[OSGeo-Discuss] Next 5 years for OSGeo

[Frank Warmerdam]

Arnulf Christl (OSGeo) wrote:
> I want to add that for me it is also a goal to limit OSGeo's growth wrt
> the number of paid staff and budget. We can make good use with 100k more
> for hardware, services and to have more reserves for the conferences.
> But I believe that we should not let the budget grow beyond ~half a
> million - not even in five years. If there is money to make then it
> should be made by businesses. They in turn are welcome to sponsor OSGeo.
> By supporting FOSS business development OSGeo automagically supports
> itself.

Arnulf,

I also am not keen on a big budget organization, though I wouldn't
want to put any specific limit on it.  Areas I *would* like to see
grow budget wise is "project sponsorship" as a mechanism for user
organizations to share in supporting project development.  Of course, that
will depend to a large part on the success of projects in soliciting funds
and putting them to effective use.

One thing I am leery about, but that has been suggested by some, is OSGeo
trying to provide professional services as a way of raising money.  I think
this is best left to the FOSS business community.  I feel this way for
two reasons.

  (1) OSGeo does not really have the managerial strength to effectively
      deliver customer oriented projects.

  (2) I don't want to compete against our partners in the business
      community who are already providing so much of the important "push"
      for free geospatial software development and deployment.

I would like to see growing sponsorship funds to help support educational,
promotional and community oriented efforts by OSGeo.  Quite a bit of this
can be effectively done at the local level by local chapters.

> Local Chapters should grow by themselves, in most cases an small initial
> stub created from "within" OSGeo "Global" is enough to get going. And as
> Howard said - the life of OSGeo is within the local chapters.

I think local chapters are important, but I'm not sure I'd go as far as you
on this.  I think global project, and osgeo special interest group mailing
lists can also be where a good deal of the "life" of OSGeo is.

My "next 5 years" list might look something like:

  - A broad set of quality software projects under the OSGeo banner
    that feel they are getting good value from OSGeo in terms of
    promotion, branding and systems support.  Furthermore that the
    developer and user communities feel they have a fair (equal
    opportunity) environment to contribute and effect their projects.

  - Educational support resources sufficient to be deployed directly
    for post-secondary educational organizations wanting to roll out
    a GIS/geospatial program based on free software *and* a significant
    number of organizations who have done so and are publically involved
    in supporting further improvements to the materials.

  - Lots of local chapters pursuing a diversity of local initiatives
    with lots of inter chapter, chapter-project, and chapter-osgeo
    linkages.  Hopefully local chapters will be hot-beds of innovative
    activities even when "OSGeo" is somewhat slow moving.

  - OSGeo facilitated delivery of vetted, integrated software stacks
    "ready to use" for user organizations, and considered "enterprise
    ready".  Think of OSGeo4W, Debian GIS and the recent FOSS4G
    LiveDVD as examples of forms this might take.

  - A continued strong FOSS4G, acknowledged as the primary global
    meeting of the tribes, though it might not be significantly
    larger than it is now.

  - Financial income coming from a wide diversity of sponsors, most
    of which are end-user organizations.  Also some money coming
    in the form of grants in support of specific activities (such
    as work on educational products or standards participation).

  - The organization has sustained income sufficient to support an ED,
    project systems requirements, with enough money left over to
    pursue a variety of initiatives.  I think sufficient funding would
    be in the $250000 to $400000 area.

  - OSGeo pursuing a variety of modest cost, non-permanent initiatives.
    Things like holding special meetings with travel support for
    "desktop integration" or "standards development and implementation
    sprints".

Best regards,
-- 
---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | Geospatial Programmer for Rent