[Board] discussion on osgeo projects, osgeo community and incubation

Tue Aug 1 14:17:29 PDT 2017

OSGeo Board,

Re: the level of advertising provided to projects in incubation.

I'm concerned that a board member has requested a concept about 
incubation be taken to the Board email list, rather than Board members 
with an opinion offering to join and help the incubation list.

I'm concerned for a number of reasons:

1. The OSGeo Incubation committee has had problems getting projects to 
move through incubation, which is significantly sucking up volunteer 
resources. This was/is a significant problem threatening the 
effectiveness of incubation. After much debate on the incubation list, 
it was resolved collectively and transparently that reducing the 
advertising value of "being in incubation" would provide encouragement 
for projects to keep moving through.

2. Board members are welcome to join OSGeo committees are contribute to 
conversations. The time to comment on incubation issues is when it is 
being debated at the committee level. Note, that opinions hold much 
greater weight if they are backed up by the commitment to implement the 
opinion. This is the principle of a Do-ocracy.

3. If the board wishes to enable their communities, they should trust 
the communities and back the community decisions. Over-riding decisions 
of a community at a higher level is a significant demotivator. It is a 
dis-empowerment of communities and will long term lead to the 
dis-engagement of communities.

4. The recent conversation thread on the board list has not offered a 
solution as to how to solve the incubation committee problem of projects 
not progressing to completion. Note, a suggestion along the lines of 
"someone else should do ..." doesn't count as a solution.

--

With regards to the level of advertising we give to "OSGeo Projects in 
Incubation", I agree with the Incubation committee's decision (as 
explained by Jody), that we should reduce the value provided by "being 
in incubation" which increases the value of "being incubated".

We should be helping new users find quality incubated projects. You can 
think of it as a quality star rating if you like. Advertising that a 
project is "in incubation" implies a level of quality that has not yet 
been earned.

Warm regards, Cameron

On 2/8/17 2:24 am, Jody Garnett wrote:
> On 1 August 2017 at 09:07, Venkatesh Raghavan 
> <raghavan at media.osaka-cu.ac.jp <mailto:raghavan at media.osaka-cu.ac.jp>> 
> wrote:
>
>     On 8/2/2017 12:51 AM, Jody Garnett wrote:
>
>         Venka they are visible as community projects on the website
>         and our
>         promotion.
>
>
>     Jody Community projects and "projects in incubation" were
>     different and are listed
>     as such on our present website. The decision to put them together
>     (as a part of
>     re-branding) was neither informed to or approved by the board.
>
>     All project in incubation can display on their project leaflet and
>     website they
>     they are striving to graduate as an OSGeo project and undergoing our
>     software vetting process.
>
>
> Joining incubation reflects on the project team and their wishes, 
> their commitment as a team to the OSGeo community.
>
> The branding associated with OSGeo Project reflects the result.  The 
> branding associated with OSGeo community also reflects a result.
>
>
>
>         Venka is there any reason for projects that are in our
>         incubation process
>         to be considered for more visibility then our community projects?
>
>     Jody I never talked about more visibility or less. I said that
>     Project in Incubation
>     must be shown as such with appropriate logo.
>
>
> And I am asking you to consider why - what are you trying to 
> communicate with an Incubation logo and to whom?
>
> aside: "Incubation" logo, "Project in Incubation" would be too long,
>
>     Why? Because they are taking steps to graduate as OSGeo projects
>     and because
>     that is how it was before changes were made without information or
>     approval from the board.
>
>
> We can discuss the responsibilities of the incubation committee and of 
> the board if you like.
>
>     Even the PSC of project under incubation were not informed about this.
>
>
> Venka you are appealing to process - as such we can always do a better 
> job communicating it is true:
> a) I have started this email thread here with the board
> b) I have started an email thread on the incubation list to 
> communicate with project teams
>
>
>
>
>         --
>         Jody Garnett
>
>         On 1 August 2017 at 08:49, Venkatesh Raghavan
>         <raghavan at media.osaka-cu.ac.jp
>         <mailto:raghavan at media.osaka-cu.ac.jp>
>
>             wrote:
>             ....
>             On 8/2/2017 12:44 AM, Jody Garnett wrote:
>
>             Any change from previous categorization would require the
>             approval
>             of the board. I do not recall when such a change was
>             decided and
>             how it was approved.
>
>
>
>             The categorization has not changed, these projects are
>             part of the
>             incubation process.
>
>             Then let us  continue to use the "OSGeo Incubation logo"
>             and provide
>             visibility to our projects in incubation.
>
>
>
>             _______________________________________________
>             Board mailing
>             listBoard at lists.osgeo.orghttps://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/board
>             <http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/board>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
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-- 
Cameron Shorter
M +61 419 142 254

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