[Industry] [OSGeo-Discuss] Board meeting 2014-07-17: minutes
Peter Baumann
baumann at rasdaman.com
Sun Jul 20 11:42:41 PDT 2014
wait - this is not about sponsoring ("fund" seems to express this), but
assisting FOSS businesses. In my opinion and that of several other participants
this could mean, for example, that tenders get collected (where known) on a
website and consortia can find themselves to respond to tenders. In the era of
INSPIRE and EU-wide tendering this IMHO transcends local chapters. OTOH, for
national biddings there is an overlap indeed, and collaboration should be
established with local chapters.
But, of course, this is all in the make and ideas will (have to) evolve.
All in all: good discussion! (and no prob with x-posting, of course).
-Peter
On 07/20/2014 06:55 PM, Gert-Jan van der Weijden wrote:
>
> At first a message to the moderator:
>
> Given the fact that the discussion on creating an Eu-based fund is not just
> business (or:industry) related, but also has impact on the local chapters I'm
> not that happy with moving this discussion the a newly created, and thus
> sparsely populated "industry" list. Therefore a cross-posting to both lists.
>
> On topic:
>
> I like the idea of creating a EU-fund, in order to skip legal problems that
> appartly exists when fund-raising across the Atlantic Ocean. Just a fund, not
> an OSGeo-EU! (and i think under Belgian law an "IVZW" would do fine for this
> purpose)
>
> However, when attracting OSGeo-sponsors in Europe, both local chapters and a
> newly established OSGeo-Eu-fund might try to attract the same potential sponsors.
>
> The Dutch local chapter has signed contracts with 5 sponsors over the last
> year, most of them local based. Currently we are in the process of attracting
> new sponsors, among them some larger companies that do business in the entire
> EU. To have OSgeo.nl and a newly established OSGeo-EU-Fund competing to
> attract sponsors is something we have to avoid.
>
> So before establishing such a fund, please have a discussion with all European
> local chapters
>
> The idea of an OSGeo.eu (as in more than just a fund) doesn't appeal to me
> that much. I think the strength of OSGeo are the local (either geographic or
> linguistic) chapters. The members of these chapters have a lot in common
> (language, network, development of the national geo-infrastructure), which on
> a European scale might become too dense.
>
> Best regards,
>
> Gert-Jan van der Weijden
>
> chairman of the Dutch local chapter OSGeo.nl
>
> *Van:*discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org [mailto:discuss-bounces at lists.osgeo.org]
> *Namens *Dirk Frigne
> *Verzonden:* vrijdag 18 juli 2014 18:03
> *Aan:* discuss at lists.osgeo.org
> *CC:* industry at lists.osgeo.org
> *Onderwerp:* Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] Board meeting 2014-07-17: minutes
>
> Thank you Anne,
>
> to give us the possibility to speak up on these important topics.
>
> I was on the FOSS4GE[6] conference this week and had the opportunity to talk
> to several other members of the organisation.
> I also attended (remotely) the BOF OSGeo business meeting yesterday
> and I did some reading (f.i. the blog of Steve Feldmann [1])
>
> So here are my 2c on the different topics:
>
>
> about the trivial aspects:
> ---------------------------------
> First some easy things (where everybody is agreeing)
> - the conclusion of the BOF OSGeo business meeting is the creation of an
> industry list[2] and everybody interested in the topic is welcome to register
> on this list. I forwarded this mail also to that list as to kickstart the
> discussion.
>
> about grant early bird price to FOSS4G for Charter members[4]
> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
> I agree. It is important for an organisation that people have the chance to
> meet face to face with each other to build trust relationships and friendships.
> We are a community of #people and human beings.
>
>
> about the travel budget and other costs for the organisation:
> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> - As indicated above, I think we should discuss this topic more deeper in the
> above list[2]. But to enable me to try to formulate an answer that makes sense
> on the budget discussion I feel free to post a statement here.
> So please react on this statement in the industry list, as this is the right
> place to further discuss this topic.
