[OSGeo-Discuss] Invitation to participate in the OSGeo membership consultations

Dirk Frigne dirk.frigne at geosparc.com
Thu Aug 20 07:40:55 PDT 2015


+1 to Frank's summary,

D.

On 03-08-15 22:04, Mateusz Loskot wrote:
> I have filled the survey matching my answers ad close to my views as
> possible but I also give +1 to agree with Frank's comments
> 
> 3 sie 2015 18:39 "Frank Warmerdam" <warmerdam at pobox.com
> <mailto:warmerdam at pobox.com>> napisał(a):
> 
>     Folks,
> 
>     For what it's worth, I also do not feel comfortable with completing
>     the survey as it is currently structured as the structure forces me to
>     give answers that don't really represent my views.
> 
>     For what it's worth I am in favor of:
>      - a modest number of charter members using something like the
>     current process
>      - open membership
>      - no manditory membership fees
>      - make every effort to treat regular members the same as charter
>     members except for the minimum voting stuff required to be legally
>     distinct.
> 
>     Best regards,
>     Frank
> 
> 
> 
>     On Mon, Aug 3, 2015 at 8:13 AM, Jim Klassen <klassen.js at gmail.com
>     <mailto:klassen.js at gmail.com>> wrote:
>     > I have been involved in the MapServer and GeoMoose projects since
>     before
>     > OSGeo existed.  I remember the founding of OSGeo and the heated
>     > discussions that took place to define the direction OSGeo would take.
>     > The future of OSGeo and how it interacts with its members is very
>     > important to me.
>     >
>     > However, as a charter member, this current discussion and particularly
>     > the survey has me confused as to how I should respond.
>     >
>     > For starters: Should I be taking the survey now or waiting for it
>     to be
>     > improved?  Where are the results of this survey going?  Does this
>     survey
>     > count as an official vote(s)?
>     >
>     > On 08/03/2015 05:16 AM, Vasile Craciunescu wrote:
>     >> Dear Bruce, Steve, Even, Peter, Dan and others,
>     >>
>     >> Sorry for replying so late. I'm in vacation with limited Internet
>     >> access. Personally, I agree with many of your points. However, as
>     >> Steven already pointed out, we had a few days of open discussions on
>     >> the survey before sending to our Charter members. Somehow I expected
>     >> that our Charter members are subscribed on the discuss and board
>     >> mailing list and following the topics there. Perhaps we need a
>     >> dedicated mailing list for our Charter members or the invitation to
>     >> comment on the survey should be also sent individually to all our
>     >> Charter members. Not sure about the right approach. Anyway, please
>     >> keep in mind that this is the first time we are polling our members
>     >> and we still have to learn and adjust our communication skills.
>     >>
>     >> Now, regarding the survey. The main point was to find the best method
>     >> to select our Charter members. This is an ongoing discussion for many
>     >> years. The survey included the previous voting options and some new
>     >> proposals. Then, some people suggested to use this opportunity to
>     >> include additionally questions regarding the future of OSGeo
>     >> membership. That's how the survey was created. The survey is really
>     >> flawed if is not connected with the discussions on the "board" and
>     >> "discuss" mailing lists. Different people, different angles,
>     different
>     >> opinions... But only a fraction of our members expressed their
>     >> ideas/questions/opinions before assembling the survey. That's why the
>     >> survey looks heterogeneous. I did my best to merge similar topics and
>     >> not to include redundant questions. I also did not remove any
>     question
>     >> based on my own judgement. Anyway, I find this exercise very useful
>     >> for our community. We should discuss further to keep our organization
>     >> on the right track.
>     >>
>     >> Warm regards from the sunny Black Sea coast!
>     >> Vasile
>     >>
>     >> PS I'm slowly catching up will all the emails on this thread (most of
>     >> them privately sent). I'll get back when I have the full picture.
>     >>
>     >> On 7/31/15 3:07 AM, Bruce Bannerman wrote:
>     >>> Hi Vassile,
>     >>>
>     >>> This survey appears to be flawed.
>     >>>
>     >>> I applaud your efforts to bring this issue to a head, but I'm not
>     >>> convinced
>     >>> that we'll get valid results from the survey.
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>> In my case:
>     >>>
