Re: [mozillians] [Reps-General] Words from a Mozillian

[April Morone]

Ken,
As a fellow Mozillian who is also disabled of physical disabilities as
my body, too, falls apart, I can relate to what you are going through.
Besides my legal blindness and loss of some hearing over the long
years, plus light level of autism and depression, I have tremours,
now, sometimes I labour to breathe (not just from asthma), have
seisures, have spinal problems and functionality problems from
neuromuscular problems. I relate. Yet, I know that I can contribute
to Mozilla despite these disabilities, as can others who are disabled,
as well. Ironically, I was about to put up a MozillaWiki page for
disabled contributors that could hopefully answer many questions you
and others might have about cntributing for Mozilla and about how
Mozilla really does accept contributors who also have different
abilities (aka, before, as "disabilities"). I am a volunteer admin
for the Mozilla Contributors group on Facebook, Google+, and on IRC
chat, and I help give code and Web Development advise to others on
ask.mozilla.org and dev-mozilla extensions forum when I can do so as
health allows. And I am ceating apps (one, revisiing of an app I did
a while back) since software development and Web Development are my
specialities. I am among many who are fluent in different languages.
And, I understand most Web Development terms even if the documentation
could at times be a little difficult at first to understand as I am a
very visual learner, (sometimes auditorally, as well, but mainly
visual of learner). But, the terms I get. The other type of terms I
think I understand, as well, to which you might have referenced within
your post, herein. You are not alone in your concernes (I have heard
from others who have statd some of your same concernes, as well).
But, as someone else had also stated earlier in this thread of posts,
funding isn't as easy to come by to host events as one might think. I
used to head a church budgeting commitee, as well as a residents'
council, where budget was discussed. And my father was a CPA (a
certified public accountant) at one time in his life for many, many
years for businesses. So, I got to learn the ways of how budgeting is
done for businesses, often times. I get it (I understand how
budgeting is done). And I understand why it is done certain ways, as
well. There is NO (bold letters, here, also used for emphasis, NOT
for "cyberyelling") exclusion, per se, as people might think, nor is
there exclusion of a certain ways by staff to/of contributors other
than the basic stuff such as the fact of that category of
"contributors" and "paid staff" however it is actually worded in files
about this. You have paid Web Developers, it seems, as well as
volunteer Web Developers (such as myself and others) who also
contribute our time as we can do so. If you'd like to do so, please
come on into the Mozilla Contributors group on Facebook and on IRC to
talk in more detail about this and about contributing, in general. Oh,
and by the way, I go by my real name in group, there, and now in most
sites by Mozilla. So, if you want to associate with me, you can do so
by my real name (my identity is not hidden at all).
Fellow Mozillian,
April Morone

