Re: [fdn-ann] Re: GNOME Foundation press release

[Bart Decrem <bart eazel com>]

Hi everyone,

I agree with Greg's proposal.  It will also allow us to have a close-to-final
draft today based on which we can secure all the necessary corporate approvals.
Tomorrow, I will try and post the first draft of the second release that Greg is
proposing.

Greg: can you get us a draft over the next hour or two?  I want to be able to have
a quick rounds of edits on that one before we lock it in and call it
close-to-final at the end of today.

Bart


Greg Corrin wrote:

> All,
>
> The press release announcing the GNOME Foundation should not be confused with
> company specific commitments to the GNOME platform - many of these commitments
> don't involve the initial members of the Advisory board.
>
> Because several of the proposed additions to the Foundation announce are really
> company commitments, I propose that we have a separate announcement from the
> Steering committee regarding these - and not include them in the foundation
> announce.
>
> So, in addition to putting quotes on a second sheet, I will subtract company
> specific announcements from the draft of our first release and send out today -
> and if there are any more GNOME specific contributions your company will be
> making, please let us know as the steering committee needs to draft a second
> release...
>
> Thanks,
> Greg|
>
> linas@linas.org wrote:
>
> > I find myself agreeing with Jim.  Changing content at the last minute is
> > bad form.  Some of the new points are potentially divisive and show
> > a lack of seriousness and organization on the part of the Gnome
> > Foundation leadership.   You (we?) risk having a backlash from the
> > more adult players who think to themselves 'they promised this,
> > but then said that, and then did something completely different'.
> > Sounds like a teenager with too many hormones: colorful, inspired,
> > interesting to watch, but not who you're going to do business with.
> >
> > --linas
> >
> > It's been rumoured that Jim Gettys said:
> > >
> > > Strong comments below...
> > >                       - Jim
> > >
> > > >
> > > > -----Original Message-----
> > > > From: Maciej Stachowiak [mailto:mjs@eazel.com]
> > > > Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2000 8:36 PM
> > > > To: Miguel de Icaza
> > > > Cc: Barbara Heffner; foundation-announcement@gnome.org;
> > > > emcshane@chenpr.com; msouza@chenpr.com; Marco.Boerries@Eng.Sun.COM
> > > > Subject: Re: [fdn-ann] GNOME MEDIA ADVISORY FOR REVIEW
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > Miguel de Icaza <miguel@helixcode.com> writes:
> > > >
> > > > > Hello guys,
> > > > >
> > > > >    I just talked to Marco from Sun, and we would like to make the
> > > > > Foundation press release a lot more interesting than it is right now.
> > > > >
> > > > >    The current focus is to announce a GNOME foundation that will
> > > > > hopefully do something in the future, and say how excited we are about
> > > > > this and so on.
> > > > >
> > > > >    Here is an outline of the proposal and it adds a lot more meet to
> > > > > the announcement:
> > > > >
> > > > >   1. Main point of the announcement: Key Players join forces to
> > > > >            create GNOME Foundation and deliver next generation user
> > > > >            environment for PCs, Internet Devices and PDAs.
> > > > >
> > > > >   2. GNOME Foundation adopts Open Office as its productivity
> > > > >            suite to be integrated together with GNOME Office.
> > > >
> > > > This sounds like a much stronger statement than what we felt
> > > > comfortable with making before - I think we should still keep this
> > > > vague since we have not seen the code, etc etc.
> > >
> > > I agree with Maciej: Gnome should NEVER adopt things sight unseen.  This
> > > is a terrible precedent to set.  This goes completely against the principle
> > > of (rough) consensus government: the people making Gnome have had NO chance
> > > to look this over and see if it is appropriate.
> > >
> > > The most that should EVER happen is that an organization, be it the Gnome
> > > Foundation or W3C, or whatever, is examining it to see if it might be
> > > useful.  W3C has a process for formal submissions: the Gnome Foundation
> > > needs a similar process.  In the W3C case, the process includes what
> > > submittors can or cannot say to the press when making submissions.
> > > I recommend we do likewise FROM THE BEGINNING: this was a major headache
> > > in W3C until the process was established: companies played games in the
> > > press implying adoption, when at most it was a trial balloon.
> > >
> > > It could also create major political headaches for other companies to
> > > join the foundation: but I'm in fact much more concerned about precendent,
> > > which I believe is a killer. (though it could certainly seriously affect
> > > the current announcement; though I haven't raised the issue yet, it
> > > might affect Compaq's participation).
> > >
> > > >
> > > > >   3. GNOME Foundation adopts Mozilla/Netscape
> > > > >           Marco will work on getting a spokeperson from AOL for
> > > > >           this.
> > > >
> > > > Hmmm, I wonder if AOL or mozilla.org could be convinced to join the
> > > > GNOME Foundation then.
> > >
> > > I have much less problem with Mozilla/Netscape: the code is out there,
> > > and it is clearly an open source project at this date.  But again,
> > > I wonder if there is rough consensus in the Gnome project about mozilla.
> > > That is for other's to judge, though.
> > >
> > > But even leaving this aside, things are getting close to this announcement,
> > > and I'm getting nervous about the scope changing: we don't want companies
> > > to find at the last minute they must withdraw, and the resulting furor
> > > that might result.  It is certainly making ME nervous.
> > >
> > > Lets not let mission creep spoil this party....  We are stronger together
> > > than disunited.  We've got most of the industry on board, and that is
> > > worth alot.
> > >
> > > >
> > > > >   4. The companies involved in this announcement are going to
> > > > >            make GNOME better and devote programming resources to make
> > > > >            this happen.
> > > > >
> > > > >           How each company involved in the announcement will
> > > > >           help this.
> > > > >
> > > > >   5. GNOME technologies are the platform of choice for internet
> > > > >            devices, embedded systems "dot com" devices, desktop
> > > > >            systems, SOHO etc.
> > > >
> > > > This sounds like quite an exaggeration at this point, to say we are
> > > > the "platform of choice" for these things. Hopefully soon it won't be.
> > > >
> > > >  - Maciej
> > >
> > > I don't think hyperbole helps us here, so I again agree with Maciej.
> > >                               - Jim
> > >
> > > --
> > > Jim Gettys
> > > Technology and Corporate Development
> > > Compaq Computer Corporation
> > > jg@pa.dec.com
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
> > > Foundation-announcement mailing list
> > > Foundation-announcement@gnome.org
> > > http://mail.gnome.org/mailman/listinfo/foundation-announcement
> > >
> >
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