@geneven: maybe I missing something (forgive me in case) but your point seem a bit ungenerous. I don't get completely the council either and I stil don't know exactly the point (and that why I didn't vote) but I think their role is to keep balanced the discussions and cohesive the community (and I feel they did, until now, a damn good job) and only in second instance to be a filter for reasonable request or coordination with Nokia.
I don't know if they have any second goal, if they receive or not money, if they hope to be hired in Nokia (and honestly since they move their a** could be reasonable) and Im fine with that. Maybe something is not completely trasparent and there are some 'shade' I dont know about but I can't see a real reason to complain.
I feel the google ads on the ITT a way to keep the comunity completely independet from Nokia (and motivate the mainteiners): I have no idea how many people visit the ITT but I suppose the council should receive part of that money for their work. I hope the coming sinergy with maemo.org don't change too much the balance that seem works so well: they should keep some indipendent way to make some money (google ads or maybe a Nokia sponsorship but related to something tangible and public like number or visitors, contests or whatever).
Would be lovely to have Apple ads and let them pay for the maemo community
Peace and love