On 9/30/14, Ken Jones <kenkat...@msn.com> wrote:
> Dear Mozillians, whoever or wherever you are,
>
> I am a sixty year old ex UK regional sales & marketing manager, now retired
> through ill health. My responsibilities were for producing over 4 million
> UK£ of sales per anum at ever increasing margins, employing in excess of
> eighty members of staff of all age groups and experience. I have trained,
> mentored, sold & purchased for some fourty years and have spoken on a one to
> one basis and to a 3,000 strong audience. I thought I would be an asset to
> someone within Mozilla and/or Firefox, though my financial and
> physical/mental health imposes many restrictions.... the computer is the one
> thing that occupies and develops my brain when every other part of me is
> falling apart. I have written and produced fanzines & magazines for
> musicians, I love art, artwork and design, photography, making and listening
> to music..... and I have a true passion to help others. Computers &
> technology fascinates me in the same way as engineering has for all my
> working life.
>
> For the last six months I have been investigating, learning, training and
> practising everything Mozilla & Firefox, with the clear intention of
> offering my services and experience to further develop the Mozilla cause,
> and spread the principles behind a truly open web, Open Source, available to
> all cultures regardless of colour, religious or political beliefs, of gender
> or financial status. Everything I know to date has been self taught through
> self motivation and a willingness to learn, but with the future interest of
> helping others being paramount.....
>
> Key to all of this has been safety and security in the products used,
> gaining an understandability of the systems and software, and with a
> heartfelt passion to help others, particularly those with little income,
> with educational restrictions, and without access to high cost computers,
> laptops, mobiles, tablets, etc.
>
> After today I'm no longer sure that Mozilla is the organisation I thought it
> was.
>
> My personal online security & privacy was recently brought in to question as
> a direct result of Mozilla's actions, or lack of them..... emails &
> passwords being posted and left online for all to see, followed by a 'sorry'
> that was as unconvincing as it was constructive.
>
> I am now being bombarded by emails that are anonymous, malicious,
> potentially unfounded, but certainly unwanted & totally unnecessary yet you
> seem to have little to no control over this.
>
> There are people within the 'organisation' who clearly make a living from
> their work. I hope they work long and hard for their income and are of true
> benefit to the organisation. There are 'employees' who appear to enjoy many
> benefits from being part of the existing infrastructure.... enjoying travel,
> expenses, accommodation, equipment, as well as promotional material and
> various other freebies (where can I buy a XXXL Mozilla/Firefox tee
> shirt?!*)
>
> There are a much larger number of interested parties who may or may not be
> offering their services free of charge, but who volunteer their time and
> effort.... but who appear to be unable to step up a gear in to the
> organisation, gaining access to funds to finance meetings, development
> sessions, or to even finance tea and coffee for attendees.
>
> I live in an agricultural region of France with a relatively low tech
> culture, low levels of income, an ideal region for development, but whilst
> my brain works I have physical and mental restrictions..... yet despite my
> willingness, the responses to my messages have, by & large, fallen on deaf
> ears.
>
> So, where do I sit now?????
>
> Bemused, confused, disheartened and extremely excluded.
>
> What information I do read, and I read a lot, is in a different language to
> me (I don't mean non-English) as its a world of abbreviations and buzz
> words, in-words used and understood by the select few that therefore
> marginalises the majority, knowingly or unknowingly. The Mozilla & Firefox
> website is a potentially amazing tool, but is almost impossible to access
> and work on/through because of the unnecessary jargon and language used.
> I've contacted a fairly 'local' UK representative who initially replied in a
> very negative, unhelpful way. I tried a second representative, more local to
> my region in France who was very polite, helpful and offered some initial
> guidance. I've had no contact since at a time when help was really needed.
> Finally, I'm bemused by the apparent openness of the organisation and its
> various regions, but in reality it is a minefield to try and work through
> that has just resulted in complete confusion and ultimately disinterest.
> Just getting a name or email address for a specific question was almost
> impossible to find quickly....
>
> These anonymous e-mailers who obviously have no name, no clear structure to
> their rantings, no specifics to speak of, no understanding of how to
> communicate clearly and to me are almost cowardly in their approach, are
> probably the last straw for me...... it has become a school playground in
> the last twenty for hours that gives me little hope in developing a working
> interest in such a shambolic theater.
>
> If anyone would like to speak to me constructively then I would welcome the
> opportunity. If any of my skill sets or knowledge can benefit the cause then
> please, just step forward.
>
> If all you can offer is incompetence of data management & security,
> homophobea, elitism, confusion, lack of organisation, and now almost
> childish behaviour then I'll simply walk away..... albeit reluctantly.
>
> Key notes to ANYONE (capital letters do not automatically mean shouting
> ..... that can easily be in the mind of the reader rather than the writer
> (though BOLD text or INCREASED size of a bold fonts will often come across
> badly!), but it can simply have meant to emphasise a word or phrase!..... if
> anyone who wishes to make valid points, regardless of subject matter, they
> would do well to follow these simple few bullet points. The 'junkmail'
> writer missed almost all of this simple structure out.
>
> Maybe I can help people put there points across more clearly????
>
> PreparationIntroductionRequirementsBenefitsInvestmentClose
> Who? What? Why? Where? When? How?
>
> Kind regards,
>
> Ken Jones
>
> Finistere, Brittany, France
>
>
>
>> From: lawr...@mozilla-uganda.org
>> Date: Tue, 30 Sep 2014 12:42:09 +0300
>> Subject: Re: [Reps-General] Words from a Mozillian
>> To: rob...@mozilla.com; reps-g...@lists.mozilla.org;
>> communi...@lists.mozilla.org; cbe...@mozilla.org;
>> dick...@yandex.com; mitc...@mozilla.org;
>> communit...@lists.mozilla.org; mozil...@lists.mozilla.org;
>> evang...@lists.mozilla.org; wil...@mozilla.com;
>> web...@lists.mozilla.org; gover...@lists.mozilla.org;
>> community-...@lists.mozilla.org; commun...@lists.mozilla.org;
>> communit...@lists.mozilla.org; communit...@lists.mozilla.org;
>> dev-...@lists.mozilla.org; webm...@lists.mozilla.org
>>
>> I agree with Robert. Criticism does not solve a problem, but rather
>> constructive outreach and offering of plausible solutions as well as
>> reaching out to the right people. And indeed all caps is rude/angry...
>>
>> Some of the people who have been added to this email spam or not really
>> concerned about this my community's list inclusive. I'm getting many
>> complaints about spam.
>>
>> Thanks.
>>
>>
>>
>> *Regards,*
>>
>>
>> *Lawrence*
>>
>> *Community Manager*
>> *Mozilla Uganda | GenOpen*
>> _______________________________________________
>> community-uk mailing list
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>> https://lists.mozilla.org/listinfo/community-uk
>
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