
On Wed, Jan 12, 2011 at 4:23 AM, Vincent Untz <vuntz@opensuse.org> wrote:
Hi,
I read the platforms of all candidates, and I have a few questions :-) I'd appreciate if you could take some time to answer them; it'll help me vote in an informed way.
1) You described various issues you'd like to get fixed and goals you want to achieve. Will you still work on (or help with) those tasks if you're not on the board, or do you think you really need to be on the board for some of those tasks?
Yes, even if I don't make to the board. I plan to cont' to work as Ambassador and work with both marketing and the project team. No, I didn't run so that can make the things I see we need to do. I am running because for over ten years I been using openSUSE, I have a great love and passion for the project and just want to step up. Most on the board are programmer. I like to be the first end-user/system administrator to bring fresh views from those that use our distro.
2) How much time per week can you secure (approximately) for the board? (I know it will be 0% of your time for some weeks, and much more for some other weeks; I'm interested in the average)
This is hard to say. I am married and I work as system administrator day to day. I do plan to give all my extra time to the project as I do now. I can't give a percentage. But I can say, that even if I don't get elected I still plan to give all my free time to the project.
3) Did you attend IRC board meetings already?
Once in a while. That was because the company that I had worked for blocked irc, but I would ask questions about what was going on and read the mailing list to stay up-to-date.
4) It's interesting that I see nearly no note about budget/money in platforms. When (not if ;-)) we'll have the Foundation, the board will have to work on a budget. So a few questions about this...
4a) Have you experience with creating/dealing with a budget?
Yes, part of my daily job is to budget for equipment. So I have worked on yearly budgets for my projects. Looked at ways to save money and not cut services and not impact services. I have also worked as Accounts Receivable positions for a company for year and in college, I was the Treasure for our International Club.
4b) Where will we find money for the Foundation?
I have already started asking people if they know of programs that we can apply too. Plus, I am thinking we can do fund raisers. Asking for donations and coming up with items we can sell in the shop to help fund the project.
4c) What should we use the money for?
This is tough for me. But I like to see some money set up to help the Ambassadors, because they need money for travel and media and swag to help promote the project. I it would be best to set up the funds like we are a company, so that we management it wisely, thus help all that work on the project.
5) I do think it'd be useful to have some board-related meeting at FOSDEM. That should help the newly-elected board members to know faster what's happening, and how things work. Will you come to FOSDEM? (I know some people, and that's most probably true for the non-European, will likely not be able to attend; that's not an issue)
I think that a great idea. I have no problem traveling to Europe or for that fact any part of the world. My wife is from Europe. And even if I couldn't I would try to attend via Skype so that I can see everyone face to face. You get more done face-to-face. But should I get on the board. I will do everything I can to attend.
7) Do you care more about Free Software or Open Source? Just to be clear: there's no wrong answer. But it helps understand why you contribute to projects like openSUSE.
This is a tough question. I love Free Software and really believe in it. I have since I started with computing in the 80's when I belong to my local Atari Users Group and would help by typing in computer programs and share them with our group. In fact, it was that user group that started my love for Free Software. We did a version of shareware. You share your programs with a blank disk. In return you got a disc back with other software that others had share. One of the main reason I love Free Software and Open Source I see that same spirit we had. I think you can have free software even if you are a close source, but I think Open Source is better because you can improve on the source. Which is why Linux has been so successful. With me handing out DVD and talking about openSUSE at Linux Fest. I am very happy to pass out Free Software that is open to all.
Questions to specific candidates, related to their platform:
Chuck: where do you think we could lead, instead of copying?
openSUSE is one of the oldest distro, but we tend to copy such other distros like Ubuntu. We need to sit down and focus on what makes us good. Why are are one of oldest distro. Promote on that. Right now, we don't need to copy Unity into our distro. We need to let the world know that we are still using Gnome and the Gnome Shell. We need to let the world know you don't need to download a K/E/X/Lubuntu disc or a spin disc (Fedora). Our DVD includes all. One of the greatest tools we have and we don't do much to promote it is YaST. SaX was another great tool and a big lost to our project. I would have love to see some money donated to keep that project live. Maybe the foundation could look at that. Here are the items I love to see us lead on 1) We have one of the oldest/stable distro with a very large community. 2) I like to see us push the education disc openSUSE Li-F-E. That is a diamond. You would be amazed the number of people that don't know about it, and are amaze that we have it and what it does. We are missing the boat if we don't help get the word out on this more. 3) I love us to improve on the Ambassador Program. I think we need to train our Ambassador to be teachers so that they can help educate new users. I like to see people reaching out to us, asking our Ambassador to go the fest to offer workshops on Linux. Since our Ambassadors are our front line to the world. We need to help them and train them to be like Sale/Field Engineers, where not only can they answer questions on openSUSE, but answer questions on all. One thing I think to do that would us lead and Linux Distro is to start an online University. Invite other distro to join us. People that are new to Linux don't want to come to irc/forum to ask questions only have someone say RTFM. They want clear how to's, videos, documents that are clear and simple. I think that we can do openSUSE Build Service and SUSE Studio. That we can set up an online University that helps promote Linux and open source. 4) I like us lead in the publications. I am very sadden to see that when I pick up a Linux Magazine, that it is very rare to see openSUSE in it. Yes, you will see the DVD, but 95% of the articles are focus on mainly one distro. I want us to break this. We are usaully number 4 on distro watch. With that we should see more articles in publication. If we can do that, we can break the number 4 position and move up. 5) I like to see a stronger North America present. Here Novell shadows openSUSE. Many people here in North America don't know that openSUSE is free, they here SUSE and think you have to pay for it from Novell. In all the places in the world, we need to bring openSUSE out of the Novell shadow let the world know that we are a very active open source community. Over the past year most of my time is trying kill the lies that openSUSE is bound by the Novell/Microsoft deal. A lot of people left openSUSE here in North America because of that. It is time to bring them back our community, by showing them that we still lead in open source community.
Sebas: what needs to be more transparent in openSUSE?
Kostas: do you have examples of "motives" we can give to people so they participate in the project?
Peter: leaving you some more time for your platform :-)
Henne: not really a question related to your platform, but to your experience on the board. What could be improved in the way the board works as of today? (btw, it's not a way for me to try to get the current board blamed in any way: we all know things can always get improved, and time usually helps with that) Also, can I get a dodo?
Sankar: some of your long-term tasks are partly technical (make openSUSE an attractive development platform, make the distro accessibility-friendly). How do you think the board can help with that?
Nelson: can you develop a bit more on the 'anti burnout' campaign? What would it consist of?
I wish you all the best for the election :-)
Thanks,
Vincent
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