[OSGeo-Board] Spending Approvals, Money, etc

[Gary Lang]

And in case I wasn't clear, OSGeo is not comprised of children. So let's not use child rearing techniques to manage the business of OSGeo.

--- Original Message ---
From: "Gary Lang" <gary.lang at autodesk.com>
Sent: Wed 8/23/06 2:08 pm
To: "Frank Warmerdam (External)" <warmerdam at pobox.com>
Cc: "board at board.osgeo.org" <board at board.osgeo.org>
Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Board] Spending Approvals, Money, etc

So OSGeo doesn't think it's been spending it's own money? That's news to me.

Certainly children need to experience the physical sensation of holding money in their hands to understand its worth.

At any rate, I'd like to know what the budget is I'd be sponsoring activities for so that I can go to finance and explain why we should donate the money. If it's within my quarterized budget, they'll approve.A list of activities should do it.


So we need a budgeted amount. Maybe something from Jo on the OSU stuff, hosting for the site, travel to FOSS4G, etc.

And it won't be a loan, which means it really will be OSGeo's money.

Gary

--- Original Message ---
From: "Frank Warmerdam (External)" <warmerdam at pobox.com>
Sent: Wed 8/23/06 1:44 pm
To: "Gary Lang" <gary.lang at autodesk.com>
Cc: "board at board.osgeo.org" <board at board.osgeo.org>
Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Board] Spending Approvals, Money, etc

Gary Lang wrote:
> Rather than do that, let's just look at the budget and whoever eants to
> (us included) can deposit money based on cash flow expectations.

Gary,

Well, I'd assume anyone else, adsk included, would be welcome to
deposit money.

> Right now, we'd end up paying you unless funcom starts getting traction.

I have every expectation that funcom will have no problem raising 30 or 40K
within six months.  And if we didn't, I'd be willing to take the loss
rather than expect someone else to cover the amount.

> So I am not sure what the point is. Also, I'm not sure OSGeo needs debt
> at this stage of it's life..

Well, the problem, as I see it, is that I don't feel write telling MPG
to go ahead and spend 500 dollars on shirts when I know it will likely
just be paid by ADSK instead of by OSGeo.   I think we need to have
money of our own so we can treat it more seriously.  This is a bit like
why I make my kids keep their own money, even if I pay them an allowance.
Otherwise they are always asking me to pay for stuff without any real
effort to balance desires off against each other to prioritize.

Now it feel like we are operating in a vacuum - a vacuum that sucks
modest, but still poorly accounted for money out of Autodesk.

As for the debt issue, what are the negative ramifications of having debt?

Best regards,
--
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org




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