So the Ubuntu Community Council has asked Jonathan Riddell to step down as a leader in the Kubuntu community. The reasoning for this can be broadly summarized as “poor conduct”.
Some members of the community have concluded that this is something of a hatchet job from the Community Council, that Jonathan’s insistence to get answers to tough questions (e.g. licensing, donations) has resulted in the Community Council booting him out.
I don’t believe this is true.
Just because the Community Council has not provided an extensive docket of evidence behind their decision does not equate to wrong-doing. It does not equate to corruption or malpractice.
I do sympathize with the critics though. I spent nearly eight years pretty close to the politics of Ubuntu and when I read the Community Council’s decision I understood and agreed with it. For all of Jonathan’s tremendously positive contributions to Kubuntu, I do believe his conduct and approach has sadly had a negative impact on parts of our community too.
This has nothing to do with the questions he raised, it was the way he raised them, and the inference and accusations he made in raising such questions. We can’t have our leaders behaving like that: it sets a bad example.
As such, I understood the Community Council’s decision because I have seen these politics both up front and behind the scenes due to my close affiliation with Ubuntu and Canonical. For those people for who haven’t been so close to the coalface though, this decision from the CC feels heavy handed, without due evidence, and emotive in response.
Thus, in conclusion, I don’t believe the CC have acted inappropriately in making this decision, but I do believe that their decision needs to be illustrated further. The decision needs to feel complete and authoritative, but until we see further material, we are not going to improve the situation if everyone assumes the Community Council is some shadowy cabal against Jonathan and Kubuntu.
We are a community. We have more in common than what differs between us. Let’s put the hyperbole to one side and have a conversation about how we resolve this. There is an opportunity for a great outcome here: for better understanding and further improvement, but the first step is everyone understanding the perspectives of the people with opposing viewpoints.
As such #ISupportCommunity; our wider Ubuntu and Kubuntu family. Let’s work together, not against each other.
Shouldn’t conversations occur before any decision?
You neglect to mention his position is an elected position and this would be along the lines of a 3rd party trying to impeach the president without explaining why. If enough folks have issue with him then they can let their votes decide at the next election.
Typical Jonobacon.. I wasn’t part of the decision nor was I privy to the discussions nor am I even on the know on the specific of this particular issue.. But my friends at the Ubuntu council can do no wrong and I trust them.. Therefore Jonathan is wrong abinitio.. One of the best thing to happen to Ubuntu is u leaving that community manager position.
You have literally no idea what you are talking about. Good work.
Notice how did not refute even ONE of bigbrovar’s points. I don’t even know how you were a community manager in the first place. Mouthpiece!
Agreed. You can’t just jump in and say “I’m not aware of the specifics of this situation, but based on my (subjective) judgement of the personalities involved, I support a decision made behind closed doors and without proper evidence.”
How do you know your judgement call is the correct one if you’re not willing to open up the reasoning behind the decision to the public? And to say that you know Jonathan and from your previous interactions with him, he “had it coming” is not going to fly. It’s just childish.
Wait, let’s work together, not against eachother . . . by kicking elected community representatives out of their positions for reasons defended by secret evidence?
I think it’s a balanced, calm posting. I’m not involved with any of these, and it does seem like there are a lot of people talking out of emotion and anger. What’s the saying “cooler heads should prevail” would be very helpful here. Hopefully people will calm down and have a dialogue to move forward. I’m not involved except as a fairly happy Ubuntu user.
With the comment, “Let’s work together, not against each other”, do you really mean that? Does this mean, you might actually start working together with the GNU Linux community – by promoting freedom now? I know you wrote a book on community, so that’s your thing – community. However, I see that you work for Canonical since 2006. You work FOR them? Not with them? Ubuntu has really been a sore in our side. Some of us in the community would be happy to see Ubuntu go away. The spyware misbehaviour and the movement like locust into our LUGs. Members believing they are doing work in the community, when really it’s for Ubuntu Locos and Canonical.
My question is… When did you start drinking the Canonical Kool Aid?