While we're on the subject of organizational names, we may want to take this opportunity to have a look at our organizational structure.
It is rather unusual for there to be three different names, perhaps suggesting three different groups, all being applied to what is really one project. Of course, many Free Software projects don't need any sort of legal establishment. Only once they reach a point where they're so big that they start having to deal with legal issues and the like do they need to form legal entities. We're quite different. We absolutely MUST manage money in order to exist. Hardware is expensive, so we need to have legal status and a system for handling funds from the beginning. It also makes sense that there would be a for-profit division that also acts as insulation against the "corporate world", as well as a non-profit division to handle donations and act as an interface to the FOSS community. But is there really now any need for there to be a nebulous third entity that we currently call the Open Graphics Project? It has no legal status and doesn't need it, so it's served, for some time, as an umbrella. But the three names probably are cause for confusion, and we may want to simplify things. I would like to ponder the idea that we consider choosing one new name to cover the all of the Free aspects of the OGP and the OHF and officially declare everything to be under that name. Later the OHF could take on that name legally. Ultimately, this would relegate "OGP" to being the first of many projects under the guidance of the OHF. The OHF would serve its grand purpose of bringing people and organized projects together to make and promote Free Hardware Designs. This may change the definition of what it means to be a member of the OGP. Right now, what does it mean? That you're signed onto the mailing list? The nice thing about that is that it doesn't take on a snobby "elite club" character. Any interested person can benefit or make a contribution. On the other hand, there are beneficial effects to having an official flavor to what it means to be a "member," in that people are more inclined to keep their attention focused on achieving the common goals. We'll have to play this by ear over time. As you can see, I have some rather incomplete thoughts here. But it may be beneficial, at least in name, to "combine" everything under one heading, with a single, clear purpose. -- Timothy Miller http://www.cse.ohio-state.edu/~millerti _______________________________________________ Open-graphics mailing list [email protected] http://lists.duskglow.com/mailman/listinfo/open-graphics List service provided by Duskglow Consulting, LLC (www.duskglow.com)
