[steering-discuss] Joining the OASIS Consortium

Hello,

I remember we wanted to join the OASIS Consortium :slight_smile:
After checking within the OASIS, it appears the annual membership cost
for NGO is around 700 Euros (1100 USD).

I would like to ask officially to the SC to approve this membership fee
and process to the membership registration process. Sophie Gautier
would be the primary contact person, while Thorsten (under Suse
flagship) would lead the technical works, at least at the beginning.
We're interested by letting more hackers join in, just ask for it :slight_smile:

Best,

+1

+1. Go ahead.

Question: Is ASF in OASIS? (just me as an ignorant sarcastic)...

Olivier

Charles-H. Schulz wrote:

I remember we wanted to join the OASIS Consortium :slight_smile:
After checking within the OASIS, it appears the annual membership cost
for NGO is around 700 Euros (1100 USD).

Hi Charles, all,

wearing my TDF hat here (and not my OASIS one - with that, I'd
warmly welcome this move) - before starting to approve things like
this, I'd rather collect a few more things we may need to do this
year, and come up with a proper budget plan.

Before the foundation is formally setup, I don't think joining
somewhere is really possible, anyway?

Cheers,

-- Thorsten

I think it is, but on the other hand we can vote positively now, but
only proceed to join when we are properly set up. Even the membership
registration process takes time there. So we can decide now and execute
in 2 months or so.

Best,
Charles.

So let me rephrase this proposal. Given the membership fee, do you
approve TDF joining the OASIS as soon as the foundation is set up?

Best,
Charles.

+1, if we have the money, and when the Foundation legally exists. The current budget is already *very* tight, so we cannot spend more until we have some more income.

Charles-H. Schulz wrote:

So let me rephrase this proposal. Given the membership fee, do you
approve TDF joining the OASIS as soon as the foundation is set up?

+1

-- Thorsten

Hi,

So let me rephrase this proposal. Given the membership fee, do you
approve TDF joining the OASIS as soon as the foundation is set up?

+1

André

Hi SC,
I'm no member of the SC so I only want to put a thought in the discussion.

Charles-H. Schulz wrote:

I remember we wanted to join the OASIS Consortium :slight_smile:
After checking within the OASIS, it appears the annual membership
cost for NGO is around 700 Euros (1100 USD).

Hi Charles, all,

wearing my TDF hat here (and not my OASIS one - with that, I'd
warmly welcome this move) - before starting to approve things like
this, I'd rather collect a few more things we may need to do this
year, and come up with a proper budget plan.

Before the foundation is formally setup, I don't think joining
somewhere is really possible, anyway?

I think it is, but on the other hand we can vote positively now, but
only proceed to join when we are properly set up. Even the membership
registration process takes time there. So we can decide now and execute
in 2 months or so.

If you do it in 2 months there will be (soon) a voted Board of Directors to determine this.

Maybe the SC - as non-voted - only give a recommendation for the BoD and put it all in this direction put don't fix it.
So it will be a (first) decision of the new BoD.
Otherwise the BoD has to fix something they don't voted of (and maybe don't want to do).

+1
Italo

Hi,

If you do it in 2 months there will be (soon) a voted Board of Directors
to determine this.

Maybe the SC - as non-voted - only give a recommendation for the BoD and
put it all in this direction put don't fix it.
So it will be a (first) decision of the new BoD.
Otherwise the BoD has to fix something they don't voted of (and maybe
don't want to do).

this is indeed a good point... what do the others think? We can give our +1 as recommendation to the new BoD, but I guess it will indeed be hard to bind them on decisions they have not taken.

Florian

Hi all,

Hi,

If you do it in 2 months there will be (soon) a voted Board of Directors
to determine this.

Maybe the SC - as non-voted - only give a recommendation for the BoD and
put it all in this direction put don't fix it.
So it will be a (first) decision of the new BoD.
Otherwise the BoD has to fix something they don't voted of (and maybe
don't want to do).

this is indeed a good point... what do the others think? We can give our +1 as recommendation to the new BoD, but I guess it will indeed be hard to bind them on decisions they have not taken.

No problem for me as long as TDF is represented.

Kind regards
Sophie

________________________________
From: sophie <gautier.sophie@gmail.com>
To: steering-discuss@documentfoundation.org
Sent: Sat, 18 June, 2011 12:51:17
Subject: Re: [steering-discuss] Joining the OASIS Consortium

Hi all,
On 18/06/2011 09:58, Florian Effenberger wrote:

Hi,

klaus-jürgen weghorn ol wrote on 2011-06-16 08.18:

If you do it in 2 months there will be (soon) a voted Board of Directors
to determine this.

