7 ms·

Gnome Foundation Welcomes Holly Million as Executive Director

30 points by mtbkvc 3y ago

mtbkvc 3y ago
Hopefully she will be able to use her shamanic wisdom to lead gnome forward...
not_your_vase 3y ago
Why did they feel it necessary to have such a role? I mean Gnome is one of the oldest OSS projects, and has been functioning reasonably well in the past 20-some years without it (as a project at least, I mean. I don't want to go into DE-preferences). The post announcing the job opening doesn't make me smarter unfortunately.
- caycep 3y ago
  fundraising maybe? Usually those people are hired as rainmakers of some sort or another
  - pluc 3y ago
    That, and makes for a great low-impact scapegoat.
    - civilitty 3y ago
      Finally someone to blame for GTK4 and Gnome Shell!
      - phkahler 3y ago
        >> Finally someone to blame for GTK4 and Gnome Shell! Having looked at moving from GTK3 to 4, I can understand the frustration. I also read a bunch of stuff and have concluded there are good reasons for the disruption, from making things more generic which allows new combinations of widgets (like images in menus) to allowing stuff to be in a different process. That does not mean the migration or support for doing it was handled well. I was also disappointed to see they talked about having major releases at a regular cadence, which luckily they are way behind. Stability is a very important feature for toolkits and other infrastructure software. I would argue that being cross-platform and having stability are the 2 most important features of GTK and I hope it's a very long time before GTK5 comes along - if ever. The other major feature is the C API which allows it to have bindings to many languages.
        mananaysiempre 3y ago
        I’d say that another major feature is that the maintainer of the toolkit is not interested in making sure the open-source version receives as narrow a use as possible. (The current maintainers of Gtk also did a fairly good job ensuring that, but at least it wasn’t an overt goal...) That ugh feeling from Qt, along with being forced to deal with C++ if I want to dive into the system, is the primary reason I haven’t switched to KDE, despite liking both their UX philosophy and their view of their place in the ecosystem[1] much more. [1] https://youtu.be/IFGXVN9dZ8U https://youtu.be/IFGXVN9dZ8U (I don’t think there’s a text version, sorry)
        prokoudine 3y ago
        That said, glad to see you working on the GTK4 port.
- sramkrishna 3y ago
  Like any project it needs to pay for its infrastructure and that comes from donations and sponsors. The foundation also holds trademarks including the GNOME trademark that it is required to defend. The foundation was setup to protect the project from legal issues, help fund the infrastructure,and build relationships that lead to fundraising and influence. You might recall that GNOME had to defend its trademark at least once and was also hit with a patent troll. Edited to add: The money also goes to help fund GUADEC and hackfests where maintainers meet to work on goals. So there is more than just the executive director - there is a whole team that manages events, finances, and brand.
- ssivark 3y ago
  Expanding on that question — is the “Executive Director” role a paid position, and how (much) is the new recruit being compensated?
- segphault 3y ago
  This is not a new role, previous GNOME Foundation executive directors include Stormy Peters, Karen Sandler, and most recently Neil McGovern.
  - ploum 3y ago
    At the time, I interacted with both Stormy Peters and Karen Sandler during my GNOME time. Their work was really positive and really appreciated. During their time, their was no debate and everybody agreed that the money spent to pay them was money well spent. (I don’t want to dismiss Neil McGovern but I simply have no experience working with him).
2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
I hope they ditch their silly and excessive code of conduct. https://wiki.gnome.org/Foundation/CodeOfConduct https://wiki.gnome.org/Foundation/CodeOfConduct
- bloopernova 3y ago
  What about it do you find silly and/or excessive?
  - 2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
    You need a code of conduct to tell you to not be violent?
    - tredre3 3y ago
      We don't but it's bizarre that when told to not be violent, your first thought is "wow this is excessive".
      - 2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
        I'm already told that by the biggest code of conduct of all- the law.
        type0 3y ago
        It will be useful to have their own laws when GUADEC will hold on a cruiseship in international waters /s
  - throwawa14223 3y ago
    The "Safety versus Comfort" section indicates they do not intend to apply the above sections above fairly.
    - FireBeyond 3y ago
      I am having a hard time digesting that section too: > "Reverse"-isms, including "reverse racism," "reverse sexism," and "cisphobia" ... The examples listed above are not against the Code of Conduct. That in itself is a little 'wow'. > Basic expectations for conduct are not covered by the "reverse-ism clause" and would be enforced irrespective of the demographics of those involved. For example, racial discrimination will not be tolerated, irrespective of the race of those involved. At first I was confused by this, but now I get it, and still wow. "You're allowed to be racist/sexist, towards white people/cisgendered, just don't actually discriminate against them". "Safety vs Comfort". Huh. "It's more important that people be/feel safe than you feel comfortable" - I agree. But if you need "cisphobia" and "reverse racism" to feel safe, then this is hugely problematic. Honestly, I actually am somewhat shocked that this isn't more controversial.
gustavus 3y ago
Looking at the qualifications and past experience of this pick I am starting to wonder what exactly was the rationale behind this? The only work history listed in her resume is as a consultant, and as "Holly Million the Shaman Artist". This will be interesting to say the least.
- nvm0n2 3y ago
  Gonna be another Mozilla, it seems?
  - kbrosnan 3y ago
    I know it is cool to hate on Mitchell Baker here. Lack of qualifications is not a valid criticism. She has a law degree from Berkley. Passed the California bar exam in '87. Was a high ranking lawyer in Netscape as their first legal hire. Designed the Mozilla Public License. Created the Mozilla Foundation. She has been in executive roles for 20-30 years.
    - pseudalopex 3y ago
      Yes. Mitchell Baker had every top job at Mozilla from 1999 to 2008. She was the Mozilla project's general manager, Mozilla Foundation's 1st president, and Mozilla Corporation's 1st CEO. She could be the wrong CEO for Mozilla now. But it couldn't be for inexperience.
      - kyleee 3y ago
        Just goes to show hiring in house is no silver bullet
    - nvm0n2 3y ago
      Who said anything about qualifications? She is a terrible CEO because she knows nothing about web browsers, and clearly couldn't care less about her companies products. Why would anyone ever make a lawyer a CEO of anything except a law firm? It's a self evidently terrible idea and the results are exactly what you'd expect.
phendrenad2 3y ago
Huh. This is an incredibly generic announcement. If "GNOME Foundation" were replaced by "Gates Foundation" or "National Endowment for the Arts" it would still make sense. It had never occurred to me that open-source foundations might become non-profits first and foremost, with the actual work that they do more of a "backend" concern, but that seems to me to be the case. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and indeed non-profits might be forced into this narrow style of existence by laws and regulations. But it makes me worry that there might be a disconnect between the people running the non-profit and the actual users of the project. This is a "Linus Torvalds uses a macbook" moment, for me. That all said, congrats to the GNOME Foundation and Holly, and I hope you accomplish whatever good deeds you set out to.
sombragris 3y ago
Holly Million, Batman!! (sorry, I couldn't resist...) Seriously, I wish her all the best.
boeingUH60 3y ago
Will she be paid a million? Quick joke before the omnipresent Dang sounds his warning..
josteink 3y ago
Brian Lunduke has done some digging on her[0]. She’s a “professional shaman”, and herb “medicine” maker operating on Facebook and Instagram. No software background at all. If this is the kind of hires ESG & DEI brings, I think we can already conclude those two to be failed philosophies, and that all the critics have been proven right. [0] https://lunduke.locals.com/upost/4740497/gnome-foundation-hires-professional-shaman-as-new-executive-director https://lunduke.locals.com/upost/4740497/gnome-foundation-hi...

