Re: [chairs] Membership for open source implementers

[Bill Parducci <bill.parducci@simulalabs.com>]

>
>> Another thing that OASIS could do - in addition - is to offer a  
>> small set of Open Source foundations, such as Apache, free  
>> membership.
>>
>
> a couple of years ago the OASIS board had at least one conference  
> call with several open source folks -- i am sure we can dig up the  
> list if it matters -- and at the time one of our big members  
> offered to pay for something like up to 10 individual memberships  
> so that open source people could join TCs.  No one took us up on this.

I suspect that is more likely correlated to positioning and a lack of  
awareness and relationship than a lack of interest. I don't want to  
get off onto a tangent, but the vast majority of OSS developers I  
have worked with participate in these projects because of their  
meritocratic nature and the desire to explore technology for the sake  
of technology. Corporate sponsorship, while generous, does not  
typically fit into this model. If an communities such as Apache,  
ObjectWeb, Eclipse, CodeHaus, etc. were enlisted at the organization  
level--and as part of a long running relationship that allowed  
community members to participate as a function of their "tribal"  
status--I believe that there would be greater participation by the  
OSS community.

The question of whether or not this is a good idea, I will leave to  
others... :)

b