[OSGeo-Discuss] mailing lists
OpenLayers is in a bit of a mess with regard to mailing lists. We have several @openlayers.org addresses that non-members should be able to write to. These addresses could be consolidated (to one address in my opinion), but they include things like places to send in CLA, ask for trac/subversion access, inquire about sponsorship, etc. Our PSC list in particular has become completely unusable. For historical reasons, only Chris Schmidt and Erik Uzureau had admin access to our PSC list. The list has been moved to OSGeo infrastructure, but there is still an @openlayers.org alias set up. This list currently has around 12,000 messages awaiting moderation (according to Chris) and the list admin page returns a 500 when logging in. I'd like to move to a mailing list solution with better spam control. The PSC has expressed approval for using hosted elsewhere like Google Groups. I'm sure others have opinions about alternatives, so I thought I'd ask here first. It's important in our case to have an archived list that non-members can post to with good spam control. I've had moderate success using Google Groups for this purpose. Thanks for any opinions, Tim -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] project donations
Hello- I see a proposal for having OSGeo accept microdonations on behalf of projects. http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Microdonations I also see that MapGuide has a Donate button that brings users to a PayPal page for OSGeo. Is there an updated resource on how project can get set up to accept small donations? Thanks, Tim -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] Re: OSGeo Board Election 2010 Results
All- I'm excited to start serving as a new board member. Thanks for the votes. Current members- Are there any details new members should know? I've just put in a subscription request for the Board list (http://lists.osgeo.org/pipermail/board/). Looks like that is pending approval. I've also just come across the wiki page about the F2F meeting (http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Face_to_Face_Meeting_Barcelona_2010). I regret that I didn't know about this earlier, as I would have made different arrangements. As it is, I am leaving early Sunday and had made plans for Saturday. I put my name down and can try to make it for a good part of the meeting (or all). Let me know if there is anything else we should be aware of as new board members. Thanks, Tim On 8/27/10 12:53 AM, Arnulf Christl (OSGeo) wrote: -BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE- Hash: SHA1 Paul, thanks again for organizing the board elections. It is great that we could get this done in time prior to FOSS4G so that the new board can meet there in real life. This promises to become a very productive meeting. Howard, Ari, thanks to both of you for serving on the board for two full years and we hope to continue to see you give advice to the OSGeo board in your specific domains. We will lack the European and education background of Ari and miss Howard's direct engagement from our systems committee. Tim and Daniel, welcome to the board and be prepared for lots of activities in the coming months. We need to look into funding and acquire new and more sponsors. The local chapters of OSGeo are developing great but many would like to see a closer relation to the OSGeo Foundation. The public geodata committee is developing interesting ideas around cataloging that could turn into a new OSGeo service and last but not least we will want to improve the incubation process to better serve the projects and the users. All, thanks all for trusting me with another term on the board of directors and I am excited to get going with the new team. See (hopefully most of you) in Barcelona. Best regards, Arnulf. Paul Ramsey wrote: OSGeo, Here are the final results from the 2010 voting for the open seats of the OSGeo Board of Directors. There were four seats open and they have been filled by, in alphabetical order: * Arnulf Christl * Daniel Morissette * Frank Warmerdam * Tim Schaub Thanks to everyone for running. The voting participation was 82% and there were no tie scores to arbitrate. Your complete resulting Board is: * Arnulf Christl * Chris Schmidt * Daniel Morissette * Frank Warmerdam * Geoff Zeiss * Jeff McKenna * Markus Neteler * Ravi Kumar * Tim Schaub We will complete the 2010 election process with the selection of new Charter Members in September after FOSS4G. Yours, Paul Ramsey 2010 Returning Officer - -- Arnulf Christl President OSGeo http://www.osgeo.org -BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE- Version: GnuPG v1.4.9 (GNU/Linux) Comment: Using GnuPG with Mozilla - http://enigmail.mozdev.org iEYEARECAAYFAkx3YPgACgkQXmFKW+BJ1b1vrwCeJZfJChn9bWkh1yWXKNV5kFMH NjoAn1bDDF0JC06EaQ36Hf6/THLnoeSj =/JXC -END PGP SIGNATURE- -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] role of foundation with regard to licensing
Hey- Not sure if this is well understood or has been covered here before. I'm curious about the role of the foundation in licensing code for distribution. If an OSGeo project assigns copyright to OSGeo, I imagine it is OSGeo that ultimately makes the decision on how to license the code for distribution. I'm not sure *who* exactly OSGeo is in this context. The incubation process ensures that code is under an OSI approved license [1]. I haven't seen any other information on who makes decisions about (re)licensing the code after incubation - and I'm interested only in the case where OSGeo holds copyright. Without knowing any of the legal details, what I would like to see is some arrangement by which the Project Steering Committee for a particular project becomes part of the foundation in some way, so that the PSC has the responsibility of making licensing decisions for the project. I imagine this would happen with some constraints from the foundation (e.g. OSI approved licenses only) I know that in practice, this is probably the way things already are. Why rock the boat? Why assign copyright to OSGeo in the first place [2]? Tim [1] http://www.osgeo.org/incubator/process/evaluation.html [2] My answer would include because it gives legal status to the PSC that allows it to make licensing decisions for the project. -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] role of foundation with regard to licensing
