Board-Meeting-2026-03-05

Board Meeting
Date	Thursday, 2026-03-05
Time	17:00-17:30 UTC
Place	XSF chatroom
Transcript	chat log
Term	2025-2026 Term Summary
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Agenda

1. Welcome

Opening of the meeting.

2. Formalize Agenda

Confirm and approve the agenda for this meeting.

3. Vote on: Signing Keep Android Open letter

Proposal to have the XSF sign the Keep Android Open, opposing the Android Developer Verification program, as discussed on https://mail.jabber.org/hyperkitty/list/members@xmpp.org/thread/P7KMMGDGFBA5EMJZQHOSNJ3NRDQCHTJC/

4. Summit follow-up discussion: XMPP 2

Prior discussions expressed interest; little asynchronous feedback was received. Determine whether there is sufficient interest to warrant further work, and either mandate a scoped next step or explicitly conclude that no further action will be taken at this time.

5. Progress report: decision-ready proposal for XSF's EU-based presence

Follow-up on Guus's commitment to present a concrete proposal for establishing a minimal EU presence for XSF, per action point of the Board meeting on 15 Dec 2025.

6. Discuss with Intent to Vote: Have a Moderation Team

Review the proposal to form a moderation team for XMPP Standards Foundation discussion spaces, consider the current state of community discussion, and decide whether the Board is ready to vote on adoption or should defer pending further input. Related mailinglist thread: https://mail.jabber.org/hyperkitty/list/members@xmpp.org/thread/U2UU3HG3YHAX4RAHVPO4A5JL5QDSFHI6/

7. Discuss with Intent to Vote: Membership Name Disclosure Policy

Review the proposal to make public disclosure of members' real names optional, assess the maturity of recent membership discussion, and determine whether the Board should proceed to a vote or request additional community feedback. Related mailinglist thread https://mail.jabber.org/hyperkitty/list/members@xmpp.org/thread/JLLM2YCWQBLMW4QYD5TH2W6BBWC4GC6T/

8. Discuss with Intent to Vote: Publication of Membership Vote Tallies

Review the proposal to cease public publication of membership vote tallies, consider member feedback to date, and decide whether conditions are met for a Board vote at this meeting. Related mailinglist thread https://mail.jabber.org/hyperkitty/list/members@xmpp.org/thread/JLLM2YCWQBLMW4QYD5TH2W6BBWC4GC6T/

9. Any Other Business (AOB)

Items not listed above that require brief attention.

10. Date of next meeting

Agreement on the date of the next Board meeting.

11. Close

Closing of the meeting.

Minutes

1. Welcome

The meeting was opened by Ralph Meijer (Chair), with Guus der Kinderen co-chairing. Attendance was confirmed.

Attendees

• Ralph Meijer (Chair)
• Guus der Kinderen
• Arne-Brün Vogelsang
• Mickaël Rémond
• Florian Schmaus (flow)

2. Formalization of Agenda

The agenda, previously circulated by email and published on the XSF wiki, was accepted without changes. No additional items were added.

3. Vote on: Signing Keep Android Open Letter

The Board discussed whether the XMPP Standards Foundation should sign the "Keep Android Open" letter opposing the Android Developer Verification program.

Discussion highlights:

• While platform policy advocacy is not generally core to the XSF's mission, Android openness directly affects client diversity, interoperability, and the practical viability of XMPP implementations.
• Strong member sentiment in favor of signing was noted from prior mailing list discussion.

Motion: That the XMPP Standards Foundation sign the "Keep Android Open" letter opposing the Android Developer Verification program.

Votes:

+1

Ralph, Guus, Arne, Mickaël

0

flow

−1

none

Result: Motion carried.

Action: The Chair will send the signing email on behalf of the XSF.

4. Summit Follow-up: XMPP 2

The Board revisited the idea of initiating work on "XMPP 2".

Discussion highlights:

• The concept is generally seen as valuable, but there is limited capacity and appetite at present.
• Board members expressed concern about starting a large, high-stakes effort without sufficient resources or momentum.
• Interest shown during the Summit was acknowledged, but current workload constraints were considered significant.

Outcome: No motion was made. The topic remains open and may be revisited at a later time.

5. Progress Report: EU-based Presence for XSF

Guus reported progress since the previous meeting:

• Two concrete proposals for an EU-based presence have been published on the wiki.
• Active and constructive discussion is ongoing on the mailing list.
• Key concerns raised include one-time and ongoing costs, legal structure, and intellectual property considerations.

Discussion highlights:

• Legal consulting is likely necessary for any transfer or restructuring, with cost being a major concern.
• No concrete cost estimates or funding plans exist yet.
• Board agreed that discussion should continue on the mailing list before any decision is made.

Outcome: No motion was made. The Board agreed to let the mailing list discussion continue and revisit once proposals mature further.

6. Moderation Team

The Board considered the proposal to establish a Moderation Work Team for XSF discussion spaces.

Discussion highlights:

• The proposal is considered mature and has broad member support.
• Clarification was discussed regarding the relationship between moderation responsibilities, the Board, and the Code of Conduct.
• It was agreed that details can evolve based on experience and feedback from the new team.

Motion 1: That the XMPP Standards Foundation establish a Moderation Work Team in accordance with the Team Charter shared on the mailing list.

Votes:

+1

Ralph, Guus, Arne, Mickaël, flow

0

none

−1

none

Result: Motion carried.

Motion 2: Appoint Matthew as Chair of the Moderation Work Team, subject to his continued willingness to serve.

Votes:

+1

Ralph, Guus, Arne, Mickaël, flow

0

none

−1

none

Result: Motion carried.

Motion 3, 4 & 5: Appoint Georg (3), Singpolyma (4), and Jonas (5) as members of the Moderation Work Team, subject to their continued willingness to serve.

Votes (results equal for all three motions):

+1

Ralph, Guus, Arne, Mickaël, flow

0

none

−1

none

Result: Motions carried.

7. Membership Name Disclosure Policy

The Board discussed a proposal to make public disclosure of members' real names optional.

Discussion highlights:

• Some Board members emphasized transparency and openness as essential, given that members ultimately control the organization.
• Others noted potential safety and harassment concerns and the value of allowing limited exceptions.
• Legal obligations and the distinction between internal knowledge of member identities and public disclosure were debated.

Outcome: No motion was made. The Board agreed to continue discussion on the mailing list and revisit the topic in a future meeting once additional perspectives and information are available.

8. Publication of Membership Vote Tallies

The Board discussed whether to cease public publication of membership vote tallies.

Discussion highlights:

• Concerns were raised about vote counts creating unnecessary tension or discouraging first-time applicants.
• Others emphasized the importance of transparency and the longstanding practice of public archives.

No consensus was reached during the meeting.

Outcome: No motion was made. Further discussion was deferred to the mailing list.

9. Any Other Business (AOB)

No additional items were raised.

10. Date of Next Meeting

The next Board meeting was scheduled for: 19 March 2026, 17:00 UTC

11. Close

The meeting was closed by the Chair at 18:57 UTC, with thanks to Guus der Kinderen for co-chairing.