[Chapter-delegates] Chapter advice on live streaming
Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond
ocl at gih.com
Mon Sep 16 15:56:52 PDT 2024
Dear Vint,
You have accurately identified the true cost of the ISOC.LIVE service:
the extensive hours dedicated to preparation, promotion,
post-production, transcription, and archiving of events. In fact, the
"live" component is a cost-saving measure, as it eliminates the need for
multiple camera feeds and allows for real-time switching. I would
challenge anyone who claims that an event recorded with a single,
wide-angle camera shot is an engaging representation of the event.
Regarding the proposal to switch to project-based support, Joly has
consistently explained why this approach is impractical. The preparation
required for events and the limited funds available from the Internet
Society Foundation to support such activities are significant
constraints. If the objective were to make it exceedingly difficult for
the Chapter community to record, produce, and archive its own content,
then switching to project-based support would indeed be an effective
deterrent.
Kindest regards,
Olivier
On 16/09/2024 17:34, vinton cerf wrote:
> Just thinking out loud for a moment. The support for live streaming
> had several consequences, I think. The first was access to the live
> event. My guess is that most chapter events have relatively modest
> attendance that is probably within the capacity of the conferencing
> tool (zoom, teams, meet, etc) to record, so "live reach" is likely not
> the most important aspect of streaming. The second utility is post-hoc
> editing and curation. That could be done with any recording including
> one supported by the conferencing application - but the work of
> editing, sound improvement, captioning (??), archiving is in addition
> to the live stream. Would the new "project based" funding model
> provide for these services? Would chapters have to apply for
> project-based support? Would they have to pay for them themselves
> (that's always an option, of course)? Could they apply for project
> support from ISOC?
>
> vint
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 16, 2024 at 12:15 PM b1harlem nyc via Chapter-delegates
> <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:
>
> Suggest there is merit in advocacy for programs needed by the
> group...no amount of intellectual explaining will overcome the
> reality that the Chapters and its Members understand the
> communities and the needs better then most..To decide on some self
> impose metric by a Staff member no matter how well meaning ..is
> the way towards the kinds of disagreement that
> are luguburious at best.
>
> The idea/notion that the Chapters have to compete against
> themselves and others for resources and then have non volunteers
> decided who gets those resources and determine what chapter
> members service are not worthy is not a ideal way to work with a
> world wide team.it <http://team.it> says here....
>
> Item last..
> It's not about the number of live stream viewers concurrent on a
> stream ...it's not even about the archival of the streams..it's
> more about documentation of the efforts and opportunities
> presented through the live streaming that is the most effectual
> way to move information around the internet sans the traditional
> gate keepers and here, somehow that's being missed....the internet
> is for everyone no matter how, no matter what ,no matter who..I
> join the society because I believe that
>
> Doug Frazier
> Proud Nyc Chapter Board Member
>
>
> On Mon, Sep 16, 2024, 11:40 Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond via
> Chapter-delegates <chapter-delegates at elists.isoc.org> wrote:
>
> Dear Ted,
>
> Thank you for your response. Given your valid point regarding
> the openness of the Chapter Delegate mailing list, I will
> focus exclusively on the ISOC.Live Streaming and Archiving
> service, which primarily serves Chapters.
>
> Aligning with the previous CEO's statements, you mentioned
> that the decision to close ISOC.LIVE was made by staff.
> However, this misses a crucial point: the request to resume
> funding was formally submitted by Chapters to the ISOC Board
> of Trustees through the Chapter Advisory Council. A formal
> decision from the ISOC Board of Trustees was necessary,
> requiring adherence to governance principles, including
> transparency and accountability, which your response lacks.
>
> I refer you to my previous points made to Luis concerning the
> Board of Trustees' responsibilities, beyond their fiduciary
> duties:
>
> According to the US Council of Nonprofits
> (https://www.councilofnonprofits.org/running-nonprofit/governance-leadership/board-roles-and-responsibilities):
>
> "A board of directors does not exist solely to fulfill legal
> duties and serve as a fiduciary of the organization’s assets.
