[Incubator] Info on the Old OSGeo Labs

Daniel Morissette dmorissette at mapgears.com
Tue Mar 8 07:22:22 PST 2016


Hi Jody,

FWIW I like the idea of a more inclusive place such as the former "OSGeo 
Labs", I was even one of the early supporters of the idea.

The only concern that I expressed earlier was to make sure that 
terminology and expectations are clear for visitors to the site. I don't 
want this to be perceived as a blocker, it was just a constructive 
comment to help clarify the wording to make sure that users know what 
they are getting from what we call OSGeo projects vs OSGeo technology.

Perhaps a comparison page to address the differences between Projects vs 
Technology would help address the possible confusion?

Daniel


On 2016-03-08 10:13 AM, Jody Garnett wrote:
> We are setting something up different that is not OSGeo labs. We are
> validating - that these projects are open source and participatory.
>
> The result is hopefully a larger OSGeo community.
>
> This direction comes out of a board discussion around being inclusive
> and innovative. It could be the OSGeo Technology idea won't fly ...
>
> Our OSGeo incubation process is set up for stability and safety. While I
> respect this it is holding us back from including different categories
> of projects.
>
> I think the larger issue for the board to wrestle with is that the
> foundation does not provide enough value to projects. While they are
> willing to step up assistance (say incubation sprint or external code
> review) we on the incubation list need to look at our priorities on who
> we can extend this assistance to.
>
> I would still like to see projects like pgRouting try their hand at
> incubation. I think it is a shame incubation. and the foundation, is
> considered hard.
>
> In fact open source is hard, and we are here to help.
>
> On Tue, Mar 8, 2016 at 2:35 AM Cameron Shorter
> <cameron.shorter at gmail.com <mailto:cameron.shorter at gmail.com>> wrote:
>
>     Hey Jody,
>     I'm actually agreeing with all you are suggesting doing with the
>     rebranded "OSGeo Labs", except the name "OSGeo Technology". This
>     name misrepresents the "Self Serve", non-validated concept of "OSGeo
>     Labs". The name implies "built out of OSGeo Projects".  This is a
>     dis-service to people who come to our site for the first time, a
>     dis-service to "OSGeo Projects" who now become associated with
>     immature projects.
>
>     Pick a more accurate name than "OSGeo Technology" and I'd back the
>     rest of what you are suggesting.
>
>     Warm regards, Cameron
>
>
>     On 7/03/2016 9:55 am, Jody Garnett wrote:
>>     This is going to be a tough one Cameron ... our brand currently
>>     has a reputation for turning projects away ... not quality.
>>
>>     The long story short is how to respond to the direction to be
>>     inclusive. We have two strong characters on this mailing list with
>>     an axe to grind making it difficult for projects to be part of
>>     OSGeo. I am very keen on projects *being* open source, and you are
>>     very keen on making projects safe for users to adopt (project
>>     viability, quality, open standards).
>>
>>     I am proposing repurposing "OSGeo Labs" (which did not promise
>>     anything as a brand and got adopted by GeoForAll) as "OSGeo
>>     Technology" to focus on the open source angle; in order to
>>     preserve "OSGeo Projects" (and incubation) to focus on the second.
>>
>>     We have a tension here between being inclusive (read easy) and
>>     transparent (which takes effort).
>>
>>     How would you like to add "transparency" to this mix? We could
>>     provide a table with website, download, documentation, test
>>     results - not sure if that would help with transparency?
>>
>>     I know we keep coming back to a rating system on this mailing list
>>     - I recognize your work in this area for OSGeo Live with the
>>     introduction of black duck metrics. I imagine you would also be
>>     happy to phrase things as positive "badges" (for projects that
>>     have documentation, or quality assurance, or standards
>>     testing).  For quality, documentation and so forth I think we are
>>     stuck leading by example (and perhaps working with the OGC on
>>     standards compliance).
>>
>>     On 3 March 2016 at 23:57, Cameron Shorter
>>     <<mailto:cameron.shorter at gmail.com>cameron.shorter at gmail.com
>>     <mailto:cameron.shorter at gmail.com>> wrote:
>>
>>         Hi Jody,
>>         I agree with your suggestion that "Old OSGeo Labs" need not
>>         have an aim of entering OSGeo incubation.
>>         However, I object to any project becoming associated with
>>         OSGeo without it being obvious about the level of quality
>>         control the project has gone through.
>>
>>         As suggested below, I could knock together 100 lines of
>>         uncommented, non-working code, give it an open source license,
>>         and then add a "OSGeo Technology" logo to the home page. And
>>         most average punters wouldn't know the difference between term
>>         "OSGeo Project" and "OSGeo Technology". This would result in
>>         diminishing the current association between OSGeo applications
>>         and quality, which would be a bad thing.
>>
>>         I feel "OSGeo Labs", "OSGeo Community Builder Projects", or