Hey- Frank Warmerdam wrote: Tim, The PSC is considered to be a committee of the foundation, and in particular it's representative is considered to be an officer of the foundation (corporation) giving them some ability to speak for the foundation legally. Ok. I didn't get this from a read of http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Project_Steering_Committees (the part about consideration as a committee and PSC rep as officer of foundation). I think this answers my question. I didn't know how formal the arrangement was (or even needs to be). I imagine this would happen with some constraints from the foundation (e.g. OSI approved licenses only) I know that in practice, this is probably the way things already are. Why rock the boat? Why assign copyright to OSGeo in the first place [2]? The primary reason to assign copyright to OSGeo is to make it easier to relicense in the future. It is very hard to relicense a project with copyright held by many contributors. Right. The reason I was asking was because I assumed the copyright assignment was primarily about relicensing. Finding no information specifically on how the foundation determines what license to use, I was unsure how things would go in practice. Sounds like the process goes like this (if OSGeo holds copyright): 1) PSC votes on license 2) PSC chair advises OSGeo board 3) OSGeo board decides on license Perhaps all this seems obvious. As the chair of the OpenLayers PSC, I was asking for clarification on the process because the PSC has been discussing both copyright assignment and relicensing. I just wanted to know who to talk to if/when we make any decisions. Sounds like the OSGeo board. Just added http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Licensing All mushy language. If someone wants to firm it up (or delete it), please do. Thanks, Tim There are also reasons not to assign license, foremost being the paperwork overhead involved in contributions agreements for all contributors. Some contributors are also hesitant to surrender their control over their contribution. Best regards, -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] copyright assignment
Hey- I'm interested making simpler the process of collecting maintaining contributor agreements. Specifically in the case where a project wishes to have contributors transfer copyright to OSGeo. I recently had the pleasure of signing an agreement (copyright assignment) digitally. I know the rules for what is acceptable probably vary from jurisdiction to jurisdiction. Does anybody know where a digital signature suffices? Currently, I think the process is that the PSC is responsible for collecting agreements from contributors. The PSC then sends these agreements to the OSGeo Secretary. The OSGeo Secretary maintains the agreements. Not sure how this is working out. I wonder if something simpler would be possible. Sample copyright assignment form: http://tinyurl.com/copyright-assignment And the records: http://tinyurl.com/assignments-on-file Anybody know if this could be made legitimate? Would OSGeo be amenable to having things work this way? Is this a pipe dream? Thanks, Tim -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] role of foundation with regard to licensing
Brian Russo wrote: So to sum up the themes of this thread.. OSGeo really just acts as an administrative body within with projects can have some legal existence, but effectively has no say on day-to-day tasks involving projects, etc. The actual direction of the projects sponsored by OSGeo is really the responsibility of the relevant committee/developers. This is now my understanding as well. Chris (Schmidt) and I had a discussion about this the other day. I was interested in seeing if the OSGeo member projects' steering committees could actually be recognized as some sort of legal entity by becoming a member project. It sounds like the PSC representative for a member project automagically becomes an officer of the foundation, giving them the ability to make licensing decisions on behalf of the foundation. That's tidy. Tim Miss anything relevant? - bri On Wed, Nov 18, 2009 at 4:31 PM, Frank Warmerdam warmer...@pobox.com mailto:warmer...@pobox.com wrote: Tim Schaub wrote: Sounds like the process goes like this (if OSGeo holds copyright): 1) PSC votes on license 2) PSC chair advises OSGeo board 3) OSGeo board decides on license Tim, Actually the steps would be: 1) PSC votes on license 2) PSC chair declares motion passed, and directs the license update on behalf of OSGeo. You could notify the board as a courtesy but it isn't required. Best regards, -- ---+-- I set the clouds in motion - turn up | Frank Warmerdam, warmer...@pobox.com mailto:warmer...@pobox.com light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam http://pobox.com/%7Ewarmerdam and watch the world go round - Rush| Geospatial Programmer for Rent ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org mailto:Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] what about wms-sites.com ?