Maybe the SC - as non-voted - only give a recommendation for the BoD and
put it all in this direction put don't fix it.
So it will be a (first) decision of the new BoD.
Otherwise the BoD has to fix something they don't voted of (and maybe
don't want to do).

this is indeed a good point... what do the others think? We can give our +1 as
recommendation to the new BoD, but I guess it will indeed be hard to bind them
on decisions they have not taken.

No problem for me as long as TDF is represented.

Kind regards
Sophie

Hi :slight_smile:
Some organisations vote only a 3rd of positions each time. Specific legally
required roles such as Company Secretary, Finance/Treasurer and Chair are
sometimes nominated from existing board members although often the newly elected
board members are included.

Since those elections are normally held annually it means each board member is
committing to 3 years. So, perhaps for TDF it might be better to have the
rolling elections every 6months with the legally required posts being voted on
annually.

This system ensures that 2/3rd majority are stable, established, experienced
board members that are already "up to speed" on relevant issues. It gives
external organisations confidence that agreements are not going to be suddenly
over-turned just after the AGM. It helps new board members to quickly learn
their way around. It helps to get "fresh blood" and a new perspective, a new
energy into the board without compromising stability.

I think this first time all the positions need to be voted on but hopefully that
will mostly be a case of voting in people that already do a great job. Italo,
Sophie, Cor and of course Florian are highly visible, well regarded and do an
excellent job but i would guess there are others i don't notice that also do
crucially important work.

It might be another thing that is good to discuss now to present recommendations
to the BoD but it might be better to wait and let them discuss this sort of
thing after elections.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Hello everyone

>> this is indeed a good point... what do the others think? We can give our
+1 as
>>recommendation to the new BoD, but I guess it will indeed be hard to bind
them
>>on decisions they have not taken.
>No problem for me as long as TDF is represented.

I think that if we go down that path we'll lose some valuable time revoting
on it. The SC's mission ends when the BoD is elected and that is very
clear, but until then, if decisions have to be made we should not refrain
from making them. (Although I understand the need not to rush anything - but
joining the OASIS is not exactly a rushed decision).

best,
Charles.

Hi,

I think that if we go down that path we'll lose some valuable time revoting
  on it. The SC's mission ends when the BoD is elected and that is very
clear, but until then, if decisions have to be made we should not refrain
from making them. (Although I understand the need not to rush anything - but
joining the OASIS is not exactly a rushed decision).

well, I have no problem with deciding, but still, decisions are not binding for the future BoD, so we should keep that in mind. :slight_smile:

Florian

Hi,

Just wondering, is there some membership window, a period of time each
year when new memberships are accepted at OASIS? Is that an issue here?

Thanks

Drew

________________________________
From: Florian Effenberger <floeff@documentfoundation.org>
To: steering-discuss@documentfoundation.org
Sent: Sat, 18 June, 2011 19:18:40
Subject: Re: [steering-discuss] Joining the OASIS Consortium

Hi,

Charles-H. Schulz wrote on 2011-06-18 16.50:

I think that if we go down that path we'll lose some valuable time revoting
  on it. The SC's mission ends when the BoD is elected and that is very
clear, but until then, if decisions have to be made we should not refrain
from making them. (Although I understand the need not to rush anything - but
joining the OASIS is not exactly a rushed decision).

well, I have no problem with deciding, but still, decisions are not binding for
the future BoD, so we should keep that in mind. :slight_smile:

Florian

Hi :slight_smile:
For things such as annual subscriptions and stuff it makes sense to deal with it
now so that the BoD don't have to worry about it until next year. The OASIS
thing sounds like a lot of money to me but people that know what it offers are
all saying yes, by the sounds of it, so i think maybe just do it.

Regards from
Tom :slight_smile:

Charles-H. Schulz wrote (18-06-11 16:50)

I think that if we go down that path we'll lose some valuable time revoting
on it.
The SC's mission ends when the BoD is elected and that is very
clear, but until then, if decisions have to be made we should not refrain
from making them.

Indeed.

(Although I understand the need not to rush anything - but
joining the OASIS is not exactly a rushed decision).

Plus that it is hard to imagine that the BOD would not consider joining the home of ODF important.

Hi,

For things such as annual subscriptions and stuff it makes sense to deal with it
now so that the BoD don't have to worry about it until next year. The OASIS
thing sounds like a lot of money to me but people that know what it offers are
all saying yes, by the sounds of it, so i think maybe just do it.

well, I would wait for the BoD, but seems I am alone with this position. :slight_smile: This is ok, but keep in mind, that at the moment we neither should spend the money nor make any contracts, so let's wait until the foundation really exists before acting legally.

Florian