It should be obvious that I'm constantly seeking the long-term view of Project Gutenberg. That is why I'm thinking of solutions that involve keeping all derived files or changes we create/publish/distribute, forever. But that doesn't mean I'm against providing some files that will only have a few days, months or years of useful life before
On Tue, Jan 31, 2012 at 11:32 AM, Greg Newby <gbnewby@pglaf.org> wrote: they are superseded. I'm starting a new discussion here. I hope that I can present this topic in such a way as to avoid an immediate descent into acrimony and personal attacks. I have the impression that when Michael Hart was alive, he *owned* PG. It was his baby, he had kept it going for years, he owned the name, etc. There was a board of directors, but it was not elected by PG volunteers. Greg Newby was MH's deputy, and over the years, took on much of the workload. Greg has served selflessly, silently, devotedly. (Correct me if I'm wrong in my impressions, please.) However, I note with some disquiet that Greg seems to have stepped into MH's shoes, as the man who runs PG and gets to make all the decisions. See the quote above. I am not comfortable with this as anything more than an interim measure, until MH's estate is settled and the copyrighted name problem is sorted out. I hope that PG can make a transition from a monarchy to an elected board, just as DP did. I am not sure what form this board should take, and how elections might be run. Who counts as a volunteer with voting rights? That was easier with DP, which is more organized. It might also be a good idea to have ex-officio members from other digital preservation organizations, such as Internet Archive and Hathi Trust. Perhaps a certain number of seats could be set aside for such organizations, and the choice of organizations NOT be set into stone. Old groups may falter and new ones form. I do hope that Greg will see this not as a personal attack against HIM, but a move towards an organization, and a library, that is not dependent on any one person's efforts. I do not see this as deposing Greg, who will continue to be essential. I just would like to see him as the CEO, not the king. With some trepidation ... -- Karen Lofstrom