>
>
> *axiom 1* OSGeo is a non for profit organisation of #people with a passion
> about #Geo&#opensource
> (see also my mail concerning membership fees [3] )
>
> *bydefinition* Business should remain *outside* OSGeo
> (as it doesn't fit with a non profit organisation)
> (but some members of OSGeo - if not all - are involved in business
> processes, as users, customers, developers or part of an administrative,
> academic or industrial organisation, sometimes in different roles)
>
> *axiom 2* OSGeo is a professionally governed organisation
>
> Well, in a professional governed organisation, you have a board, representing
> the organisation, responsible and acting on behalf everything the
> organisation does. The board is allowed to do that and get the trust to do
> that every year expressed on the general assembly.
>
> *axiom 3* OSGeo aims to be and stay a growing, strong and Healthy organisation
>
> An organisation such as OSGeo is just like a living organism.
> Like all living organisms, an organisations starts, grows, falls, stands up
> learning from previous mistakes, becomes stronger and survives for living a
> long and prosperous live. In this process it is important that, from a
> financial point of view, you earn more than you spend. This also applies to
> non for profit organisations as for profit organisation.
>
> Today OSGeo is already 10 years old (young). This is not yet a mature
> individual, an important period of teenager is coming into sight. A necessary
> process to become an adult.
> Like a child of 10 year old, I think we should progress handling issues as
> money and business and relationships.
> Money is important to cover the necessary costs, at a minimum.
>
> So here I follow the decision of the board to use a certain amount of travel
> budget to represent the organisation physically on places where this is
> appropriate to do. I think the board is wise enough to make these decisions on
> her own. Also other costs to fix broken servers, or do something else that is
> necessary for the good continuation of the organisation fall under these
> decisions. Of course the board is responsible not to spend more than the
> income statement allows.
> But this way of working is only temporary in my eyes.
> It is also the task of the board to help the 10 year young OSGeo organisation
> to transform into a professional, open and transparent governed mature vehicle.
> (without losing the strong points of childhood).
>
> i.e.:
> - a clear vision should be formulated about the further direction of the
> organisation
> points like:
> - how to help the OSGeo projects in their shared mission
> - how to treat all the OSGeo projects as equal
> - how to motivate new projects to become a full incubated OSGeo project
> - how to respond to non OSGeo GIS projects, convincing them to join OSGeo
> - how OSGeo should embrace her members
> - how OSGeo should treat her sponsors
> - how OSGeo should partner with other organisations
> - how OSGeo should look to and promote #respectfull and #transparent business
> - ... []
>
> - an estimate should be made of the to expecting income in 2015 (before the
> FOSS4G conference 2014 preferable - but ambitious, better do this for 2016)
> - an estimate should be made of the expecting costs in 2015.
> - the exercise should be made to have more income than costs.
> - the result of this exercise is the budget for next year. This can be
> presented on the general assembly, so all the members can approve this budget.
> As long as the board respects this budget, the board can decide on be halve
> all the members to do their job and take their responsibility. If things are
> happening such as the board can no longer respect this agreement, an
> escalation to the discuss mailing list or a new general assembly should be
> organized.
>
> about OSGeo-Europe:
> -----------------------------
> Although I know there are several local chapters having their own legal
> structure, I want to break a lance for maintaining one team, one group of
> #people, one #OSGeo. Local chapters are a good thing and should be promoted,
> but the strength of open source is to share and to help each other to create
> strong technology, public available source code, documentation, idea's, fun
> and friendships. I want to break a lance than to go further what we do today,
> and really bridge gaps between the different projects, but that are thoughts
> for another topic, another time ...
>
> Last week I heard several comments on the restrictions a US based legal non
> for profit organisation has, and the will and feeling that OSGeo could do
> more, if we decide better and clearly what to do with the money. It should be
> used in steering the GIS Open Source Future in the right direction.
> These remarks and comments did me think of creating a European Fund.
