January 2011 - openSUSE Foundation - openSUSE Mailing Lists

Reboot. Lets start again, this time organized
by Henne Vogelsang 11 Feb '11

11 Feb '11

Hey, we have started off not very organized and I would like to change that now. I think we need to make this a purposeful discussion that has rules, moderation and an end. Otherwise we'll never get anywhere. So here is how I want us to do it. 0. In all of this we are trying to find compromise and consensus. This is not about getting it your way. We need to build something together! 1. Before we discuss anything we pick someone who moderates the discussions. The moderator is supposed to summarize, track progress and call an end to the discussion. We need results! 2. We discuss single aspects of the foundation. Not the whole foundation and all it's aspects at once. The list of items to discuss is tracked on the wiki at http://en.opensuse.org/Portal:Foundation/Topics We need to focus! 3. We discuss these aspects by trying to make clear our intentions and by agreeing on the important points. Not by hammering out elaborated paragraphs of text. Bullet points first, formulations later. We need to keep track of the important matters! 4. The discussion is limited to arguments. That means if you agree you don't say anything. NO "I like this!" MAILS. If you disagree with something you make an argument against it. NO "I don't like this!" MAILS. We need to keep the length of the discussion to a minimum! 5. We only re-visit a previous discussed topic if the _result_ of a discussion of another topic is that we need to. When we agree on something it's the way it is. We need to be able to rely on things! Comments on those rules? Any additional rule you would want to see? Henne -- Henne Vogelsang, openSUSE. Everybody has a plan, until they get hit. - Mike Tyson -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe(a)opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help(a)opensuse.org

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Objective of the Foundation
by jdd 11 Feb '11

11 Feb '11

This topic is probably the most important, but hopefully we will agree pretty easily on it :-), so may be we have to discuss it now. First some details. The topic pages says: "Objective of the Foundation". May be we should say "objectives" (plural)?? The page linked: http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Foundation have as title : "Charter and Purpose of a Foundation". This should be changed for "Charter and Purpose of the openSUSE Foundation" then on the most important parts. In my mind, at first think, a "Foundation" deals only with legal stuff and money, not with the day to day life of a project. So I see two options for the openSUSE foundation: * restricting the goals to that (legal and money), make it leaded by a small group of old timers, well known and interested members and let the openSUSE community at large work with the project on informal basis (like many free software projects). Then the foundation will have a board different from the openSUSE board as seen now (the present board can have a control power of some sort); * make the foundation the whole project. Looks like it's the prefered option for now. In my opinion it's a bit more complicated to deal with. I don't know for sure (and I don't know at all for german associations), but I beg to be a member of an association one have to pay some fee ("cotisation" in french) and to be identified physically (not only in electronical form). Associations with non local (country resident) members may have to be special - most states wants to control strangers activity. This is necessary and even very important because any group involving money may attract some bad interest :-(. In this option, by-laws have to be very well fitted not to have the main direction board changed too easily. Let me give an example: I beg than kde organisation do not attract many users at large, but mostly kde developpers. It's not the case for openSUSE that have to work with a large community. I remember when the ICANN wanted to have an "At large" vote, and sent reigistered mails to any people that wanted to vote (I was in them), the cost was probably hudge. I have already seen relatively small groups of motivated people take the power in association against the former board. It's not impossible than 20 motivated people could discourage others and take the power in openSUSE (how many people in openSUSE are really intersted in legal problems? right now there is little interest to do so and Novell is in control, but on a foundation with lot of money...) I personnally don't have any real taste for one or the other option :-( let's discuss it. jdd NB: If you agree, I may summarize the discussion. Given we are on a week end, may be be we can let go for 4 days, until approx tuesday? -- http://www.dodin.net http://pizzanetti.fr -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe(a)opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help(a)opensuse.org

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legal form
by jdd 09 Feb '11

