Re: Questions for candidates
Richard Stallman r...@gnu.org wrote: I would like GNOME to positively influence other projects both propriety and Free Software ones. A positive influence has to be a good thing -- but what does it mean to have a positive influence on a proprietary program? Convincing its developers to make it free software is the biggest form of positive influence. But we can only occasionally achieve that much. Short of that, what kind of change would be positive? Respecting privacy and allowing interoperability with Free Software are the obvious possibilities. It's also possible for proprietary software to use Free Software components and tools. And to be clear - I only mentioned proprietary software as one possible aspect of a wider attempt to positively influence software projects. Free Software is (and should continue to be) our primary focus. Allan ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Question to GNOME Foundation Board candidates
On 19 May 2015 at 01:41, Max sakana...@gmail.com wrote: Hello all, First, thanks to all candidates for volunteering to the Foundation Board. Max come from GNOME.Asia team and thanks GNOME and board support Asia. I have 2 questions to all candidates 1) How many hours per week do you expect you will be able to dedicate to working on the board on a regular basis? Around 5 hours or so. I can spend more time on it when it is needed, but it would be unsustainable of me to commit more on a regular basis. 2) What's your plan and view with GNOME in Asia? How do you think about grow GNOME in Asia?( ecosystem / contribute / sponsor / volunteer ... ) The ecosystem in Asia is very different from in Europe and North America. I think that the local community is much better placed at promoting and growing GNOME in that region than I am, so I would be most effective on the board at ensuring that any resources which are needed by people like you which the Foundation can provide are available for you to use. This can be everything from funding for events to putting you in touch with other people who can help. * Maybe you already notice -- there start to have sponsors from Asia with GUADEC.( There are 2 in 2015 and 1 in 2014 ) * There are some open source events related and co-work with GNOME Users Group or Members in Asia. For example ** Hong Kong Open Source Conference ( http://opensource.hk/event ) After GNOME.Asia Summit 2012, there are more GNOME and open source related activities in Hong Kong. They start Hong Kong Open Source Conference at 2013. ** openSUSE.Asia Summit ( https://events.opensuse.org/conference/summitasia14 ) ** FUDCon ( https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/FUDCon?rd=Fudcon ) We held GNOME.Asia Summit 2014 together with FUDCon. I know there will be more people ask questions about all domain with GNOME, so I ask question with Asia first. Thanks again for all candidates volunteering to the Foundation Board. (_ _) Max Huaug ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Questions for candidates
There are a few subtle ways of getting the message out which we could explore: For example, getting GNOME listed onto some popular websites in the UK (e.g. BBC, NHS, RNIB etc) and elsewhere, by approaching them with up to date instruction manuals on how to use GNOME's accessibility tools so they can publish them or provide links. These are candidate ways for how to promote GNOME. They might be good ways. The board would want to compare them with other possible ways in order to choose. However, I'm raising a different point: about spreading the ideas of free software. That is different from use of GNOME. Thus, I ask, how would you piggy-back spreading the ideas of free software onto GNOME and the promotion of GNOME? -- Dr Richard Stallman President, Free Software Foundation 51 Franklin St Boston MA 02110 USA www.fsf.org www.gnu.org Skype: No way! See stallman.org/skype.html. ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Questions for candidates
Does this not limit the ability of the FSF to campaign against US laws which attack software freedom somewhat? In practice, the requirement is no difficulty at all. We could legally spend up to 10% of our budget on lobbying. Even if we did lobbying, we would never do that much of it. However, what we actually do about these issues is not lobbying. Rather, it is outreach to the public. That 10% limit does not apply to outreach to the public. Also, we are not allowed to work for or against specific candidates for office. I think you are correct about this. Am I right in assuming that only applies to political parties in the USA, then? I don't know -- for that you should check with a lawyer. -- Dr Richard Stallman President, Free Software Foundation 51 Franklin St Boston MA 02110 USA www.fsf.org www.gnu.org Skype: No way! See stallman.org/skype.html. ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Questions for candidates
Hi Karen, Thanks for your input. Also, we are not allowed to work for or against specific candidates for office. I think you are correct about this. Am I right in assuming that only applies to political parties in the USA, then? I don't know -- for that you should check with a lawyer. As I recall the regs are silent as to whether the restriction on endorsing or opposing political candidates is limited to the US. I once found some IRS guidance that said that that it is applicable internationally too. I would definitely consult a lawyer before any United States c3 charity takes on any political activity. I think we signed up to the EU fix my documents initiative and I would really hope we could continue to support work like that without it being an issue. My guess would be that putting our name to that sort of campaign should be okay, since advocating a legislative amendment does not cost us anything, is not strictly endorsing a specific political party and is hopefully not likely to be considered a significant enough kind of lobbying activity, but do you think it would be a good idea for us to check with a Lawyer before doing that sort of thing, in future? I am now also wondering whether I should write to the California Department of Justice to double check that directors are allowed to be a member of a political party outside the USA just in case I manage get elected onto the board. Does this seem like a sensible idea? As disclosed in my candidacy statement, I am a member of the Scottish National Party who run the Scottish Government which can sometimes mean being personally involved with election campaigns, proposing amendments and voting on proposals as a delegate on behalf of my ward. Magdalen ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Questions for candidates