>     >>> I believe that there should be open membership for any interested,
>     >>> perhaps
>     >>> with a membership fee.
>     >>>
>     >>> I also see the value of recognising key contributors voted
>     through some
>     >>> meritocracy process as the current Charter Membership allows,
>     with this
>     >>> group having a voting responsibility. This is in essence not very
>     >>> different
>     >>> from the concept of a 'committers' group within an open source
>     >>> project. I
>     >>> don't really care if the name 'Charter Membership' is changed.
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>> However the survey appears to lead people into a binary
>     situation where
>     >>> they believe in 'open' or 'closed' with 'closed' apparently
>     assigned to
>     >>> those favouring 'Charter Membership'.
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>> For example:
>     >>>
>     >>> I'd like to vote NO to 'Should OSGeo move from the actual elected
>     >>> Charter
>     >>> member model to an (open) regular membership?'
>     >>>
>     >>> But, YES to 'If you agree with the OSGeo regular membership, do
>     you also
>     >>> agree with a low annual membership fee?'
>     >>>
>     >>> However, I'm precluded from doing so, because I answered NO to Q1.
>     >>>
>     >>> For Question 4, I would like to answer both:
>     >>>
>     >>> - YES for Open, in the context that everyone interested should be
>     >>> able to
>     >>> participate in discussions and the OSGeo Community (perhaps having
>     >>> paid a
>     >>> membership fee); and
>     >>>
>     >>> - YES for 'Closed', in the context of key votes being subject to the
>     >>> equivalent of a 'Committers' list where people have been voted in
>     >>> through
>     >>> some meritocracy process.
>     >>>
>     >>> - However, I can only choose one or the other!
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>> I haven't read the remaining questions at this stage, given the
>     flawed
>     >>> questions at the beginning.
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>> I apologise if you had sent this out for review earlier. I have
>     not been
>     >>> following this debate closely as this type of membership noise pops
>     >>> up on a
>     >>> regular basis.
>     >>>
>     >>> However, when this proceeds to a vote of the OSGeo Charter
>     membership, I
>     >>> need to register a comment.
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>> For consideration.
>     >>>
>     >>> Bruce
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>> From: Vasile Crăciunescu <cro at osgeo.org <mailto:cro at osgeo.org>>
>     >>>> Reply-To: Vasile Crăciunescu <cro at osgeo.org <mailto:cro at osgeo.org>>
>     >>>> Date: Thursday, 30 July 2015 23:52
>     >>>> To: Bruce Bannerman <>
>     >>>> Subject: Invitation to participate in the OSGeo membership
>     >>>> consultations
>     >>>>
>     >>>> Dear Bruce,
>     >>>>
>     >>>> As an existing OSGeo Charter Member, you have been invited to
>     >>>> participate
>     >>>> in the 2015 OSGeo membership consultations.
>     >>>>
>     >>>> To participate, please click on the link below.
>     >>>>
>     >>>> Sincerely,
>     >>>>
>     >>>> Vasile ()
>     >>>>
>     >>>> ----------------------------------------------
>     >>>>
>     >>>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>>
>     >>> _______________________________________________
>     >>> Discuss mailing list
>     >>> Discuss at lists.osgeo.org <mailto:Discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
>     >>> http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
>     >>>
>     >>
>     >>
>     >
>     >
>     > _______________________________________________
>     > Discuss mailing list
>     > Discuss at lists.osgeo.org <mailto:Discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
>     > http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> 
> 
> 
>     --
>     ---------------------------------------+--------------------------------------
>     I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam,
>     warmerdam at pobox.com <mailto:warmerdam at pobox.com>
>     light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
>     and watch the world go round - Rush    | Geospatial Software Developer
>     _______________________________________________
>     Discuss mailing list
>     Discuss at lists.osgeo.org <mailto:Discuss at lists.osgeo.org>
>     http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
> 

-- 
Yours sincerely,


ir. Dirk Frigne
CEO

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