<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=iso-8859-1"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">This is great, I'm all in favor.<div><br><div>
<div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Helvetica; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; ">-mpg</div></div></div>
</div>
<br><div><div>On Feb 28, 2013, at 3:52 PM, Cameron Shorter <<a href="mailto:cameron.shorter@gmail.com">cameron.shorter@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite">
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As promised,<br>
I've put a first draft of OSGeo's priorities in our wiki - from the
board meeting.<br>
Once comments have died down, I suspect we will want to copy content
to another location.<br>
<br>
Feel free to edit wiki text, or email comments on specific items in
the text copied below<br>
<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_Meeting_2013-02-26#Board_Priorities">http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_Meeting_2013-02-26#Board_Priorities</a><br>
<br>
<h2 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: normal; margin: 0px 0px 0.6em; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(170, 170, 170); font-size: 19px; font-family: sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.046875px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="mw-headline" id="Board_Priorities">Board
Priorities</span></h2><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">A productive virtual meeting of the OSGeo Board resulted in
general consensus over OSGeo's priorities, which in turn should
help the OSGeo Board and OSGeo committees when guiding OSGeo into
the future.</div><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">These principles are:</div>
<ul style="line-height: 19.046875px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(http://wiki.osgeo.org/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">OSGeo should act as a low
capital, volunteer focused organisation.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">OSGeo should focus support on
OSGeo communities and initiatives which support themselves.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">OSGeo should support global,
regional and local FOSS4G related events that request help.</li>
</ul><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">So lets expand on these principles:</div>
<h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 17px; font-family: sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.046875px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="editsection" style="float: right;
margin-left: 5px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="OSGeo_as_a_low_capital.2C_volunteer_focused_organisation">OSGeo
as a low capital, volunteer focused organisation</span></h3><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Should OSGeo act as a high capital or low capital
organisation? I.e., should OSGeo dedicate energy to collecting
sponsorship and then passing out these funds to worthy OSGeo
causes.</div><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">While initially it seems attractive to have OSGeo woe
sponsors, because we would all love to have more money to throw at
worthy OSGeo goals, the reality is that chasing money is hard
work. And someone who can chase OSGeo sponsorship is likely
conflicted with chasing sponsorship for their particular
workplace. So in practice, to be effective in chasing sponsorship,
OSGeo will probably need to hire someone specifically for the
role. OSGeo would then need to raise at least enough to cover
wages, and then quite a bit more if the sponsorship path is to
create extra value.</div><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">This high capital path is how the Apache foundation is set
up, and how LocationTech propose to organise themselves. It is the
path that OSGeo started following when founded under the umbrella
of Autodesk.</div><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">However, over the last seven years, OSGeo has slowly
evolved toward a low capital volunteer focused organisation. Our
overheads are very low, which means we waste very little of our
volunteer labour and capital on the time consuming task of chasing
and managing money. Consequently, any money we do receive (from
conference windfalls or sponsorship) goes a long way - as it
doesn't get eaten up by high overheads. As discussed and agreed by
the board, this low capital path is something that is working very
well for us, and the path we should continue to follow.</div><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><br>
</div>
<h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 17px; font-family: sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.046875px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="editsection" style="float: right;
margin-left: 5px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Support_initiatives_which_support_themselves">Support
initiatives which support themselves</span></h3><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">With the thousands of great initiatives and opportunities
that OSGeo could get involved in, and limited budget, how should
OSGeo set funding priorities? Acknowledging that our volunteer
community is blessed with many talented individuals, our most
effective way to tap into community potential is to welcome
individuals to "help scratch their itch". Extending on this,
funding priorities should follow the actions of already has
successful communities. (Note the difference between "talk" and
"action"). If a task or project is important enough, it will
attract volunteers and/or sponsors to make it happen. In practice,
this will usually equate to providing co-contributions rather than
outright funding.</div><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">OSGeo's focus should be on initiatives which are of value
to all or most OSGeo projects, and to get best value for our
limited budget, OSGeo should target initiatives which have high
value with minimal investment.</div><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">With that in mind our priorities should be:</div>
<ul style="line-height: 19.046875px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(http://wiki.osgeo.org/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Cover the costs of running
OSGeo: Bank fees, insurance, infrastructure, hosting etc.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Support marketing and out reach
activities, with a primary focus on our FOSS4G global
conference, followed by regional and then local FOSS4G or
related events.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Educational type activities are
a high priority, but likely will be a zero cost activity from
OSGeo's perspective.</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Other initiatives which fit our
priorities, as suggested by membership.</li>
</ul><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Initiatives which probably wouldn't quality:</div>
<ul style="line-height: 19.046875px; list-style-type: square; margin: 0.3em 0px 0px 1.5em; padding: 0px; list-style-image: url(http://wiki.osgeo.org/skins/monobook/bullet.gif); font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">Sponsoring core development of a
particular project. (Too expensive, and only supports one
project)</li>
<li style="margin-bottom: 0.1em;">OSGeo speaker travel expenses,
or booth registration costs at a conference. (If
conferences/local community feel this is important, they will
either: 1. pay for the keynote, 2. make use of local talent, 3.
waive fees for our non-profit, 4. find a local sponsor)</li>
</ul>
<h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 17px; font-family: sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.046875px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="editsection" style="float: right;
margin-left: 5px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Conferences">Conferences</span></h3><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">Conferences are financially risky events. They need to be
planned well in advance, and you are never sure how many people
will turn up, or whether some global event will have a substantial
impact on registrations. Consequently, conferences such as FOSS4G
require financial guarantees up front in order to secure a venue.
To support and enable these conferences, OSGeo will endevour to
retain sufficient capital to offer such guarantees for any FOSS4G
event requesting it. If OSGeo's support is requested, then OSGeo
would expect these events to budget for a modest profit under
conservative estimates, and for OSGeo to retain profits from such
events. To date, such profits, while relatively modest, have been
OSGeo's primary income source.</div>
<h3 style="background-image: none; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-weight: bold; margin: 0px 0px 0.3em; padding-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0.17em; border-bottom-style: none; font-size: 17px; font-family: sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 19.046875px; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><span class="editsection" style="float: right;
margin-left: 5px; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal;"></span><span class="mw-headline" id="Sponsorship">Sponsorship</span></h3><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">OSGeo will continue to welcome sponsorship. Due to OSGeo's
low capital model, we are able to make sponsor's contribution
provide substantial benefit to the greater OSGeo community. In
return, we promote sponsors' logos on our website and through our
OSGeo-Live marketing pipeline (which was used at 45 geospatial
events around the world in 2012).</div><div style="margin: 0.4em 0px 0.5em; line-height: 19.046875px; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); ">However, OSGeo is doesn't plan to either task volunteers
with specifically chasing sponsors, or hire someone to chase
sponsorship on OSGeo's behalf.</div>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="72">--
Cameron Shorter
Geospatial Solutions Manager
Tel: +61 (0)2 8570 5050
Mob: +61 (0)419 142 254
Think Globally, Fix Locally
Geospatial Solutions enhanced with Open Standards and Open Source
<a class="moz-txt-link-freetext" href="http://www.lisasoft.com/">http://www.lisasoft.com</a>
</pre>
</div>
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