On 02/08/2016 09:52 AM, jdd wrote:
I'm absolutely not sure that it's a good idea, but it may be for reasons I will develop below.
Richard Brown summarized very well the situation right now on the other list, please read:
Read.
but neither the list nor the thread subject was appropriate, so this post.
Discussion:
Object: create a non profit organization "Friends of openSUSE", possibly Switzerland based (http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse/2016-02/msg00344.html) to promote openSUSE.
History: Long time ago, a discussion was held on the subject: do we need an openSUSE Foundation (http://lists.opensuse.org/opensuse-foundation/). It was discarded because we feel that the openSUSE/SUSE trademark was better protected by SUSE than by any non profit Foundation.
That makes sense; SUSE probably has lawyers who focus on Intellectual Property (IP) all day, and hiring even one good lawyer to do that will be hugely expensive. Unless somebody is blatantly violating the IP and causing harm to the openSUSE "business" somehow, relying on SUSE to protect the brand seems like a better course of action, so I'm glad that was done.
Reason not to create the association: As said by Richard, openSUSE don't really need money, we don't use already all what we can have. Hiring a developer is extremely costly and anyway couldn't be achieved before a very large grow up, not to happen anytime soon.
A solution in search of a problem, then, at least in Richard's opinion. I'd tend to agree, though my vision of all things openSUSE is far more-limited than some. I'm mostly a user, trying to be a contributor, and otherwise enjoy the public forums a lot.
Reason to create the "Friends" (seen by jdd):
The relation between openSUSE and it's main sponsor SUSE was never clear for openSUSE member (official or not). Whatever is true, almost everybody think that the orientation of openSUSE is very closely decided by SUSE. My idea is that it's partially true, but not by direct subordination, but by common interest.
Agreed on all points.
I'm largely convinced (without any proof, other than reading many posts) than many people are reluctant to engage more in openSUSE due to this perceived relationship.
I'd be interested to see these posts. I've never had that impression on the openSUSE side, though there was that media frenzy (everything in the media is a frenzy, so perhaps this label is redundant and repetitive, not to be redundant and repetitive) about the SUSE/microsoft agreement back in the early 2000's. All of the fear-mongering seems to have been discredited, and now a relationship exists with that lesser enterprise distro and the wannabe-Linux guys in Redmond, though I have not seen nearly as much FUD around that as SUSE received (yes, the nature of the agreements was undoubtedly different in some ways, but let's not let information accuracy stop a good media frenzy).
Think than developers can benefit directly of the SUSE infra-structure to help them develop, so have a direct interest to subscribe OBS, for example.
But most non-developers volunteers do not get any direct benefit, other than glory and self satisfaction. They do not feels like having real direction on what openSUSE do.
Again, I'd be interested to know who these folks are, what they want, etc. Is financial motivation the only way to keep them interested? If so, perhaps we need to see if our only value is to pay folks for one thing or another. I think openSUSE offers a lot more than that, and the benefits of being associated without payment are pretty high (great distro, great forums, great tools (OBS), great mascot, great relationship (imo) with a corporate overlord.... I'm biased perhaps.
Building an "Friends..." non profit organization could (may be, you will have to comment!!) make this better.
The goal of this organization would be non profit, that is the direction and members of the organization couldn't get any money from it. This do not mean the organization can't collect money, only it have to be used for the social object of the organization (promoting openSUSE).
See it like some "supporters" of sports squads - cheerleaders ones :-))
I work in IT; I've never heard of these "cheerleaders" to which you refer.
Every member would have to pay a small fee (10€??) as membership, for each year, so we would know exactly how many people really support the "Friends". They could also donate and the money could be used to support openSUSE where it's not already done. I think of more local support (french or Vanuatu one...).
More over, it could drive people to engage themselves a bit more. You know: you have more consideration for something you paid for than for something that was donated to you...
May be all this is a dream. Before making anything, we need to know if YOU would subscribe such organization. In France creating such thing needs three peoples and around 40€ for the creation publication, really cheap, but is it worth the fuss?
I think starting with what is desired to be done would be a good point. Maybe advertise the enhancement request system, let people start submitting ideas for what they want in there, and then find aw ay to get people to vote on ideas. If that can get done, perhaps a bounty (kickstarter/etc.) could be attached, and the fees from a "Friends" organization could sponsor those. That may take a lot of administration to handle, but I think it would be more-targeted than generally having a Friends organization as currently described, looking for a cause. If something solid can be created, with a definite purpose, I'd pitch in my $10 (or equivalent in Euros, Pounds, BitCoins, etc.). Until then, based in Switzerland or not, this seems a little bit too vague for me. I know, it's early, and that's why you started this thread, so thanks for doing that. Let's see where it goes and continue to improve, one way or another. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-project+unsubscribe@opensuse.org To contact the owner, email: opensuse-project+owner@opensuse.org