[OSGeo-Discuss] [Board] Open Source Users Charter

[Cameron Shorter]

Hi Steven,
I love your article and think it is a good basis we can build from, but ...

the article misses an Inconvenient Truth.

Open Source gives away free lunches (in the context referenced by this
article). More accurately, Open Source provides a better quality lunch,
which is better value than proprietary equivalents, and you only need to
tip the cooks if you are feeling generous.

Ie, organisations can, and do, enjoy the benefits of Open Source without
giving back to the community.

In order to become effective at raising money for Open Source, we need to
provide business arguments for Chief Financial Officers which explains why
spending money on Open Source gives strategic advantages beyond just being
a user of Open Source.

Such arguments can be made, but they require more thought and explanation
than this limited response.


On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 5:50 AM, Daniel Morissette <dmorissette at mapgears.com
> wrote:

> I like your article too. Not sure if/how we could make this an official
> OSGeo statement, but I'm definitely a big +1 on seeing more blog articles
> like this!
>
> Daniel
>
>
>
> On 14-07-14 9:50 AM, Even Rouault wrote:
>
>> Steven,
>>
>> I'm very supportive of your thoughts and think it could be adopted as an
>> official OSGeo statement. Well done.
>>
>> If I can make a suggestion, perhaps the Donate picture should show
>> banknotes
>> rather than coins ;-)
>>
>> Even
>>
>>  A couple of months back I asked whether their was any contribution
>>> guidance
>>> that we offered to organisations using OSGeo software. Apart from Jody’s
>>> reply there wasn’t any response. I think we are missing an opportunity to
>>> encourage and help user organisations to contribute time and/or funding
>>> to
>>> OSGeo and it’s projects, so I have written this blog post
>>> http://knowwhereconsulting.co.uk/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-free-lunch/
>>> which sets out some thoughts on "Good practice for organisations using
>>> OSGeo software”. Hopefully it will prompt some discussion. I have posted
>>> on my blog as I didn’t feel that I should post something as speculative
>>> as
>>> this on the wiki without community endorsement, whenever people want we
>>> can move a version to the wiki. Feel free to comment on this mail thread
>>> or on the blog. ____________
>>> Steven Feldman
>>>
>>> On 5 May 2014, at 04:57, Jody Garnett <jody.garnett at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> You may like to at what Arnulf has been doing towards certification.
>>>> Endorsing is a trickery game indeed.
>>>>
>>>> For GeoServer we simply list organizations, noting what kind of work
>>>> each
>>>> is known for ( but not offering an endorsement).
>>>>
>>>> http://geoserver.org/display/GEOS/Commercial+Support
>>>>
>>>> On Sunday, May 4, 2014, Steven Feldman <shfeldman at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>> Thanks Jody
>>>>
>>>> I would like to have a document or web link to point at as the start of
>>>> a
>>>> conversation with an organisation. It can’t be mandatory but we might
>>>> want to consider community endorsement of organisations which adopt the
>>>> charter or 'social contract'
>>>>
>>>> I’ll start a wiki page with a few thoughts and open it up for others to
>>>> contribute their views ______
>>>> Steven
>>>>
>>>> On 2 May 2014, at 12:14, Jody Garnett <jody.garnett at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I think you are leaning towards the "social contract" associated with
>>>>> being part of a community.
>>>>>
>>>>> For organisations that do not wish to participate, that is fine.
>>>>> Participation is one way of minimising the risks associated with the
>>>>> use of open source software, as long as they are making that decision
>>>>> with a decent understanding that is fine.
>>>>>
>>>>> The way I figure it they will get burned a few times before taking
>>>>> interesting in participation :) But yeah if you are talking to managers
>>>>> speak in terms of risk and change control, not community/participation
>>>>> - know your audience.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think I had a rant about the social contact last year, it produced
>>>>> one
>>>>> more tester of GeoServer - making the process of issuing release
>>>>> candidates suspect.
>>>>>
>>>>
>>
>
> --
> Daniel Morissette
> T: +1 418-696-5056 #201
> http://www.mapgears.com/
> Provider of Professional MapServer Support since 2000
>
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>



-- 
-- 
Cameron Shorter,
Software and Data Solutions Manager
LISAsoft
Suite 112, Jones Bay Wharf,
26 - 32 Pirrama Rd, Pyrmont NSW 2009

P +61 2 9009 5000,  W www.lisasoft.com,  F +61 2 9009 5099
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