I posted the following at [EMAIL PROTECTED] If the topic
is of interest, please read and respond there rather than replying to
this message and posting here (I think this
[EMAIL PROTECTED] forum should be for general
interest and technical topics rather than commercial / trade issues).
Vista-vendors is open to all, and we only require that people ask to
join the list in order to keep spammers from joining and harvesting
e-mail addressed. If you would like to join, go to
http://yahoogroups.com, search for vista-vendors, and ask to join the group.
Regards
-- Bhaskar
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Room for an OpenVistA Software Association
Date: Sat, 25 Sep 2004 17:53:28 -0400
From: K. S. Bhaskar <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
I have been thinking things over, and I wonder if there is a space in
the community for another trade / vendor association. I would like to
sound the community out on the possibility of an "OpenVistA Software
Association" (OSA), based on the following principles:
1. Democracy, openness and transparency in operations and decision
making: communication should be in a public forum visible to all
members, members should be visible to other members, etc. [Vendors
compete tooth-and-nail with one another for business. The only way we
can possibly trust one another in the context of a trade association is
through openness and transparency.]
2. A commitment to open standards, and to the extent feasible to the
development, use and advocacy of open source free software, and to the
adoption and advancement of business practices which are congruent with
open source principles, i.e., revenue models based on the provision of
services rather than the licensing of intellectual property. [Open
standards and software benefit and empower the user community. Although
we will compete vigorously for business, a rising tide lifts all boats,
and a successful user community, i.e., successful customers, is good for
vendors. "Free" in this context refers to "free speech" rather than
"free beer", and a principle of the association would be that open
source free software is good for business.]
3. Affordability. [Vendors come in all sizes and from all parts of the
world. In the OpenVistA Software Association, money would buy exposure
and goodwill, but not power and influence. Ultimately, this means that
governance must come down to one person, one vote, and all votes are equal.]
4. Internationalism. [Although the United States is the largest single
economic ecosystem on the planet, there's a whole world out there. I
believe this fits with 1. above because it will force most decision
making to happen through debate and decision making via the written
electronic word.]
There are almost certainly other principles, but we should probably keep
it down to seven or less. [I for one have trouble remembering more than
seven things at at time.]
If there is interest in an OpenVistA Software Association, let's discuss
it in this forum, and perhaps plan an organizational meeting at the
VistA Community Meeting, say, starting over dinner on Thursday, October
21, and continuing over the course of the meeting.
Reactions?
-- Bhaskar
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