[OSGeo-Discuss] Supporting new projects

[Venkatesh Raghavan]

Tamas Szekeres wrote:
> 2007/9/30, Paul Spencer <pspencer at dmsolutions.ca>:
>> What do others think about this?  Should OSGeo be in the business of
>> helping new OSGeo projects get off the ground?

I think OSGeo should be helping new projects in
whatever way it can. Saw a couple of nice onces
(including the next version of MapLab) which needed
a launch pad at FOSS4G2004.

I thin new projects could be treated just like OSGeo Local
Chapters. We have some Local Chapters that are "official"
and some in the waiting. New projects could be welcomed inside
OSGeo and remain in the "waiting" too. New projects could be
eventually become "official" depending on response from the
OSGeo community and could follow the same incubation
procedure to get the "OSGeo Approved" stamp.

> Absolutely. That could allow the identities to focus on establishing
> the core funcionality much easier without having to bother with
> creating the infrastructure behind that.

Agree on that too.

> Furthermore I have the following additions/considerations according to
> the responsibilities of the OSGeo from this aspect:
> 
> 1. OSGeo might establish the possibility to accept new project plans
> in a well formaized manner.

Yes, OSGeo must encourage tha "Long Tail" phenomena for
software projects.

> 2. OSGeo should form a committe (or extend the roles of the incubation
> committe or the role of the charter members) to decide whether a
> project plan will possibly have a fair amount of interest regarding to
> the functionality and technology it has. I personally would prefer if
> a wider range of the community would be involved.

Agree to wider range of community participation.
...
> 4. OGGeo would use some measures around whether the project is making
> a good progress and the community around that is somewhat increasing.

Questionnaire at FOSS4G events. Ability to organize BOF (independently
or jointly) FOSS4G events within a two year probation period?
...
> More comments:
> 
> - OSGeo should continue to "officially support" only the incubated
> projects having a fairly considerable community around each and
> possibly continue to be supported in the future as well.

Sound fine to me.
...

Regards

Venka