Hey- pere roca ristol wrote: hi all, there was a nice site (wms-sites.com http://wms-sites.com) that I enjoyed very much because you could do thematic searches of avaible WMS, getting back a RSS feed that can be parsed and so on. the site has disappeared and I wonder if someone knows something or similar sites... I just know the list below, but they don't provide RSS. I put wms-sites.com together a few years ago. It was running on a pretty outdated setup, and the hosting company I used went out of business, so I let it come to an end. I've started on an updated replacement. I kept all the catalog entries and will populate the new service with these when I get it running. I'll also take a look at http://ows-search-engine.appspot.com/ (I'm not getting any response right now). My current work is also an appengine solution - so perhaps there is room for collaboration. I'll post here when I have something interesting to look at. Tim thanks, Pere Explore our planet: http://exploreourpla.net/gis/maps/ -http://columbo.nrlssc.navy.mil/ogcwms/servlet/WMSServlet?REQUEST=ServiceLinks -http://www.skylab-mobilesystems.com/en/wms_serverlist.html ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] Board Election: Tim Schaub
Hello OSGeo- I echo the statements of other board nominees in saying that it is an honor to be considered for the position. While it is a position that I would accept with great enthusiasm, I feel inclined to withdraw my name from consideration. I have enjoyed watching OSGeo mature into a solid and well recognized organization. As a newly elected Charter Member, I will consider it my challenge to get more directly involved and work for the continued success of the foundation. I honestly hope the opportunity to serve on the board presents itself again. In the meantime, I will increase my efforts to advocate for the foundation and the projects it represents. I look forward to seeing many of you in Sydney next month. Now, off to attend to a crying child ... Tim -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
[OSGeo-Discuss] process for copyright assignment
Hey- I'm hoping to hear some discussion that results in the creation of guidelines for new, pre-incubation projects wishing to assign copyright to OSGeo. Ideally, these guidelines would be as simple as: 1) Follow instructions for becoming a labs project http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/OSGeo_Labs 2) Follow instructions on assigning copyright http://wiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Project_Copyright_Assignment Both of the above pages would require some modification. I'd suggest a section on the labs page about becoming a labs project (perhaps as simple as editing that wiki page). On the copyright page, it would be nice if the preferred template replaced the old one and if there were some instruction on what to do with a signed agreement (e.g. mail to X). Does this seem reasonable? This has been brought up previously ([1], [2]). Previous suggestions have been don't ask, just assign and ask existing project to accept governance. Since the former feels sleazy and the latter assumes some existing project is motivated to assist the new project, I'm hoping there can be something in between. Also, since I don't pretend to understand all the implications of assigning copyright, I would accept OSGeo doesn't encourage this as an answer. Thanks for any ideas (and I'm happy to help with drafting any guidelines). Tim [1] http://n2.nabble.com/copyright-question-td2088465.html [2] http://n2.nabble.com/Starting-new-projects-under-OSGEO-td2083937.html -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] copyright question
Hey- Bart van den Eijnden (OSGIS) wrote: Thanks all for this very informative thread! Best regards, Bart Bart, thanks for raising the question - and to others for responses. Here is a bit more based on conversation on #osgeo. When asked under what conditions the OSGeo would accept copyright assignment, Frank mentioned that if an existing OSGeo project were to take responsibility for a sub project (looking for better words), it would make more sense for the OSGeo to accept some responsibility (accepting copyright). When I followed up by expressing confusion about exactly what an existing project PSC would agree to (in this case, the OpenLayers PSC), this followed: (01:39:40 PM) tschaub: I still wonder exactly what the ol psc would agree to (01:40:44 PM) FrankW: You would presumably ask them to accept responsibility for the code with the caveat that the copyright would be assigned to OSGeo, not metacarta and it would be best if you present the copyright assignment or contributor agreement you want to use in the motion to the OL PSC. (01:41:20 PM) FrankW: You might also write into the motion that the OL PSC would attempt to defer to the GeoExt PSC (or equiv) with regard to issues about that GeoExt code. Hope that appropriately characterizes the discussion. Tim P Kishor wrote: On Tue, Dec 9, 2008 at 2:33 PM, Frank Warmerdam [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: P Kishor wrote: Any right is only as good as its defense in the court. Just because reputable IP lawyers may draft copyright assignments in works that don't yet exist doesn't mean that actual copyrights in those works exist. Puneet, I don't claim that the copyright exists before the thing being copyrighted exists. Only that it is possible to write a contract that grants that copyright in advance of it actually existing. The actual assignment for each chunk presumably takes place as it is created and the copyright comes into existance. I am doubtful that this tangent is really important to the question of whether these folks can assign the copyright of their work-to-come to OSGeo. Yes, you are correct in stating that a contract can be written granting rights in one's future work to someone else. That is how work-for-hire works, for example. You and I were indeed talking slightly past each other. I interpreted Bart's question at face value -- can OsGeo to take copyright for a project which yet has to form. The answer is no. There are no rights yet, so nothing can be taken. On the other hand, can a creator of a work give up one's rights in future work to OSGeo? Sure, based on a contract, one can. Regards, -- Puneet Kishor ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss -- Tim Schaub OpenGeo - http://opengeo.org Expert service straight from the developers. ___ Discuss mailing list Discuss@lists.osgeo.org http://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/discuss