> Board members also play significant roles in providing
> guidance to nonprofits by contributing to the organization’s
> culture, strategic focus, effectiveness, and financial
> sustainability, as well as serving as ambassadors and
> advocates. Beyond fulfilling legal duties, board members can
> be important resources for the organization in multiple ways."
>
> Merely rubber-stamping staff decisions can lead to significant
> failures, as evidenced by numerous corporate governance
> disasters. A pertinent example is the failed attempt to sell
> PIR, which severely damaged the Internet Society's reputation.
> It is advisable for all Board members to undertake a basic
> course on their rights and responsibilities to ensure
> effective governance and fulfil their critical roles as
> outlined above.
>
> If ISOC.Live is considered a critical service for one of the
> Internet Society’s three core communities, the ISOC Board of
> Trustees is obligated to take action and fulfil their
> responsibilities, rather than avoiding them.
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Olivier Crépin-Leblond
>
>
>
> On 16/09/2024 09:04, Ted Hardie wrote:
>> Hi Olivier,
>>
>> Thanks for expressing your thoughts on this matter. You ask
>> below whether the Board will be "formally notifying the Chair
>> of the Chapter Advisory Council, along with her Council Board
>> members, of the rejection of the Chapter Advisory Council’s
>> Advice?"
>>
>> On the question of the openness of the chapter delegate list,
>> the board has pointed out that there is no need for board
>> action here, since the history shows that the original action
>> to close it was taken by the ChAC. This is not a rejection
>> of the advice; it is a continuation of the dialogue with the
>> ChAC on how to accomplish their goal and a note that the
>> staff contacts will be able to help worth through the options
>> with them.
>>
>> On the question of live streaming, the board has reminded the
>> ChAC that the decision to move to a project basis for live
>> streaming was a staff decision, based on an analysis of the
>> consumption patterns of the relevant media. The board's role
>> here was to set the goals for the communication plan; it does
>> not direct the staff on how to structure contracts nor would
>> it be appropriate for the board to require specific
>> contractors. It has also noted that data from the chapters
>> on the consumption patterns they see when using live
>> streaming would be valuable input to ongoing analysis of how
>> to best meet the goals of the communication plan.
>>
>> I do not believe I would characterize either response as a
>> rejection of the advice of the ChAC. The board has responded
>> and clarified its roles here, and in neither case would it be
>> the right body to take the action requested. We are happy to
>> have the staff support the ChAC in meeting its goals directly
>> in the first instance and in the second instance to work
>> together with the chapters to continue the analysis of
>> consumption patterns and communication strategies.
>>
>> The ChAC has been kind enough to invite me to the call
>> tomorrow, September 17th, and I look forward to the
>> opportunity for us to chat together.
>>
>> best regards,
>>
>> Ted Hardie
>>
>> On Sun, Sep 15, 2024 at 1:36 PM Olivier MJ Crépin-Leblond
>> <ocl at gih.com> wrote:
>>
>> Dear Ted,
>>
>> Thank you for explaining the process by which the
>> Internet Society Board of Trustees reached its decision.
>> I question the appropriateness of this process, given the
>> formal nature of the request made by the Chapter Advisory
>> Council, which included a vote and extensive documentation.
>>
>> Could you please clarify the rationale behind the
>> decision not requiring a formal resolution? Is it not
>> customary for the Board to formally endorse or reject
>> formal Advice upon receipt? What measures of
>> accountability does the Board have in its decisions if
>> they are based on informal processes that lack
>> transparency and traceability? Considering the fiduciary
>> responsibilities of all Board members, how many other
>> decisions of the Board are subjected to this “informal”
>> process, of which non-Board members were previously unaware?
>>
>> Finally, will you be formally notifying the Chair of the
>> Chapter Advisory Council, along with her Council Board
>> members, of the rejection of the Chapter Advisory
>> Council’s Advice?
>>
>> Kind regards,
>>
>> Olivier Crépin-Leblond
>>
>>
>> On 13/09/2024 12:36, Ted Hardie wrote:
>>> Hi Olivier,
>>>
>>> The board has an active mailing list and informal
>>> meetings once a month (though August's meeting did not
>>> occur this year because of low availability). The
>>> discussion took place mostly on the mailing list, along
>>> with trustees' edits of a proposal using online tools.