On 2015-05-29 19:35, Magdalen Berns wrote: Hi Karen, Thanks for your input. Also, we are not allowed to work for or against specific candidates for office. I think you are correct about this. Am I right in assuming that only applies to political parties in the USA, then? I don't know -- for that you should check with a lawyer. As I recall the regs are silent as to whether the restriction on endorsing or opposing political candidates is limited to the US. I once found some IRS guidance that said that that it is applicable internationally too. I would definitely consult a lawyer before any United States c3 charity takes on any political activity. I think we signed up to the EU fix my documents initiative and I would really hope we could continue to support work like that without it being an issue. My guess would be that putting our name to that sort of campaign should be okay, since advocating a legislative amendment does not cost us anything, is not strictly endorsing a specific political party and is hopefully not likely to be considered a significant enough kind of lobbying activity, but do you think it would be a good idea for us to check with a Lawyer before doing that sort of thing, in future? I think it's a good idea to check any lobbying or political involvement of the charity by a lawyer. As Richard said, there is a difference between non-partisan education and lobbying or political activity (and there's some amount of lobbying that can be permitted). Here are two brief summaries from the IRS: http://www.irs.gov/Charities--Non-Profits/Lobbying http://www.irs.gov/Charities--Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/The-Restriction-of-Political-Campaign-Intervention-by-Section-501%28c%29%283%29-Tax-Exempt-Organizations I am now also wondering whether I should write to the California Department of Justice to double check that directors are allowed to be a member of a political party outside the USA just in case I manage get elected onto the board. Does this seem like a sensible idea? As disclosed in my candidacy statement, I am a member of the Scottish National Party who run the Scottish Government which can sometimes mean being personally involved with election campaigns, proposing amendments and voting on proposals as a delegate on behalf of my ward. These restrictions are US federal rules related to GNOME's 501c3 tax status, not the CA rules (there are different kinds of rules that CA imposes on us). Your personal views and other affiliations should not be problematic so long as they are not connected to your role within the GNOME Foundation... but do you intend to make political statements or lobby in your capacity as a GNOME Foundation director if you are elected? That would be very relevant. See this FAQ on the IRS site for more information: http://www.irs.gov/Charities--Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-the-Ban-on-Political-Campaign-Intervention-by-501%28c%29%283%29-Organizations:-Constitutional-Considerations. Also, I should make it clear that this is not legal advice. You should consult with a lawyer about your personal obligations if you are uncertain. As you can probably see, there's a lot of information available on the IRS site too if you'd like to educate yourself (I don't think I'll have time for more back and forth on this issue). While I am not running for another board term and have limited time, I still intend to be available as pro bono counsel to GNOME when the new board takes office. I also am happy to continue to help coordinate other pro bono counsel, as I have done for the last number of years. karen ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Questions for candidates
Hi Karen, I think we signed up to the EU fix my documents initiative and I would really hope we could continue to support work like that without it being an issue. My guess would be that putting our name to that sort of campaign should be okay, since advocating a legislative amendment does not cost us anything, is not strictly endorsing a specific political party and is hopefully not likely to be considered a significant enough kind of lobbying activity, but do you think it would be a good idea for us to check with a Lawyer before doing that sort of thing, in future? I think it's a good idea to check any lobbying or political involvement of the charity by a lawyer. As Richard said, there is a difference between non-partisan education and lobbying or political activity (and there's some amount of lobbying that can be permitted). Here are two brief summaries from the IRS: http://www.irs.gov/Charities--Non-Profits/Lobbying http://www.irs.gov/Charities--Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/The-Restriction-of-Political-Campaign-Intervention-by-Section-501%28c%29%283%29-Tax-Exempt-Organizations OK thanks for that information. We should bookmark this and keep it in mind. I am now also wondering whether I should write to the California Department of Justice to double check that directors are allowed to be a member of a political party outside the USA just in case I manage get elected onto the board. Does this seem like a sensible idea? As disclosed in my candidacy statement, I am a member of the Scottish National Party who run the Scottish Government which can sometimes mean being personally involved with election campaigns, proposing amendments and voting on proposals as a delegate on behalf of my ward. These restrictions are US federal rules related to GNOME's 501c3 tax status, not the CA rules (there are different kinds of rules that CA imposes on us). Urgh... Your personal views and other affiliations should not be problematic so long as they are not connected to your role within the GNOME Foundation... but do you intend to make political statements or lobby in your capacity as a GNOME Foundation director if you are elected? That would be very relevant. See this FAQ on the IRS site for more information: http://www.irs.gov/Charities--Non-Profits/Charitable-Organizations/Frequently-Asked-Questions-About-the-Ban-on-Political-Campaign-Intervention-by-501%28c%29%283%29-Organizations:-Constitutional-Considerations . There may be a proposal or two which which may relate to software freedom down the line, but nothing I can think of that could directly relate to my role at GNOME either, as a member or (if