[Using Sakai] Blog Post and Press Release about Dr. Chuck, Blackboard and Sakai

[csev]

On Mar 27, 2012, at 7:23 AM, Stephen Marquard wrote:

> Hi Chuck,
> 
> I'm wondering if you could outline your plans to handle the obvious
> conflicts of interest which would arise through your Sakai Board and
> Sakai TCC positions, both of which conduct discussions out of public
> view (i.e on private lists not open to the community).
> 
> While there are other commercial affiliates involved in Sakai, I
> believe this could be the first time that we have a representative of a
> commercial concern with two or more competing products in its stable
> involved in day-to-day Sakai work.

Stephen,

The fact that Blackboard has interest in five products (actually many more) is not particularly relevant.   Existing commercial affiliates have Drupal, Moodle, Sakai, uPortal, Liferay, Shibboleth, and have plenty of closed-source code for one customer or another.   We don't need to address a Unicon conflict because they as a company they invest in both Moodle and Sakai or if they do closed source work for one of their customers.

In terms of the board, the key to conflict of interest is to reveal it and make sure to recuse one's self when appropriate. I attach my board statement to this message - I will err on the side of recusing more rather than less often.

I will simply continue to use all the public lists like I always have.   When the TCC or Board have private discussions - there are reasons for the privacy in those discussions and I am responsible to protect the confidential information in those discussions regardless of what organizations I work for.    Blackboard (like all organizations) has a standard policy that I am to meet any and all obligations I have to protect (i.e. not reveal) any confidential information in my possession from any organization.

Frankly all of us have information from our organizations that is not to be revealed on public lists or to other organizations or people.   We are all to exercise due diligence protecting the confidential information of our organizations.  I currently have confidential information from the University of Michigan, IMS, Sakai Foundation, and many others in addition to new confidential information I may encounter as I work for Blackboard.   It is my responsibility not to reveal any confidential information on a public list nor to reveal confidential information I possess from one organization to another.

My arrangement with Blackboard is no different than the arrangements that everyone has with our one or more employing organizations.

/Chuck

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