[Osia-members] My thought: A new approach is needed.
GPCS - Grant Petch
gpcs at internode.on.net
Mon Jan 29 00:30:53 AEDT 2018
Hi All,
Some great comments and feedback here, well done to all involved with
this side of things. I did lodge my proxy for the SGM as I was unable
to attend (even though I would have loved to been there to support the
organisation in person), I've also not been able to attend LCA's in
recent years due to tighter financial circumstances. Personally I would
to have loved to have thrown my hat into the ring to be an OSIA
director, but due to other personal issues that I'm dealing with at the
current time means that I would not have been able to do it on a full
time basis. However I'm more than willing to do some volunteering at a
lower level with smaller amounts of time should the need arise, and my
skills and expertise happen to
fit the bill.
My comments on this are..
1) Noted that our current number of financial members are on the low
side, but not quite sure how we can boost these numbers for OSIA. A few
weeks ago I did post up another email outlining some other areas that
could be addressed to further improve the value to our members.
2) Should we seek sponsors who are prepared to offer OSIA something of a
more financial nature, rather than just in kind? Please don't
misunderstand me here, I'm not saying that in kind has no value, but
trying to see if we could do more with some more dollars in the bank.
3) Working with LA more could be of quite significant value for the FOSS
industry as a whole (hence I would support this), but I'm not going down
the line of suggesting OSIA to merge with them, or to get taken over by
them as per say. Although LA have less volunteers in recent times to
what they had in the past, there are still some very good people within
their organisation who could be of great assett to us, and also vice
versa back in return.
4) If we don't have the resources to continue as a company, should OSIA
perhaps consider going down the lines of being a not-for-profit
organisation under ASIC? This to me would seem a more cost effective
direction to take, but does someone else have another idea to look into?
5) I don't agree with OSIA going into hibernation for any amount of time
- I think that Mark Phillips has commented well in this area.
6) I feel that OSIA should be offering more to members than just
Government lobbying, etc. Don't get me wrong there is a need for this,
but it should not be the primary focus of OSIA - please refer to my
other post that I sent out a few weeks ago around this issue.
7) Winding up OSIA should not be taken lightly, or the easy way out of a
larger issue. If we need to go down this path then it ought to be
addressed in more detail & further discussed on this list with both our
financial members, past members / other interested people who are on
this mailing list.
Anyway are there any further comments, ideas, suggestions, etc..? It
would be great to see what more of you have to say on this.
Warmest Regards,
Grant Petch
GP Computer Services
On 28/01/18 15:33, Anastasia kuusk wrote:
> Agreed Bob.
>
> Regards,
>
> Ana
>
> Anastasia Kuusk
> Technology Project & Program Management
> www.inforg.com.au
> Phone 0428836405
>
>
>
> On Fri, Jan 26, 2018 at 3:19 PM +1030, "Bob Birchall"
> <bob at calyx.net.au <mailto:bob at calyx.net.au>> wrote:
>
> Hi Mark,
> I agree with these comments. The other significant outcome of the
> meeting that I would add to your list was the expression of
> goodwill from Linux Australia, manifested both in the number of
> present and past councillors who attended our meeting and in the
> sympathetic and encouraging words of Cathy Reed and others.
>
> Dave Kempe pointed out to me this morning that over 400
> organisations paid for their people to attend Linux Conf this
> week. This is the open source industry. Its strong, though
> diverse. If OSIA is to speak for it, we need better mechanisms
> than we have currently for harvesting opinions and resources.
>
> My take on our situation is this:
> - any future for OSIA lies in closer collaboration with LA;
> - there is a widely held view that ongoing representation to
> government is necessary, in some matters vital and urgent;
> - we have neither the troops nor money to continue as a public
> company;
> - past and present members do not perceive value in the existing
> structure.
>
> We have an invitation from LA to discussion of what alternative
> futures might look like. I think we need to take that up.
>
> My opinion.
>
> Bob Birchall
> Calyx
>
> On 26 Jan 2018 11:56 AM, "Mark Phillips"
> <mark.phillips at automatedtestsystems.com.au
> <mailto:mark.phillips at automatedtestsystems.com.au>> wrote:
>
> The following points are based on my recollections of the SGM.
> They may be incorrect and incomplete and if so please correct
> me in any replies.
>
> Also feel free to forward this email to any participates
> expected on Saturdays board meeting.
>
>
> 1. There is approximately 25 financial members of the OSAI.
> There were approximately 7 attendees and I think 3
> proxies. ( plus myself and the LA representatives)
> 2. There are 6 sponsors. Did any of these sponsors attend or
> supply proxies for the SGM?
> 3. Jack and Rod expressed their wish to stand down, Jack has
> stated he would be interested in a limited company
> secretary role. Alexar is only interested in a caretaker
> role and will resign from the board when additional
> directors are appointed.
> 4. There was only a single EoI for the role of OSIA director.
> 5. Kathy, Linux Australia (LA), mentioned that volunteer
> support is diminishing within LA
> 6. David's comment that OSIA has succeeded and therefore is
> no longer relevant
> 7. Ron's comment regarding putting OSIA into hibernation for
> about 8 months.
> 8. Jacks comment regarding Government agencies approaching
> OSIA in the past.
>
>
> So, while I thought that it could be possible to resurrect
> OSIA given three board members and my commitment expressed
> through my EoI, I no longer think this is viable long term.
> There is no significant support from either the membership,
> both financial and non-financial in the short term let alone
> the long term. and I would go as far as to say there is no
> significant support from OSIA's sponsors. In kind support is
> not what is currently needed. Also just looking at the OSIA's
> attendees at the SGM there is no next generation.
>
>
> The governmental/public profile support generated by Jack's
> time on the board has been damaged over the last 12 months.
> This can only be further damaged if OSIA goes into a
> hibernation period as suggested by Ron. If OSIA is going to
> be resurrected now, it will be difficult enough to regain this
> forgone credibility with the various government. In this
> circumstance, as an outsider, I would be seeing that OSIA is
> not a industry body but a personality driven body. If there is
> the correct person available then the body thrives, if there
> is not, then the influence of OSIA dies. This is not to say
> that strong leaders are problem, I'm saying that it is this
> in-between times that could suggest that the OSIA is not
> backed by industry but by persons with a specific interest.
>
>
> I think David's comment (6) is wrong. Open Source has not
> "won" it has become somewhat accepted. There will always be
> issues that will be detrimental to Open Source that should be
> fought on all levels. Two recent examples are the resurrection
> of the TPP in Australia and the changes to net-neutrality in
> the states. There is also privacy concerns and concerns
> regarding open standards. These sorts of fights are never won.
> Individual battles are won but the war is ongoing. Vested
> interests will always try and assert control to their benefit.
> OSIA must be continually on guard for this sort of influence
> and oppose it where it can. So no I do not think open source
> has won if it ever can.
>
> It is my opinion that continuing long term support for OSIA in
> it's current form does not exist. Therefore a better mechanism
> for long term commitment and thus viability for the ideals of
> OSIA, independent of personalities, needs a thorough
> investigation.
>
>
> Mark
>
>
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