Open Source Initiative - Sandbox

Regional representation models

Ken Coar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:55:44 +0000

This isn't posing a question so much as proposing a possible model.

I envision there being regional/country OSI representatives who can be contacted by local organisations or governments to find out what the local OSI membership feeling/position is about things. Possibly even poll the membership with questions posed by the government, and bring the answer back.

Corporate/organisational membership

Ken Coar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:50:21 +0000

Should OSI be open to organisational memberships as well as individuals? (Or only organisation with no individual members?) What would the criteria for organisational membership be?

Fee-based
Nominated/voted on by OSI board or members
Something else..?

What would membership get for an organisation?

Banner/logo placement on the OSI site
Franchise to vote (on what topics, ...)
Something else..?

What does membership get you?

Ken Coar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:45:35 +0000

What would someone get for being a member of OSI?

A name@opensource.org eddress
Ability to vote on OSI issues (directors, licences, members, ...)
Access to internal resources? (mailing lists, strategic discussion fora, ...)
Other.. ?

How would this fit into a tiered model (see the membership level thread)?

Membership process

Ken Coar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:35:37 +0000

How would one become a member of OSI?

Just by saying 'I want to be a member'
Paying some sort of registration fee or dues
Having demonstrable participation in one or more open source projects
Being nominated/voted on by the OSI Board
Being nominated/voted on by the existing OSI membership

[The last one obviously wouldn't apply until there was an existing membership.]

Should OSI be representative/member-based?

Ken Coar — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 17:26:27 +0000

This is the basic question. From 1998 through 2007, the Open Source Initiative has consisted solely of its board of directors. New directors have been selected by the existing ones.

This is not a terribly representative model. Does it work adequately? Should OSI be representative? Should it be a membership-based organisation?

Introduction

Ken Coar — Wed, 07 Feb 2007 14:48:48 +0000

When it was formed in 1998, the OSI consisted of a small number of dedicated individuals with a shared aim of furthering the goals of open software. Although the composition of this board of directors changed over the years, it wasn't until 2005 that the size was increased from 5 to 9, and actively began expanding the organisation's focus beyond licence evaluation.