>>> Because this response did not require a resolution,
>>> confirmation of agreement was assessed on the list and
>>> confirmed at the September informal meeting, earlier
>>> this week. None of those methods generate minutes in
>>> the formal sense, but I can confirm that there was
>>> consensus for the response.
>>>
>>> regards,
>>>
>>> Ted Hardie
>>>
>>> On Fri, Sep 13, 2024 at 12:16 PM Olivier MJ
>>> Crépin-Leblond <ocl at gih.com> wrote:
>>>
>>> Dear Ted,
>>>
>>> I acknowledge receipt of your response, which I have
>>> reviewed with interest.
>>>
>>> The Chapter Advisory Council submitted its formal
>>> request on 17 July 2024. The Board, through its
>>> Chair, issued its, I assume, formal response on 13
>>> September 2024.
>>>
>>> Upon reviewing the list of ISOC Board Meetings
>>> available at Internet Society Board of Trustees
>>> Meetings
>>> <https://www.internetsociety.org/board-of-trustees/meetings/>,
>>> I have not identified any meetings of the ISOC Board
>>> of Trustees occurring between these dates.
>>>
>>> Given that this decision was made by the Board, I
>>> kindly request the following:
>>>
>>> * The minutes of the meeting during which the
>>> Board decided not to reinstate the ISOC.LIVE
>>> video production, editing, and archiving services.
>>>
>>> Warmest regards,
>>>
>>> Olivier Crépin-Leblond
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> On 13/09/2024 09:17, Ted Hardie via
>>> Chapter-delegates wrote:
>>>>
>>>> Dear colleagues,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> One of the items in your recent advice to the board
>>>> was a request that the "ISOC funding for the
>>>> ISOC.LIVE video production, editing, and archiving
>>>> services should be reinstated, as well as ISOC.LIVE
>>>> should be financially supported by ISOC on an
>>>> ongoing basis."
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The board's role here is to set the direction for
>>>> the organization by establishing strategic goals;
>>>> the details of the communication plan are a part of
>>>> the staff execution of those goals. During the
>>>> budget analysis of 2023, the communications team
>>>> analyzed the effectiveness of specific streaming
>>>> approaches and found that community engagement was
>>>> driven primarily by on-demand viewing. This
>>>> matches a broader shift common to mainstream
>>>> programming. As a result of this analysis, the
>>>> communications plan shifted away from a
>>>> retainer-based contract for live streaming to a
>>>> project-based funding model for future work.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> This was a staff management decision, taken with
>>>> due care and analysis. The board's role is to
>>>> assess whether the overall communications plan is
>>>> effective in meeting the strategic goals; it does
>>>> not direct the staff to use specific contract types
>>>> or contractors. If the needs of the communications
>>>> plan change again to require live streaming on a
>>>> full-time basis, the board is confident that the
>>>> staff will issue the appropriate RFP and conduct
>>>> the appropriate analysis of the submissions.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The project-based funding model remains available,
>>>> and chapters may, of course, fund specific live
>>>> streaming events using chapter funds or Beyond The
>>>> Net grants. Any analysis of the effectiveness of
>>>> those live streaming events would be valuable data
>>>> for any future considerations of the engagement model.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> The board thanks the ChaC for its attention to the
>>>> communications plan, and we look forward to
>>>> continued discussion of how to engage the broader
>>>> community in the mission of the society.
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Best regards,
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> Ted Hardie
>>>> for the Board
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically subscribed
>>>> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet Society Chapter Portal (AMS):https://community.internetsociety.org.
>>>> -
>>>> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct:https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/
>>>
>>
>
> _______________________________________________
> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically
> subscribed
> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the
> Internet Society Chapter Portal (AMS):
> https://community.internetsociety.org.
> -
> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct:
> https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/
>
> _______________________________________________
> As an Internet Society Chapter Officer you are automatically
> subscribed
> to this list, which is regularly synchronized with the Internet
> Society Chapter Portal (AMS): https://community.internetsociety.org.
> -
> View the Internet Society Code of Conduct:
> https://www.internetsociety.org/become-a-member/code-of-conduct/
>
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