09 Feb '11

* The legal form of the foundation is to be a German voluntary association (wikipedia:Eingetragener_Verein). I understand very well that this is much more handy than any other system, given where most suse fellows are located, but I'm not sure it's the better way to solve problems. among others Linux problems are legal problems (see restricted formats). It was said (I don't know if it's true) that the location of Canonical on the Man island is one of the reason ubuntu is more easy to deal with. So may be we should have a foundation in some extra place like Man island or Guernesey? could be Lichtenstein (not far from Nurnberg, I already spent vacations in Vaduz :-). This don't mean we can't work elsewhere. Probably it will cost some more cash hiring lawyers. ideas? jdd -- http://www.dodin.net http://pizzanetti.fr -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe(a)opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help(a)opensuse.org

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Purpose of the Foundation; help refine the definition
by Alan Clark 28 Jan '11

28 Jan '11

Greetings to all on the Foundation ML. Posted on the wiki is a paragraph describing the purpose of the Foundation. http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Foundation It's intended to be a precise description of the Foundation. A description that we will refer back to often throughout all the discussions and in building the official documents. Please take a few minutes and review this description and comment on how it may be refined. Thanks, Alan -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe(a)opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help(a)opensuse.org

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Just thinking out loud ...
by Per Jessen 20 Jan '11

20 Jan '11

are we talking about a foundation as such or will a society/association suffice? which jurisdiction? Are there any significant implications (tax, legal organisational)? who will do the practical work? The purpose of the organisation might influence some of those, I'm not sure. /Per Jessen, Zürich -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe(a)opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help(a)opensuse.org

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Just thinking out load ...
by Per Jessen 20 Jan '11

20 Jan '11

are we talking about a foundation as such or will a society/association suffice? which jurisdiction? Are there any significant implications (tax, legal organisational)? who will do the practical work? The purpose of the organisation might influence some of those, I'm not sure. /Per Jessen, Zürich -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe(a)opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help(a)opensuse.org

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what country?
by jdd 17 Jan '11

17 Jan '11

Hello. I'm pretty used to write "status" ("bylaws"?) for non profit organisations, but before making anything like this, shouldn't we fisrt choose the place where the Foudation will be created? I know only french laws. (by the way this mail is mostly to act as a place holder and because I dislike the empty archives :-)) Other subjects of less inbterest, are: * what name for the foundation? GreenLizard? openSUSE may be a bad choice (already owned, confusing...), * what goals? certainly support the openSUSE community including whith money, but else? sincerely jdd -- Jean-Daniel Dodin Président du CULTe www.culte.org http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1412160445 -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe(a)opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help(a)opensuse.org

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Input on http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Foundation
by Klaas Freitag 14 Jan '11

14 Jan '11

Hi, in the last board meeting I got the friendly reminder to rather contribute than comment on non contribution, which of course is true. Below there is a little text proposal for [1], which I understand as a short overview text about the foundation. As I am not sure if I am supposed to update the wiki directly, I post it here and ask for your input and discussion. I am happy to edit it into the wiki if noone objects. regards, Klaas === [1] http://en.opensuse.org/openSUSE:Foundation The openSUSE Foundation assists the openSUSE community efforts in all activities of the openSUSE Project which include for example * build a general purpose Linux based Operating System including a wide software spectrum for various usecases such as desktop, server and development. * promote free software in general and the openSUSE Project in particular * provide free content, for example documentation, artwork etc. * provide infrastructure for people to work on free software * help people to get together to innovate The openSUSE Foundation is the legal body of the openSUSE Project. It is a part of the project and controls legal aspects affecting the community and can either hold trademarks or has a granted decision power over the trademark usage from the actual trademark owner. Another core responsibility is financial accounting. The openSUSE Foundation consists of members who elect the board of the Foundation. The membership status of individuals and legal bodies like companies is in the foundations decision as outlined in the bylaws. Together with the community the openSUSE Foundation is helping to create a space where all community members can benefit from vision and ideas, commitment and solidarity. It cares to empower people to take decisions to develop the openSUSE Project towards an even more open, active and decisive community. The Guiding Principles of the openSUSE Project is the commitment of the community on how we want to work together. The board of the foundation is entity that takes a special role in moderation and decision taking as stated in the Guiding Principles. The openSUSE Foundation however is not set up to take technical leadership roles in the community. -- To unsubscribe, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+unsubscribe(a)opensuse.org For additional commands, e-mail: opensuse-foundation+help(a)opensuse.org

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