I've been a bit disconnected lately (first traveling - 8 nights, 8 beds, then on a little island without cell signal, then a storm literally cut off the last bit of connectivity), so with some delay: If you are a member and you care about openSUSE, let me encourage you to run (if still possible). This is an important period for openSUSE. I expect the coming year to be potentially significant in shaping future direction - not in terms of technology, code, docs, releases, events... in *this* context, rather about us as a project and how we relate to others (such as SUSE and the Geekos Foundation). And while it's not the board's to simply decide on such things, the board should help facilitating conversations, bringing stakeholders together... Your time investment does not need to be too high: a (nowadays) public board meeting every other week, a managable number of e-mails, some work in between that we share among each other, and thanks to our moderation team what looks like an all time low in terms of conflict resolution efforts (i.e., essentially none for months now). And this may be a good opportunity to enage also (or especially) if you are from a community not usually very visible on this list or have been concerned about some things openSUSE in the past. Any questions, let me know. And when in doubt: run (for a seat, not away 😎). Terima kasih, Gerald

Hi Gerald, Can I give a hint for a possible reason for missing candidates from the community? Take a look onto the mailing list during the last elections. Do you expect that anybody want to run for the openSUSE Board, if this person has to accept attacks on the mailing list and in social media by one special person who ist protected by the Board? I want to forecast that there will be volunteers for the Board under the requirement that the Board ist writing now in the mailing list that No attacks (from anybody!) are alllowed during the election period. Best regards, Sarah
Gesendet: Montag, den 16.12.2024 um 02:49 Uhr Von: "Gerald Pfeifer" <gp@suse.com> An: project@lists.opensuse.org Betreff: Step up? (was: openSUSE Regular Board election 2024 - Extension of nomination and Ballot periods)
Hi folks,
I've been a bit disconnected lately (first traveling - 8 nights, 8 beds, then on a little island without cell signal, then a storm literally cut off the last bit of connectivity), so with some delay:
If you are a member and you care about openSUSE, let me encourage you to run (if still possible).
This is an important period for openSUSE.
I expect the coming year to be potentially significant in shaping future direction - not in terms of technology, code, docs, releases, events... in *this* context, rather about us as a project and how we relate to others (such as SUSE and the Geekos Foundation).
And while it's not the board's to simply decide on such things, the board should help facilitating conversations, bringing stakeholders together...
Your time investment does not need to be too high: a (nowadays) public board meeting every other week, a managable number of e-mails, some work in between that we share among each other, and thanks to our moderation team what looks like an all time low in terms of conflict resolution efforts (i.e., essentially none for months now).
And this may be a good opportunity to enage also (or especially) if you are from a community not usually very visible on this list or have been concerned about some things openSUSE in the past.
Any questions, let me know.
And when in doubt: run (for a seat, not away 😎).
Terima kasih, Gerald

I am a new member myself but been involved with the community for a bit. Not a dev myself but help out in other areas. Being such a new member, it feels weird to go straight after a board position but I have worked with other non profit orgs in past and have some experience. What really are the guidelines or requirements to join the board? I might be overthinking it. Thank you - Rachel Schrader On 12/15/24 6:49 PM, Gerald Pfeifer wrote:
Hi folks,
I've been a bit disconnected lately (first traveling - 8 nights, 8 beds, then on a little island without cell signal, then a storm literally cut off the last bit of connectivity), so with some delay:
If you are a member and you care about openSUSE, let me encourage you to run (if still possible).
This is an important period for openSUSE.
I expect the coming year to be potentially significant in shaping future direction - not in terms of technology, code, docs, releases, events... in *this* context, rather about us as a project and how we relate to others (such as SUSE and the Geekos Foundation).
And while it's not the board's to simply decide on such things, the board should help facilitating conversations, bringing stakeholders together...
Your time investment does not need to be too high: a (nowadays) public board meeting every other week, a managable number of e-mails, some work in between that we share among each other, and thanks to our moderation team what looks like an all time low in terms of conflict resolution efforts (i.e., essentially none for months now).
And this may be a good opportunity to enage also (or especially) if you are from a community not usually very visible on this list or have been concerned about some things openSUSE in the past.
Any questions, let me know.
And when in doubt: run (for a seat, not away 😎).
Terima kasih, Gerald

Hi, Currently the only requirements to nominate are that you are an openSUSE Member and that you haven't been on the board for 2 terms (4 years) without having a break. Beyond that if there are not sufficient nominations a vote will still take place with a "yes/no" option for each candidate and candidates still have to receive a 50% or greater yes vote to be elected to the board by the community. Certainly having experience in the non profit sector would be helpful for the board role even if you don't have as much experience with our community as currently there has been alot of talk around how we can do that better. Thanks Simon On 12/17/24 3:37 AM, Rachel Schrader wrote:
I am a new member myself but been involved with the community for a bit. Not a dev myself but help out in other areas.
Being such a new member, it feels weird to go straight after a board position but I have worked with other non profit orgs in past and have some experience. What really are the guidelines or requirements to join the board?
I might be overthinking it.
Thank you
- Rachel Schrader
On 12/15/24 6:49 PM, Gerald Pfeifer wrote:
Hi folks,
I've been a bit disconnected lately (first traveling - 8 nights, 8 beds, then on a little island without cell signal, then a storm literally cut off the last bit of connectivity), so with some delay:
If you are a member and you care about openSUSE, let me encourage you to run (if still possible).
This is an important period for openSUSE.
I expect the coming year to be potentially significant in shaping future direction - not in terms of technology, code, docs, releases, events... in *this* context, rather about us as a project and how we relate to others (such as SUSE and the Geekos Foundation).
And while it's not the board's to simply decide on such things, the board should help facilitating conversations, bringing stakeholders together...
Your time investment does not need to be too high: a (nowadays) public board meeting every other week, a managable number of e-mails, some work in between that we share among each other, and thanks to our moderation team what looks like an all time low in terms of conflict resolution efforts (i.e., essentially none for months now).
And this may be a good opportunity to enage also (or especially) if you are from a community not usually very visible on this list or have been concerned about some things openSUSE in the past.
Any questions, let me know.
And when in doubt: run (for a seat, not away 😎).
Terima kasih, Gerald
-- Simon Lees (Simotek) http://simotek.net Emergency Update Team keybase.io/simotek SUSE Linux Adelaide Australia, UTC+10:30 GPG Fingerprint: 5B87 DB9D 88DC F606 E489 CEC5 0922 C246 02F0 014B
participants (5)
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Ariez Vachha - openSUSE
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Gerald Pfeifer
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Rachel Schrader
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Sarah Julia Kriesch
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Simon Lees