Those are very valid reasons for not having members on the call. However, the rest of the response seems like WCG is pushing the responsibility for updates off on the researchers. It wasn't the researchers that created and started WCG, it was IBM. IMO, it is IBM's (WCG) responsibility to "manage" this volunteer effort which includes communication. The researchers signed on to get their research done not to satisfy volunteer's desire for more information. That responsibility belongs to WCG. The fact that the researchers are willing to provide periodic updates from the science project perspective is commendable but it shouldn't be their main focus. There have been plenty of posts over the years requesting status updates, server status pages, work unit counts and on and on which seems to indicate that volunteers information desires aren't being met. The questions Sgt Joe posted could be answered by the WCG staff without involvement of the researchers. What is shameful, is I can get better responses directly from the researchers using email than I can get from the WCG staff on the forums. Those of us who have been here 13 or more years have been promised a lot but have received very little (AKA the to-do list). Can anyone remember anything on the to-do list that has been delivered?

I'm also disappointed by the overwhelming secrecy at WCG. So many things are under embargo here that I'm starting to wonder whether we're dealing with military-class projects here. Hell, BOINC is for the public, research projects are public and their final results shall be as well.
So why so much secrecy about almost everything here ?! Look at other projects, communication with the staff is much better there. They share current status, things in development, future plans.. Here's a huge gap between the community, staff and scientists.

Where is this so-called to-do list?

Cheers

Boycott starting June 1st, 2018 — lasting until the situation improves

Maybe Halo means he is going to stop contributing to the project until news is updated.