[OSGeo-Discuss] About OSGeo...

[Bob Basques]

Hmmm,

Very thoughtful reply.  :c)

I wasn't trying to incite a riot or anything, it just seemed a bit vague 
on the press release page about what was appropriate (or not).

bobb



Frank Warmerdam wrote:
> Bob Basques wrote:
>> Whoa,
>>
>> So a press release can only be passed through for an existing OSGEO 
>> project?  What good is that to the wider community?
>>
>> Or should there be another example added to the "Conception" section 
>> of the "press Release" page?
>>
>> That part on the bottom about costs for distribution is an 
>> interesting piece, can anyone pay to have their press release handled 
>> by OSGEO?  Should anyone be able to?
>
> Bob,
>
> I'm not sure I followed the preceding discussion closely.  I will say 
> there
> is a difference between OSGeo passing a press release on through the
> OSGeo Announce mailing list (and the web site) as opposed to OSGeo 
> actually
> issuing a press release to the world using the press release methodology
> described on the wiki.
>
> The first (passing on announcements) has a reasonably low threshold.
> Basically the news editors (Tyler and I current) make a judgement call on
> whether we feel the announcement is going to be of interest, and is
> supportive of OSGeo's goals and we balance it against "too much frequency
> concerns".
>
> Major projects announcements from non-OSGeo open source geospatial 
> projects
> generally pass this test though the "major" test is somewhat higher for
> non-OSGeo projects than it is for OSGeo projects.
>
> As for us issuing actual press releases, I think we should only being
> doing this for stuff that is very directly an OSGeo announcement.
> Partly this is because it uses up a bit of OSGeo karma with the press
> folks every time we hit them with a release.  We don't want them to start
> dismissing our press releases because we seem to be coming out with a new
> one every week.  And the other item is that there is a great deal of work
> in preparing and issuing a press release, including fairly stringent
> review of the release.  I'm only aware of two or three press releases
> we have actually made it through the hoops to issue in this manner due
> to the effort involved.  One press release in the queue (advertising
> the service provider directory) basically stalled and died because I
> couldn't pull together the effort to make it happen.  So on that basis,
> I'm not too keen on trying to issue press releases on other projects
> behalfs (or even on behalf of OSGeo projects unless they are really
> earth shattering).
>
> I would note that the OSGeo press release guidelines can be used by
> anyone to issue their own press release (as long as they don't
> use OSGeo's logins, or issue it in our name).  I succeeding in doing
> this a while ago for the "libtiff BigTIFF upgrade" effort on my own
> with guidance from those pages.  But because that was my own effort
> it did not have to go through the usual OSGeo review process.
>
> All my own opinion of course.  We don't really have very specific
> guidelines on what OSGeo will issue PRs on or pass on to the announce
> list.  To some extent it depends on volunteers willing to do work and
> on the judgement of various parties.
>
> Best regards,