>
> - having a US based org and a EU based Fund will spread the organisation in an
> organic way further over the globe.
> - Money can be collected from sponsoring activities into the fund.
> - A European fund should be able to participate in European programs such as
> Horizon2020 and others. [to be investigated]
> - The money can be governed by the EU Fund, but the decisions what we should
> do with the money could be decided by the board of OSGeo, respecting certain
> rules:
>
> - Specific European funded projects still need a budget to complete, so the
> fund can be used to complete these budgets
> - With the available money, OSGeo can sponsor innovative idea's, where a
> valorisation factor can be included. Innovative idea's can be sponsored by a
> vehicle that understands the needs of an Open Source Business.
> - If a project is successful it should result in new value for the fund,
> giving more budget to sponsor other innovative projects. This should be
> managed like a professional investment fund, so that the balance remains
> positive and the leverage OSGeo can maintain on open source related business
> grows year after year.
>
> I think I can help setting up a team that has the right technical and legal
> expertise to create such a vehicle.
>
> OSGeo managed to grow from not existing into a world wide organisation with
> #many members. OSGeo wishes to further grow into a professional governed
> organisation (*axiom 2 and 3*), so I think we should have the ambition to take
> this path further and create the right environment to be able to reach that
> ambition.
>
> I want to end this mail by expressing my personal believe that doing things
> voluntary, because we (the committing members) really are convinced that
> sharing and working together to make the world a better place and to give the
> opportunity to all (committing and involved members) to use, distribute,
> document, improve gives a personal benefit in happiness and satisfaction which
> can not be reached by money.
>
> Have a nice weekend!
> In Ghent where I live 10 Days of party are starting tonight [5] and I will
> leave now to drink a couple of beers (which I will pay myself :-)
>
> Dirk Frigne
>
> [1] http://knowwhereconsulting.co.uk/there-is-no-such-thing-as-a-free-lunch/
> [2] *industry at lists.osgeo.org <mailto:industry at lists.osgeo.org>*
> [3] http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/discuss/2014-July/013030.html
> [4] http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/FOSS4GDiscount
> [5] http://www.gentsefeesten.be/en
> [6] http://www.osgeo.org/node/1422
>
> On 18-07-14 12:42, Anne Ghisla wrote:
>
> Hello all,
>
>
>
> here are the minutes and logs of yesterday's Board meeting:
>
> http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Board_Meeting_2014-07-17
>
> (Minutes and motions are yet unapproved.)
>
>
>
> There has been discussion over elections 2014, strategic funding, OSGeo
>
> and Europe, and finally OSGeo's business model.
>
>
>
> My comment is that this has been one of the (few) meetings where there
>
> was less of the usual large consensus.
>
> Therefore I feel important to get thoughts from OSGeo members other
>
> than the current Board, as it is already happening in last emails. At
>
> the moment we have no better way to collect opinions and comments
>
> besides mailing lists and in-person discussions, that are notoriously
>
> difficult to summarise. (A wiki page is good to summarise, but not to
>
> discuss.) Nevertheless, I encourage members to speak up on these
>
> important topics.
>
>
>
> Best regards,
>
>
>
> Anne
>
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
>
> 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
>
> Geosparc n.v.
> Brugsesteenweg 587
> B-9030 Ghent
> Tel: +32 9 236 60 18
> GSM: +32 495 508 799
>
> http://www.geomajas.org
> http://www.geosparc.com
>
>
> This body part will be downloaded on demand.
--
Dr. Peter Baumann
- Executive Director, rasdaman GmbH Bremen (HRB 26793)
www.rasdaman.com, mail: baumann at rasdaman.com
tel: 0800-rasdaman, fax: 0800-rasdafax, mobile: +49-173-5837882
- Professor of Computer Science, Jacobs University Bremen
www.faculty.jacobs-university.de/pbaumann
mail: p.baumann at jacobs-university.de
tel: +49-421-200-3178, fax: +49-421-200-493178
"A brilliant idea is a job halfdone."
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