30 points by mtbkvc 3y ago

Hopefully she will be able to use her shamanic wisdom to lead gnome forward...

Why did they feel it necessary to have such a role? I mean Gnome is one of the oldest OSS projects, and has been functioning reasonably well in the past 20-some years without it (as a project at least, I mean. I don't want to go into DE-preferences). The post announcing the job opening doesn't make me smarter unfortunately.

caycep 3y ago
fundraising maybe? Usually those people are hired as rainmakers of some sort or another
- pluc 3y ago
  That, and makes for a great low-impact scapegoat.
  - civilitty 3y ago
    Finally someone to blame for GTK4 and Gnome Shell!
    - phkahler 3y ago
      >> Finally someone to blame for GTK4 and Gnome Shell! Having looked at moving from GTK3 to 4, I can understand the frustration. I also read a bunch of stuff and have concluded there are good reasons for the disruption, from making things more generic which allows new combinations of widgets (like images in menus) to allowing stuff to be in a different process. That does not mean the migration or support for doing it was handled well. I was also disappointed to see they talked about having major releases at a regular cadence, which luckily they are way behind. Stability is a very important feature for toolkits and other infrastructure software. I would argue that being cross-platform and having stability are the 2 most important features of GTK and I hope it's a very long time before GTK5 comes along - if ever. The other major feature is the C API which allows it to have bindings to many languages.
      - mananaysiempre 3y ago
        I’d say that another major feature is that the maintainer of the toolkit is not interested in making sure the open-source version receives as narrow a use as possible. (The current maintainers of Gtk also did a fairly good job ensuring that, but at least it wasn’t an overt goal...) That ugh feeling from Qt, along with being forced to deal with C++ if I want to dive into the system, is the primary reason I haven’t switched to KDE, despite liking both their UX philosophy and their view of their place in the ecosystem[1] much more. [1] https://youtu.be/IFGXVN9dZ8U https://youtu.be/IFGXVN9dZ8U (I don’t think there’s a text version, sorry)
      - prokoudine 3y ago
        That said, glad to see you working on the GTK4 port.
sramkrishna 3y ago
Like any project it needs to pay for its infrastructure and that comes from donations and sponsors. The foundation also holds trademarks including the GNOME trademark that it is required to defend. The foundation was setup to protect the project from legal issues, help fund the infrastructure,and build relationships that lead to fundraising and influence. You might recall that GNOME had to defend its trademark at least once and was also hit with a patent troll. Edited to add: The money also goes to help fund GUADEC and hackfests where maintainers meet to work on goals. So there is more than just the executive director - there is a whole team that manages events, finances, and brand.
ssivark 3y ago
Expanding on that question — is the “Executive Director” role a paid position, and how (much) is the new recruit being compensated?
segphault 3y ago
This is not a new role, previous GNOME Foundation executive directors include Stormy Peters, Karen Sandler, and most recently Neil McGovern.
- ploum 3y ago
  At the time, I interacted with both Stormy Peters and Karen Sandler during my GNOME time. Their work was really positive and really appreciated. During their time, their was no debate and everybody agreed that the money spent to pay them was money well spent. (I don’t want to dismiss Neil McGovern but I simply have no experience working with him).

