RE: [chairs] Membership for open source implementers

Notice these days that Apache is itself a big organization and has tons of resources poured into it - no cobblers sons' there I'd wager!!!

What Bob Glushko reported was insightful.

Problem is - that was then - this is now. Now everyone is doing OSS - so its no longer a fringe practice - thin on supporting resources. In fact the reverse - its so easy so set up an OSS project - and support it with worldclass collaboration tools - all free.

One has to ask the serious question - is a free membership really what an OSS developer needs? I'd say the majority would say not! So what does OASIS have to offer that may enduce them to spend $300+ on membership?

1) Exposure - links from TC sites

2) Supporting adoption by members / credability / community building

3) Partnerships and collaborations

4) Open public specification that matches their implementation

5) Promotion via white papers / case studies et al

6) Test bed and conformance tests

7) Wiki and other support resources

8) More hands to the mast - when you write code - you need people doing all the other things 1) thru 7)

I think if you go after dangling these types of carrots - serious OSS developers are not going to have too much trouble joining your TC / and / or working on implementations...

And this brings us back to the objective in the first place - to foster OSS implementations.

BTW - there's also the reverse - cool OSS stuff out there that needs a TC to formalize spec's for it - one I've been looking at seriously is iText and scripting XML for handling PDF validation and manipulation - but that's another whole story (NO NO - I'm NOT starting another TC!) ; -)

"The way to be is to do" - Confucius (551-472 B.C.)

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [chairs] Membership for open source implementers
From: Paul Fremantle <paul@wso2.com>
Date: Sat, April 07, 2007 3:04 am
To: "David RR Webber (XML)" <david@drrw.info>
Cc: chairs@lists.oasis-open.org, Gabe Wachob <gabe.wachob@amsoft.net>

David



I completely agree. I guess I had that in mind when I was writing what I 

said, but just didn't say it!



For example, I work on OSS implementations of OASIS specs, but my 

company is funded and pays its OASIS dues.



So I certainly think that this should be based on need, and if people 

are doing this work for the benefit of their company, then the company 

should join OASIS.



Another thing that OASIS could do - in addition - is to offer a small 

set of Open Source foundations, such as Apache, free membership.



Paul







David RR Webber (XML) wrote:

> Paul,

>  


> This simply cannot be the sole criteria - there are so many
companies 


> now doing open source implementations - and of course my TC is a
point 


> in case - where the open source implementation is contributed by
a

major 

> corporation.

>  


> The real criteria here is that an individual contributor - is
facing 


> hardship in meeting the membership fee - and then the fee can be
waved 

> descretionary.

>  


> If someone is going to all the effort of writing a solution - have
an 


> open public specification for that - that they have been able to



> contribute to and have their implementation optimize - 9 times
out

of 10 

> the membership fee is a no-brainer to promote that.

>  

> DW

> 

> "The way to be is to do" - Confucius (551-472 B.C.)

> 

> 

>     -------- Original Message --------

>     Subject: Re: [chairs] Membership for open source implementers

>     From: Paul Fremantle <paul@wso2.com>

>     Date: Thu, April 05, 2007 5:30 pm

>     To: Gabe Wachob <gabe.wachob@amsoft.net>

>     Cc: chairs@lists.oasis-open.org

> 

>     Gabe

> 


>     I completely agree. I think that any committer on any
project

actively 


>     implementing an OASIS specification under an OSI license
should

be able 

>     to apply for a Open Source Membership free-of-charge.

> 


>     Personally I don't think this is going to cost OASIS any loss
of

income, 


>     but it certainly will encourage a wider view of OASIS
standards.

> 

>     Paul

> 

>     Gabe Wachob wrote:

> 



-- 

Paul Fremantle

VP/Technical Sales, WSO2

OASIS WS-RX TC Co-chair



http://bloglines.com/blog/paulfremantle

paul@wso2.com

(646) 290 8050



"Oxygenating the Web Service Platform", www.wso2.com

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