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Yes, becoming openSUSE Member is something you got because you contributed. That contribution doesn't go away, hence you shouldn't be kicked out. Yet the problem is real - some don't care about participating as member. That is, they don't vote, which is the major thing a member does. There is nothing else a member can do that a non-member can not.
#1 - You established that the only thing that a member can do that non-members can't is to 'vote'. You also establish that some might not want to participate as members (don't vote).
So, I propose that those who don't care about the vote for 2 years become non- voting members. I think it respects their wishes. Of course they keep their mail address (the only perk of being member) and nothing else changes. They just don't count in the statistic and don't vote. If they want to change their status they can ask the membership committee to re-instate them as voting members.
Now, everything you state on this paragraph is against #1. So if the only thing a member can do that others can't is to vote we don't need middle terms. People are either Members or Non-Members. What's the confusion ? What you describe here is simple, you are trying to enforce a way that members are forced to vote... Dude, look at the real world... Do you loose your dutch citizenship because you don't vote ? Having the choice to vote and not to vote is a part of the democratic process, what you are proposing is pretty much self-prejudice.
This makes clear what members are interested in the governance of openSUSE.
Sure they are, or might not be... or might be more commited to fixing their packages and their projects than just following the elections hype. Either way, why should non-SUSE members even care about the voting? SUSE members by themselves can elect any board and that's way to easy to manipulate and hide from the world. So yeah... it makes all sense that members might not want to vote or be involved in governance because their vote is worthless in most cases. Look at the last boards and take your own conclusions.
Others are members just as much and through contributions they inbfluence openSUSE on a technical level. But the voting procedure is about governance - things like the conference and travel money and sponsorship. I get it completely if you don't care about that but you should still be able to be member. But that membership should count as part of those who vote. If and when we transition to a Foundation we need to have this procedure in any case - you can't make certain decisions lawfully if you have only 30% of your members vote... So having 'non-voting' members solves that problem.
No it doesn't, you are discriminating and forcing members to vote. Having the option not to vote is something pretty much accepted in Democracy (maybe not in Brazil and the Netherlands), but in the rest of the civilized world people have that option. Why do you want to segregate the community?
And if you don't vote out of protest, I'm sure we can add a "I don't like anything" as option to votes to solve that part. At least then we know who doesn't vote for a reason (protest) or because he/she doesn't care and it'll be actually meaningful.
When you go to vote on real elections do you have that option ? :) Not voting by protest, mistrust, etc is a normal option for people. You are complicating stuff...
All in all I think this way we can have our cake and eat it too: we know who regularly votes; it's clear who doesn't care or protests; our numbers are actually meaningful; yet we don't take anything from anyone (membership depends on contributions, yet if you don't want to be bothered by the voting stuff that's fine).
Acceptable compromise?
Hell, NO... I don't see why people should be segregated. If a member is someone who contributes (in many potential forms), there is no need for segregation... People should have the choice to vote or not without having the 'community police' trying to enforce stupid things. None of this solves your problem... it's just fireworks. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, email: opensuse-project+owner@opensuse.org