2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago

I hope they ditch their silly and excessive code of conduct. https://wiki.gnome.org/Foundation/CodeOfConduct https://wiki.gnome.org/Foundation/CodeOfConduct

bloopernova 3y ago
What about it do you find silly and/or excessive?
- 2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
  You need a code of conduct to tell you to not be violent?
  - tredre3 3y ago
    We don't but it's bizarre that when told to not be violent, your first thought is "wow this is excessive".
    - 2OEH8eoCRo0 3y ago
      I'm already told that by the biggest code of conduct of all- the law.
      - type0 3y ago
        It will be useful to have their own laws when GUADEC will hold on a cruiseship in international waters /s
- throwawa14223 3y ago
  The "Safety versus Comfort" section indicates they do not intend to apply the above sections above fairly.
  - FireBeyond 3y ago
    I am having a hard time digesting that section too: > "Reverse"-isms, including "reverse racism," "reverse sexism," and "cisphobia" ... The examples listed above are not against the Code of Conduct. That in itself is a little 'wow'. > Basic expectations for conduct are not covered by the "reverse-ism clause" and would be enforced irrespective of the demographics of those involved. For example, racial discrimination will not be tolerated, irrespective of the race of those involved. At first I was confused by this, but now I get it, and still wow. "You're allowed to be racist/sexist, towards white people/cisgendered, just don't actually discriminate against them". "Safety vs Comfort". Huh. "It's more important that people be/feel safe than you feel comfortable" - I agree. But if you need "cisphobia" and "reverse racism" to feel safe, then this is hugely problematic. Honestly, I actually am somewhat shocked that this isn't more controversial.

gustavus 3y ago

Looking at the qualifications and past experience of this pick I am starting to wonder what exactly was the rationale behind this? The only work history listed in her resume is as a consultant, and as "Holly Million the Shaman Artist". This will be interesting to say the least.

nvm0n2 3y ago
Gonna be another Mozilla, it seems?
- kbrosnan 3y ago
  I know it is cool to hate on Mitchell Baker here. Lack of qualifications is not a valid criticism. She has a law degree from Berkley. Passed the California bar exam in '87. Was a high ranking lawyer in Netscape as their first legal hire. Designed the Mozilla Public License. Created the Mozilla Foundation. She has been in executive roles for 20-30 years.
  - pseudalopex 3y ago
    Yes. Mitchell Baker had every top job at Mozilla from 1999 to 2008. She was the Mozilla project's general manager, Mozilla Foundation's 1st president, and Mozilla Corporation's 1st CEO. She could be the wrong CEO for Mozilla now. But it couldn't be for inexperience.
    - kyleee 3y ago
      Just goes to show hiring in house is no silver bullet
  - nvm0n2 3y ago
    Who said anything about qualifications? She is a terrible CEO because she knows nothing about web browsers, and clearly couldn't care less about her companies products. Why would anyone ever make a lawyer a CEO of anything except a law firm? It's a self evidently terrible idea and the results are exactly what you'd expect.

phendrenad2 3y ago

Huh. This is an incredibly generic announcement. If "GNOME Foundation" were replaced by "Gates Foundation" or "National Endowment for the Arts" it would still make sense. It had never occurred to me that open-source foundations might become non-profits first and foremost, with the actual work that they do more of a "backend" concern, but that seems to me to be the case. Not that there's anything wrong with that, and indeed non-profits might be forced into this narrow style of existence by laws and regulations. But it makes me worry that there might be a disconnect between the people running the non-profit and the actual users of the project. This is a "Linus Torvalds uses a macbook" moment, for me. That all said, congrats to the GNOME Foundation and Holly, and I hope you accomplish whatever good deeds you set out to.

sombragris 3y ago

Holly Million, Batman!! (sorry, I couldn't resist...) Seriously, I wish her all the best.

boeingUH60 3y ago

Will she be paid a million? Quick joke before the omnipresent Dang sounds his warning..

josteink 3y ago

Brian Lunduke has done some digging on her[0]. She’s a “professional shaman”, and herb “medicine” maker operating on Facebook and Instagram. No software background at all. If this is the kind of hires ESG & DEI brings, I think we can already conclude those two to be failed philosophies, and that all the critics have been proven right. [0] https://lunduke.locals.com/upost/4740497/gnome-foundation-hires-professional-shaman-as-new-executive-director https://lunduke.locals.com/upost/4740497/gnome-foundation-hi...