[OSGeo-Conf] FOSS4G.org domain

Fri Aug 31 13:12:14 EDT 2007

Agreed Jason that this is an important enough issue that decision by  
full membership would seem appropriate.

Dave

On 31-Aug-07, at 12:10 PM, Jason Birch wrote:

>
> If FOSS4G is to be treated as a generic term and not a brand for our
> conference, then I have to ask why we are using it.  It would make far
> more sense to me to call the conference something like the "OSGeo
> Annual".  Our use of "OSGeo" is free from encumbrances, and creates a
> visibility feedback loop between the conference and the organisation.
>
> This has come up several times in the past, but the discussion has not
> gone anywhere.  Personally, I would like to see this important
> visibility/branding issue revisited by a vote of the membership rather
> than settled internal to a committee.
>
> Jason
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: conference_dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org
> [mailto:conference_dev-bounces at lists.osgeo.org] On Behalf Of Tyler
> Mitchell (OSGeo)
> Sent: Friday, August 31, 2007 08:49
> To: conference_dev at lists.osgeo.org
> Cc: Toru Mori
> Subject: [OSGeo-Conf] FOSS4G.org domain
>
> Hi all,
> FYI - As a follow up to recent questions on the discuss list, and on
> this old thread from last year:
> http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/conference_dev/2006-October/
> 000128.html I asked about OSGeo securing the foss4g.org domain.
>
> In the message below, Venka describes the background behind the
> foss4g.org web site and what it would take to secure the domain name.
> I'll leave it to this committee to discuss the provisos.
>
> Thanks for the clarification Venka,
> Tyler
>
>
> Begin forwarded message:
>
>> From: "venka.osgeo" <venka.osgeo at gmail.com>
>> Date: August 31, 2007 12:31:34 AM PDT (CA)
>> To: "Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo)" <tmitchell at osgeo.org>
>> Cc: Toru Mori <moritoru at orkney.co.jp>, Shinji Masumoto
>> <masumoto at sci.osaka-cu.ac.jp>
>> Subject: Re: FOSS4G.org question..
>>
>> Hi Tyler,
>>
>> About the foss4g.org domain usage, we had a discussion on 27 August
>> 2007 here in Osaka with the people concerned.
>>
>> Some of the things about ownership of the domain etc. are a little
>> more complicated that what Mori-san mentioned so I would like to set
>> things right first.
>>
>> The foss4g.org (and grass-japan.org) domain was registered to make
>> available to the public the outcome of the project on
>> Internationalization of GRASS5.0 and Mapserver. The project was  
>> funded
>
>> by IPA (Information-technology Promotion Agency, Japan). The project
>> was carried in cooperation between Orkney (Mori's company) and Osaka
>> City University(OCU). Apart form software internationalization, OCU
>> was also responsible for testing, preparation of test data, sample
>> applications and implementation and management of the portal site.  
>> The
>
>> main portal site is presently available at www.foss4g.org/FOSS4G/  
>> (and
>
>> also www.grass-japan.org/FOSS4G/
>>
>> The domains were registered in 2003 and the actual portal site  
>> started
>
>> functioning in March 2004. Incidently, the acronym FOSS4G, was coined
>> (and popularized atleast around this part of the
>> world) by me (Venka). The foss4g.org is now registered with Prof.
>> Shinji Masumoto and Venkatesh Raghavan.
>>
>> We are glad that the acronym FOSS4G has become popular the worldover
>> and feel that the OSGeo conference should continue under the same
>> name.
>>
>> With regards to transfer of FOSS4G domain to OSGeo, Prof. Shinji
>> Masumoto and myself will be willing agree for OSGeo to use and run  
>> the
>
>> domain provided;
>>
>> a) The provinance of the FOSS4G acronym is properly mentioned and the
>> credit of coining the acronym is duly acknowledge on future  
>> foss4g.org
>
>> site that would be managed by OSGeo.
>>
>> b) No restriction is made on the free usage of the FOSS4G acronym for
>> the legitimate purpose of promoting Free and Open Source Software for
>> Geoinformatics.
>>
>> c) OSGeo offer two complimentary registration passes future FOSS4G
>> Conferences (including
>> workshop) to OSGeo-Japan. Usage of the complimentary pass would be
>> decided by OSGeo-Japan.
>>
>> Modalities to enable OSGeo to run this domain can be workedout in due
>> course, I think.
>>
>> Kind regards
>>
>> Venka
>>
>> Tyler Mitchell (OSGeo) wrote:
>>> Is this topic, below, something that you could discuss at your
>>> meeting on Monday?  Does OSGeo Japan "own" foss4g.org?  If the
>>> conference continues to be named FOSS4G, would it be possible for
>>> OSGeo to buy/own/run this domain?
>>> Sincerely,
>>> Tyler
>>> Begin forwarded message:
>>>> From: "P Kishor" <punk.kish at gmail.com>
>>>> Date: August 23, 2007 3:03:45 AM PDT (CA)
>>>> To: "Bart van den Eijnden (OSGIS)" <bartvde at osgis.nl>,  "OSGeo
>>>> Discussions" <discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
>>>> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] domains
>>>> Reply-To: punkish at eidesis.org, OSGeo Discussions
>>>> <discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
>>>>
>>>> wouldn't it be wiser to just have www.foss4g.org/2007 or /2008 and
>>>> so on? Right now the foss4g.org domain goes to a GRASS-Japan portal
>>>> site.
>>>> Perhaps a little bit of negotiation...?
>>>>
>>>> On 8/23/07, Bart van den Eijnden (OSGIS) <bartvde at osgis.nl> wrote:
>>>>> Is it not wise to already claim domains like foss4g2008.org and
>>>>> maybe even further down the line?
>>>>>
>>>>> Best regards,
>>>>> Bart
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Bart van den Eijnden
>>>>> OSGIS, Open Source GIS
>>>>> http://www.osgis.nl
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> Discuss mailing list
>>>>> Discuss at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> Puneet Kishor http://punkish.eidesis.org/ Nelson Inst. for Env.
>>>> Studies http://www.nelson.wisc.edu/ Open Source Geospatial
>>>> Foundation http://www.osgeo.org/
>>>> 2007 Summer S&T Policy Fellow, The National Academies http://
>>>> www.nas.edu/
>>>> ==========================================================
>>>> collaborate, communicate, compete
>>>> ==========================================================
>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>> Discuss mailing list
>>>> Discuss at lists.osgeo.org
>>>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>>> Tyler Mitchell
>>> Executive Director
>>> Open Source Geospatial Foundation
>>> tmitchell at osgeo.org
>>> P: +1-250-277-1621
>>> M: +1-250-303-1831
>>
>
> Tyler Mitchell
> Executive Director
> Open Source Geospatial Foundation
> tmitchell at osgeo.org
> P: +1-250-277-1621
> M: +1-250-303-1831
>
>
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