[Board] OSGeo-OGC MOU

[jo at frot.org]

dear Frank,

Quoting Frank Warmerdam <warmerdam at pobox.com>:
> OGC and OSGeo have been discussing how to cooperate more fully in recent
> months, and we have come up with a proposed memorandum of understanding
> to address that.

I am glad to see this in circulation. As I'll miss tomorrow's meeting  
I have a couple of questions now. From Appendix A:

"OGC provides OSGeo with six one year Individual Memberships in the  
OGC at no charge"
- Is this six one-year memberships in total or six per year that the  
MOU runs? If the former, can the years be used in serial (by the same  
people)?

"OSGeo will collaborate with OGC to identify open source technologies that can
be used as reference implementations"
- This places a burden of expectation on OSGeo-as-organisation. The  
OGC liaisons cited are both full-time staffers; is it expected that  
the OSGeo liaison will be a volunteer role?
- Have you or others already identified Foundation projects that are  
ready or willing to take up the generous OGC offer of waived license  
fees on acceptance as a reference implementation? Is there a sense of  
how much new interest this will create in projects not already part of  
the "OGC loop"? How do you see this aiding collaboration between  
projects already doing bits of OGC work? (deegree, Geoserver,  
GeoNetwork - others?)

I found this blog entry to be a useful summary of the conditions of  
individual membership:  
http://www.digitalearth.com.au/2007/12/07/ogc-individual-membership
As Jody has noted on the standards list this is going to exclude many  
OSGeo members from taking up the offer. :/ However I would like to do  
so, please add my name to the prize draw.

cheers,


jo
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