Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand discussion

[Jane Hornibrook <janehornibrook AT gmail.com>]

Hi all,

A quick message, while I'm in range and with an Internet connection.

Thanks for your further thoughts on the issues surrounding CCANZ in 2009, and to Danyl for suggesting (rather succinctly) some of the reasons why things have been operating as they have been.

Stephanie and I completely agree that there needs to be a consultation
day/session in the first half of 2010, but had not yet set a date or
laid down firms plans for how it should take place. My thoughts were
that planning for this event could start early February when we are
both back at work, and that we would aim for a date in late February or early March
for a day/session in Wellington (with video/online facilities for
people not in the area). This will also give us a bit of time further involve the Royal Society, CCANZ's future host in this whole process from the start.

In the meantime, we can assure you that the absence of an HRN Board and its public outreach is something that has concerned Stephanie and I. Once we managed to finally resolve the primary issues of a 'host' for CCANZ in 2010, we firmly established some conditions with the RSNZ including the need for an open and sector-wide governance and advisory group for the project. We are adamant that the 2010 revival of CCANZ under the care of the Royal Society will be kept functional and transparent including representative from areas outside just Humanities and Science. (The dissolved Council for the Humanities as we know it may lend a representative from its new Royal Society Humanities Committee to keep the previous interests of the Council and the HRN Board represented).

Discussions were initiated in December with the RSNZ about the structure of a CC project within their care. Strong and positive possibilities are a 'CCANZ centre' with its own independent board, online presence and staff all working for the widest possible interests in CC. These discussions were definitely not going to be taken much further without public consultation and involvement from interested parties. After all, establishing a revived advisory group and a clear direction for CC's growth in 2010 is something for all of us to be working on this year.

I hope this (not so brief!) message has given a bit more context to our efforts, please keep sending in your thoughts for a better CCANZ in 2010.

- Jane








Kia ora koutou


I'd like to extend a huge vote of thanks to both Jane and Stephanie for
carrying this administration of this project through some difficult
transitional times. The Council for the Humanities and the Royal
Society and the various players involved would have had their own
concerns and agendas, which I imagine would have made for some long and
stressful meetings. Sunlight is the best disinfectant and I firmly
believe that CCANZ needs to be run in a transparent fashion. However,
but we also have to deal with the requirement imposed by iCommons to
work under the administrative umbrella of an established organization,
and the veils this may throw over things from time to time.

In hindsight it's clear what a driving force Dr Brian Opie was in the
Council, the HRN Board, and CCANZ. His unexpected retirement resulted
in a lot of dropped balls all around, including the calling of HRN
Board meetings. Jane seems to have taken the blame for much of this, I
think unfairly. The way she has managed to keep various plates
spinning, in the absence of clear decision-making and communcation
processes, and administrative support, required her to perform above
and beyond the call of duty. Jane your efforts did not demonstrated a
lethal competence, and you will be as asset to any organization lucky
enough to hire you in the future. I hope we can convince you to stay
involved with CCANZ.

To me it seems clear to me that the CCANZ community needs to organize
itself to some degree, so that we can provide some feedback and support
to our paid staff (ie Jane ;) I'd like to reiterate the suggestion for
some kind of CCANZ meetup at the Linux.org.au
event in Poneke in late Jan, although I'll be in Te Wai Pounamu at the
time, and won't be able to make the event myself. Such sector meetings
are one way to bring CC folk together. Beyond that, I agree there is a
need for another public meeting, which brings together reps from a
range of sector groups, and I'd like to see this happen in Feb/ March.

He mihi nui
Danyl




-- 
Jane Hornibrook
Creative Commons Aotearoa New Zealand
Ph  +64 4 472 9488
Cel +64 2761 98139
www.creativecommons.org.nz
A project of the Council for the Humanities
www.humanities.org.nz