Jon 'maddog' Hall wrote: > If the Openmoko community is interested in pursuing this, I would be > happy to discuss LI's plans further with you, and how Openmoko could fit > into this.
I think putting gta02-core and similar projects under the wings of LI is a wonderful idea ! We already discussed some of this a few days ago. Below are some hopefully not too random thoughts on the things a project like gta02-core needs and how they fit with what I think an organization like LI can provide. For technical projects like gta02-core, one of the most important roles of such an organization would be to enter contracts and to maintain rights that exist beyond and across projects. For example, if we need to enter an NDA for some purpose, also follow-on projects should be able to use this NDA without having to re-negotiate it (which can be very difficult if not impossible.) I'm not familiar with the subtleties that distinguish the various forms of organization, and their impact on commercial activities, but I think we can identify a few types of such activities that are likely to be necessary: For projects like gta02-core and possible successors, it would be important to purchase goods (e.g., components), contract services (e.g., PCB making or an SMT run), sell products (e.g., boards or complete phones), and to save some of the revenue for later activities (e.g., purchase of material). Furthermore, it should be possible to hire or contract people for roles that are beyond the scope of mere volunteer activities. The international chapters certainly resonate well with the global interest in open phone development that we've experienced with Openmoko. Regarding international members, is there any special paperwork they need to do to join LI as members or to perform tasks in which they represent LI (or a sub-group ?) to some extent, e.g., negotiate a contract ? If none of the items above raises a red flag, I'd say this should be an excellent match. The experience of LI would help projects like gta02-core to establish a solid organizational framework, and the prominence of LI would help gain visibility, attract participants, and open doors for industry contacts. When these bustling projects are successful in bringing openness, both for hard- and software, into new areas and to new users, this would in turn be just what LI aims for. So I'd like to thank you for the invitation, and I'm very excited about the prospect of joining forces with LI. - Werner _______________________________________________ Openmoko community mailing list community@lists.openmoko.org http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community