[OSGeo-Discuss] OSGeo sponsors ?

[Jeff McKenna]

On 2015-10-14 10:49 AM, Sandro Santilli wrote:
>
> The tone was "suprised" and "disappointed".
>
> Does advertising proprietary software solutions
> on OSGeo website count as "championing" for its cause ?
> I wouldn't expect that from my Open Source Compass.
>
> Or am I being misleaded by the lack of info on the net about
> the software names found on that osgeo page ?
>
> --strk;
>

Hi Sandro,

Again I am trying to read your tone in your e-mail.  I believe you are 
now not questioning the accuracy of the list of sponsors on 
http://www.osgeo.org/content/sponsorship/sponsors.html but I believe you 
are now questioning that we/OSGeo can accept funds from private 
companies (am I correct in reading your message?).

OSGeo and its yearly event FOSS4G does accept funding from proprietary 
software companies, yes you are correct.  In fact, this is not written 
anywhere or spoken of, but the OSGeo foundation was originally provided 
a large amount of funding from Autodesk back in 2006, to help create the 
foundation (I believe that funding was renewed for several years after 
2006 as well).  We/OSGeo actually owe a lot to the vision and 
helpfulness of Autodesk, from those early actions (quite similar to how 
the OGC was formed out of the GRASS foundation, in a way).

So, if you're looking to get into a big discussion on accepting money 
from proprietary software companies, we must first look into the mirror 
and realize where we came from.

Regarding your disappointed reaction, again I will say that you can dive 
in and help if you wish, help attracting sponsors for the OSGeo 
foundation (this is what I meant by "championing").

-jeff