elected) as a director, at all. So that seems like this should be okay actually. I think it seems like I would have to be a bit more careful about the wording I use on my planet GNOME blog and at events, but that's okay with me. Also, I should make it clear that this is not legal advice. You should consult with a lawyer about your personal obligations if you are uncertain. As you can probably see, there's a lot of information available on the IRS site too if you'd like to educate yourself (I don't think I'll have time for more back and forth on this issue). I agree the IRS site is quite informative, thanks. I reckon that should be enough. I'll bookmark it. While I am not running for another board term and have limited time, I still intend to be available as pro bono counsel to GNOME when the new board takes office. I also am happy to continue to help coordinate other pro bono counsel, as I have done for the last number of years. That's decent of you, thanks! We all appreciate how much work you have done to improve GNOME and support its community, so I am sure whoever ends up being elected onto the board will try not to make too many demands on your time around these sorts of things; still, it's always reassuring to know that skilled help like this is at hand, if needed! ;-) Magdalen ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Questions for candidates
Hi Richard There are a few subtle ways of getting the message out which we could explore: For example, getting GNOME listed onto some popular websites in the UK (e.g. BBC, NHS, RNIB etc) and elsewhere, by approaching them with up to date instruction manuals on how to use GNOME's accessibility tools so they can publish them or provide links. These are candidate ways for how to promote GNOME. They might be good ways. The board would want to compare them with other possible ways in order to choose. However, I'm raising a different point: about spreading the ideas of free software. That is different from use of GNOME. Thus, I ask, how would you piggy-back spreading the ideas of free software onto GNOME and the promotion of GNOME? I don't follow why you see these as such different things: GNOME is free software; by promoting GNOME, we are therefore promoting free software and the ideas which come with its use. Spreading much more general ideas of free software is something which other organisations (e.g. FSF) are already established to address. I really think that the directors of GNOME are supposed to spend their time on work which directly relates to GNOME's core mission; if elected, I would be keen to focus on that commitment. Magdalen ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Questions for candidates
Hi Richard, On Fri, May 29, 2015 at 7:24 PM, Magdalen Berns m.be...@thismagpie.com wrote: Hi Richard There are a few subtle ways of getting the message out which we could explore: For example, getting GNOME listed onto some popular websites in the UK (e.g. BBC, NHS, RNIB etc) and elsewhere, by approaching them with up to date instruction manuals on how to use GNOME's accessibility tools so they can publish them or provide links. These are candidate ways for how to promote GNOME. They might be good ways. The board would want to compare them with other possible ways in order to choose. However, I'm raising a different point: about spreading the ideas of free software. That is different from use of GNOME. Thus, I ask, how would you piggy-back spreading the ideas of free software onto GNOME and the promotion of GNOME? I don't follow why you see these as such different things: GNOME is free software; by promoting GNOME, we are therefore promoting free software and the ideas which come with its use. Spreading much more general ideas of free software is something which other organisations (e.g. FSF) are already established to address. I really think that the directors of GNOME are supposed to spend their time on work which directly relates to GNOME's core mission; if elected, I would be keen to focus on that commitment. Oh wait, I think I do actually see what you mean now You're concerned about the message we send out if we use non-free software to promote GNOME and things like this e.g. git servers and social networking? In that regard, I'd have no problem advocating we always seek to use more free-software resources where alternatives exist and generally seek to improve our own infrastructure so we rely on 3rd party tools less in general so it's less of a concern. I would definitely advocate we scrap the investigation into google adwords. For one thing it won't actually make the money that the advertising space is worth so I think there are more constructive uses of that space which could promote select businesses who are more in line with what we are about. Bear in mind though, with these sorts of things I cannot make promises about what I would be able deliver. As suggested in other threads, as one of seven directors I could only really advocate what I think are appropriate and reasonable strategies and do my best to gain a consensus from the community about these sorts of things. GNOME is a democratic organisation so I can't and (I don't want to) impose anything on the community which they aren't down with. Magdalen ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
Re: Questions for candidates
On 2015-05-29 13:54, Richard Stallman wrote: Does this not limit the ability of the FSF to campaign against US laws which attack software freedom somewhat? In practice, the requirement is no difficulty at all. We could legally spend up to 10% of our budget on lobbying. Even if we did lobbying, we would never do that much of it. However, what we actually do about these issues is not lobbying. Rather, it is outreach to the public. That 10% limit does not apply to outreach to the public. Also, we are not allowed to work for or against specific candidates for office. I think you are correct about this. Am I right in assuming that only applies to political parties in the USA, then? I don't know -- for that you should check with a lawyer. As I recall the regs are silent as to whether the restriction on endorsing or opposing political candidates is limited to the US. I once found some IRS guidance that said that that it is applicable internationally too. I would definitely consult a lawyer before any United States c3 charity takes on any political activity. karen ___ foundation-list mailing list foundation-list@gnome.org https://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-list
