[OSGeo-Board] This Budget Discussion

[Gary Lang]

Jo,

Good kick in the pants. Let me share my two cents on this.

1. The normal start of the process is to gather requirements - done
2. The next phase is to prioritize - done
3. The next phase is to estimate budget and get approval - done, but
then sort of not done, without explaining how to satisfy 1 after running
those through 2. Sometimes the estimate causes you to revisit 2. and
think harder about them. 
4. Once approved, we hire the ED and he/she starts focusing on getting
us what we need in all the dimensions being discussed.

So I think what we should talk about when we meet is what the specific
concerns are that people have with the budget estimate (and it's only an
estimate so I am puzzled about concern being expressd abstractly rather
than as relates concretely to 1.) Saying that it's too much money for
example, is more of an expression of existential angst rather than an
actionable statement. We really should express this in terms of what we
can live without.

Speaking for me, I don't see how we effectively create a central locus
of energy for open source geospatial software that is more effective
than a page of links without:

a) a person to run it
b) a person to promote it
c) a person to embody it - a "go to" person.
d) a destination that everyone wants to be in and at.

If people want to volunteer to do this full time job for free, then
consider this a call to volunteer. If not, let's look at the budget. And
if we're going to ask people to take a pay cut from one amount to
another "better" amount - whatever that means - we should consider
factors such as the fact that their spouse and children may not be as
interested in the cause, and so it makes recruiting a bit more
difficult. For me, if someone decides to leave a comfortable job and
step into that role and they've already contributed a lot to the
community, they've paid their dues already and should not be asked to
further prove their bona fides.

I think the right person could help the budget go way down too, because
they will have the connections to make things happen effectively and
inexpensively.

So if we continue to believe in our requirements to meet the charter,
this is the process as I see it.

As I said on the call and I state it publicly here - when
MapBender/OSSIM/MapServer gets some kind of boost because of OSGeo I'll
be a happy guy. From an Autodesk perspective, we'll do OK with MapGuide
no matter what; we pay people to push those products. But through this
process and because of the people I've gotten to know in the last 6
months I've become quite passionate about open source geospatial
software in general and I want to see it succeed even beyond the success
it has had, for the reasons you've all convinced me its necessary. 

Gary
-----Original Message-----
From: Jo Walsh [mailto:jo at frot.org] 
Sent: Tuesday, June 27, 2006 3:05 PM
To: board at board.osgeo.org
Subject: [OSGeo-Board] This Budget Discussion

dear all,

I feel that I lack clue as to the next steps on the Budget discussion.

There is the breakdown produced at: 
http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Face_To_Face_Action_Items

There are some reservations among Board members as to whether some areas
of expenditure fit with what we have identified as OSGeo's goals. 

There is a lurking discussion below that about "does the Board's
identification of goals map well to the broad membership's goals".

As I understand it the "goal state" in getting a good Budget set is to
be able to bootstrap the activities of FunCom and so actually get in
the position where we can pay for stuff - particularly to have a
viable Plan B for hosting and support next year and to be able to
support a fulltime Executive Director. A Budget may/should also be
able to help existing sponsors see what they are supporting.

Forgive me if this is "stream of obviousness" or if there are
important considerations I've glossed over; I never had a Budget before.

How can we reach consensus about this? What would it help to thrash
out via email vs. in the telecon time?

(Assuming we are due for another Board meeting this Friday, I made a
stub page for it with the agenda items that slipped over from last
week: http://wiki.osgeo.org/index.php/Thirteenth_Board_Meeting 

all the best,


jo


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