Boeing resignations (hopefully temporary for me)

Hello Social Web WG and IG folks -

I'm writing to let you know my status for the next few months...

As some of you know, I am the Boeing representative to the W3C. I am sad to report that I have not been able to nail down the funding (due on Sept. 30th) for our continued membership.  Thus, day after tomorrow, I must resign all Boeing participants from their respective Working Groups.  This will included dropping me, Adam Boyet and Mark Bryant from the Social Web WG and IG.

Once Boeing drops the membership, no one who is a member may apply to be a W3C Invited Expert.  (This is per the W3C Process, which is very clear on that point. Logically, they don't want companies to 'cheat' on their membership fees by putting people into groups as IEs.)

Personally, I hope to continue with the W3C in some new role after I leave Boeing - as yet, unclear what. For me there is a 3-month awkward phase. In this time when I am still a Boeing employee, but the company is not a member, I may not be an Invited Expert. When I am officially gone from Boeing, I expect to request Invited Expert status.  I hope Sandro will chair the Social Web Interest Group for the next 3 months, and then I hope to pick it up again in my 'new' life. Maybe he'll figure out how to reinvigorate the group while I'm gone!

Since it only occurs once/year, I am going to the TPAC in October  - self-funded, using up my vacation time, and as a 'free agent'.  (To formalize my attendance, I'll be there as an invited guest of Jeff Jaffe (W3C CEO).) Although we are not having a formal F2F meeting of the Social WG/IG, I hope to hold a session on this topic, as well as consult with others  on what we're doing, what they want from "social", and why don't they participate? I hope Tantek, Amy, Arnaud, (anyone else attending TPAC?) will want to share hosting such a session. (It would be interesting to hear any questions you have, or messages you'd like passed along!)

So - have good meetings for the next 3 months. I look forward to reconnecting in early 2016.

  -- Ann



Ann Bassetti
The Boeing Company
mobile:  +1.206.218.8039
email:  ann.bassetti@boeing.com