Board of Directors Meeting 2021-07-02

The Document Foundation
Board of Directors Meeting 2021-07-02
Meeting Minutes

Location: Jitsi

Session chair: Lothar Becker
Keeper of the minutes: Stephan Ficht

In the meeting:
    Board - Lothar Becker, Thorsten Behrens, Michael Meeks, Emiliano Vavassori, Cor Nouws
    Board Deputies - Nicolas Christener, Paolo Vecchi
    Membership Committee -
    Membership Committee Deputies - Shinji Enoki
    Team - Sophie Gautier, Florian Effenberger, Italo Vignoli, Stephan Ficht
    Community -

Representation: Nicolas for Franklin (asks for e-mail votes), Paolo for Daniel

Chairman of the Board is in the meeting. One of the Chairman or Deputy Chairman is required to be present or represented for having a quorate call.

The Board of Directors at time of the call consists of 7 seat holders without deputies. In order to be quorate, the call needs to have 1/2 of the Board of Directors members, which gives 4. A total of 7 Board of Directors members are attending the call.

The board waives all formal statutory requirements, or requirements in the foundations articles, or other requirements regarding form and invitation, time limits, and for the topics discussed in this meeting.

The meeting is quorate and invitation happened in time. From now on, motions can be passed with the agreement of a simple majority of those remaining present. The majority threshold is currently 4.

The meeting commences at 13:03 Berlin time.

Public Part

1. Q&A: Answering Questions from the community (All, max. 10 min)
    Rationale: Provide an opportunity for the community to ask questions to the board and about TDF.
    * any questions? (Lothar)

2. Discuss&Plan: Marketing Input to a draft update of trademark policies and certification process for approval (Florian, Italo, all 10min)
    Rational: Italo asked for feedback and approval from the board, if there is a need we head over in private
     * propose few changes to certification (Italo)

         * proposal #1 creation of a basic certification and creation of online training for that

        * for migration, based evaluation what they did for projects
        * easy path to certification was missing
        * receive increasing number of applications outside the project, with no specific activities
        * provide course leading to basic certification, 39 á 25 minutes via video
        * based on Udemi, also used by others
        * fee for each training, to be handled via TDF business entity
        * looking into how to handle payment, risk to exclude some participants
        * TDF to limit direct access to migration professional and professional trainers to TDF members
        * non-members have to attend basic certification, 12 months waiting time to proof projects, then can apply for professional certification
        * people who contribute to the certification project itself will get a senior title, for differentiation and showing seniority
        * encouragement to contribute to certification project
        * no changes for developer certification, but propose a senior title for developers who contribute for certification
       * will have a deeper look into (Lothar)
         * idea is fine
       * happy with the overall idea (Michael)
       * connected to that, change in trademark handling
       * seems a logical consequence of what just discussed (Lothar)
* AI Italo: need to consolidate feedback
       * appreciate proposal (Emiliano)
       * will only to qualify people to become trainer (Italo)
         * then they can propose training to the outside world
* AI Italo: start email vote
   * likely will abstain to avoid impression of CoI (Lothar)
   * but generally in favor

Public meeting ends at 13:18 Berlin time.

Private Part

X. Last-minute: law firm appointment

3. Discussion: App Store offering TDF and status and orga of the legal advice meeting (Lothar, Florian, all 40min)
    Rational: Discussion about the need and sort of offerings in the app store beside the upcoming legal advice, orga of the call
    reason why in private: confidential items for advice, preliminary discussion of offerings

Private meeting ends at 14:00 Berlin time.

Lothar Becker (Session chair)
Stephan Ficht (Keeper of the minutes)