On 02/21/2015 02:30 AM, Jonathan Riddell wrote:
> On Fri, Feb 20, 2015 at 02:18:20PM +0100, David Planella wrote:
>> I'm a bit puzzled by this e-mail: you know very well where to request
>> funds for community events, as you've filed several such requests using
>> this form [1] over the last few months. In fact IIRC all of them have been
>> approved and reported [2] as any other approved requests.
>
>> We review these requests every week in the community team weekly call.
>> They often take longer than a week to process due to administrative
>> overhead and back and forth communication with requesters. Coincidentally,
>> we just discussed recommending requests to be filed a month in advance of
>> the actual event to set the expectations, especially after the fact that
>> the number of requests has steeply been increasing over the last couple of
>> months.
>> On the last request you filed, which was also approved, you were simply
>> asked not to file requests retroactively (that is, to send them in advance
>> rather than after the fact) and to provide detailed receipts, both of
>> which I think are sensible requirements.
>
> Ug, using that form is slow to get a response, I didn't even know we'd
> go to this sprint a month ago, I didn't know we'd need food to be
> productive until this week and I didn't know how much they'd cost
> until I bought them. It takes away any possibility of spontaneity. A
> month makes it completely useless. There's also no way to submit
> receipts with the form especially if it's a month before buying
> anything.
>
Yes, but then again these donations aren't meant for spontaneous pizza
purchases, they are for strategic investments in community teams and
events. Sometimes that means paying for food so an event will take
place, but not always. People have entrusted us with the use of their
money to benefit the community, and we feel that having you get
pre-approval before it is spend is the right way to exercise that
responsibility, even if that means a couple of weeks delay.
You were asked to request money before it is spent specifically to avoid
the situation where you decide to make a purchase with your own money
assuming it will be re-paid when it will not. We don't want to leave
community members in a bad financial situation because they made wrong
assumptions.
>> I think it's fair to involve the CC and have a discussion if you really
>> think your requests haven't been handled fairly or if you believe there is
>> any flaw in the process. Either that, reaching to anyone in the community
>> team or sending an e-mail to the community team mailing list [3] would
>> probably be the best way forward. Everyone involved are easily reachable
>> and always open for discussion.
>
> I don't think they've been handled unfairly although I do think the
> fund has been. We couldn't access it for ages and it's been
> retrospecively changed from donations for community flavours to
> general community use, both very dodgy accounting practices.
> Decisions on it get taken in secret by a team with nothing to do with
> the teams that use it, why not just give the money to the teams or get
> the community council to decide on uses in the open?
>
The fund money was available starting the quarter after the start of
donations. We don't do real-time accounting, nor were we going to spend
money that hadn't come in yet. The delay was minimal.
Also note that these funds were only those marked specifically for
community use, they did not include donations marked specifically for
flavor or upstream work.
Decisions on how this money is spent is decided by the Community team in
Canonical, which is appropriate since the money is entrusted to
Canonical to be spent on the community. We do consult with members of
the governance councils when we need help decided on a request.
> In this case I've asked on IRC and I've asked here and I've asked on
> that form and I'm still waiting for any idea if I can buy a pizza.
> It's a completely impractical process. The sprint is nearly over and
> I've gone ahead an bought them because we were getting hungry.
>
Your request was made only 2 days ago. If the needed is that urgent, I
would suggest that you decide among those of you sprinting if it is
worth spending your own money on.
> Jonathan
>
Michael Hall
mhall119@ubuntu.com
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