>>         shortened to "OSGeo Builder Projects" are less likely to be
>>         confused with "OSGeo Incubated" projects.
>>
>>         Warm regards, Cameron
>>
>>
>>         On 4/03/2016 2:13 am, Stephen Woodbridge wrote:
>>
>>             +1, I think these changes make a lot of sense and as part
>>             of an OSGeo Technology project this feels very inclusive.
>>
>>             -Steve W
>>
>>             On 3/3/2016 9:46 AM, Jody Garnett wrote:
>>
>>                 I would like to change the tone of the page a bit,
>>                 since it "assumes"
>>                 incubation ..
>>
>>                     /OSGeo Labs is an umbrella for open source
>>                 geospatial software
>>                     projects that would like to become OSGeo projects
>>                 in the future, but
>>                     that aren't ready for incubation quite yet. It is
>>                 appropriate to
>>                     submit your new or experimental project as an
>>                 OSGeo labs project./
>>                     /
>>                     /
>>                     /The volunteers that work as part of OSGeo Labs
>>                 have the goal of
>>                     helping OSGeo Labs Projects qualify for
>>                 incubation. To reach this
>>                     goal, OSGeo Labs volunteers help OSGeo Labs
>>                 Projects with the
>>                     following tasks:
>>                     /
>>
>>
>>                 Would become:
>>
>>                     /Welcome to OSGeo Technology. The projects listed
>>                 here are part of
>>                     the Open Source Geospatial Foundation and range
>>                 from new
>>                     experimental projects to established pillars of
>>                 our open source
>>                     ecosystem./
>>                     /
>>                     /
>>                     /All projects here meet our goals as an
>>                 organization - they are open
>>                     source (no really we checked) and are inclusive
>>                 and welcoming to new
>>                     contributors./
>>                     /
>>                     /
>>
>>                     /Projects that go on to establish excellence in
>>                 community building,
>>                     documentation, and governance can enter our
>>                 "incubation" program. /
>>
>>
>>                 I would also lose the "status" conditions
>>                 seed/seedling/sapling/adult
>>                 and keep OSGeo Technology focused on the basics (open
>>                 source &
>>                 inclusive). The status becomes having the "OSGeo
>>                 Technology" badge nice
>>                 and simple.
>>
>>                 Thinking this through a bit more we have one clear
>>                 reason for projects
>>                 to go through with incubation - being recognized by
>>                 the board and having
>>                 an OSGeo Officer listed directly for the project,
>>                 while OSGeo Technology
>>                 projects "share" an officer (as part of "incubation
>>                 committee").
>>                 --
>>                 Jody Garnett
>>
>>                 On 11 February 2016 at 11:04, Landon Blake
>>                 <sunburned.surveyor at gmail.com
>>                 <mailto:sunburned.surveyor at gmail.com>
>>                 <mailto:sunburned.surveyor at gmail.com
>>                 <mailto:sunburned.surveyor at gmail.com>>> wrote:
>>
>>                     There is some good information on what we were
>>                 trying to achieve
>>                     with the old OSGeo Labs on the wiki:
>>
>>                 https://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Labs
>>
>>                     I think most of that information on the wiki still
>>                 applies. This
>>                     includes the purpose of labs, how projects get
>>                 started in labs, what
>>                     labs is trying to accomplish, and the criteria to
>>                 determine if your
>>                     project is a good fit for labs.
>>
>>                     Does anyone have major heartburn with what is laid
>>                 out on that wiki
>>                     page? (I'll rename the wiki page as soon as we get
>>                 a new name for labs.)
>>
>>                     Landon
>>
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>>                 http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/incubator
>>
>>
>>
>>
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>>
>>
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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 <tel:%2B61%202%209009%205000>,  W
>>         www.lisasoft.com <http://www.lisasoft.com>, F +61 2 9009 5099
>>         <tel:%2B61%202%209009%205099>
>>
>>
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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,  Wwww.lisasoft.com <http://www.lisasoft.com>,  F +61 2 9009 5099
>
> --
> --
> Jody Garnett
>
>
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>


-- 
Daniel Morissette
http://www.mapgears.com/
T: +1 418-696-5056 #201

http://evouala.com/ - Location Intelligence Made Easy


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