[GRASS-PSC] winGRASS6/7 and python - funding to improve the actual situation?

[Hamish]

Madi wrote:
> http://www.pledgebank.com/postgistopology

Hi,

I'm not really familar with pledge bank, so I won't comment
on it directly but since the issue seems to be coming up a lot lately
& I thought I'd previously written about this, but can't seem to find it
in the archives :), I'll mention it again. It's a bad idea for any of us to personally open
a bank account to accept funds. $YOU can be held liable for income
taxes and contract issues arising from those funds. It is much better that
OSGeo (as our Umbrella org) or an incorporated chapter like gfoss.it
(who have done this for us before) handles it on our behalf.

This sort of thing is _exactly_ what we joined the OSGeo Foundation for,
since they as the legal entity can accept the money on our behalf
in an account especially earmarked to our project. If such infrastructure
does not currently exist at OSGeo, the best thing we can do IMHO
is work towards making it exist.

I suggest everyone read this legal primer for FOSS project managers
which was put together by the SFLC, who along with the FSF, is our
best/only hope of legal council if things go badly wrong:

   http://www.softwarefreedom.org/resources/2008/foss-primer.html

As a general governance thing, please do take the time to print it
out and read it :). It explains a lot about the how and why of our
Foundation & responsibilities.

further light reading of possible interest:
   http://www.softwarefreedom.org/resources/

There are a number of conference talks by staff lawyers at
the software freedom conservancy, the FSF, and the EFF at
various FOSS conferences on youtube which are worth checking
out too.


(See also the dozens of FOSS projects left in limbo by using PayPal
to collect funds without filing legal proof of not being a business.
It's actually not PayPal's fault [entirely], they are legally obliged
to do so)



best,
Hamish

ps- read the primer :)