Re: Can there be an "Official Hardware Partner" for GNOME

[Josh Kress <josh gnome-de org>]

Hi

On Wed, 2006-20-12 at 14:44 +0100, Dave Neary wrote:
> Josh Kress wrote:
> > Thanks for the replies so far.
> > 
> > [No replies from the board directly, but this might be due to bad timing
> > on my side]
> 
> Let me be the first.
> 
> I didn't feel the need to reply, because Peter's reply so well summed up
> my thoughts.
> 
> The first time I read the suggestion I felt vaguely ill at ease with it,
> and the more I thought about it, the more I thought that having an
> official hardware supplier when we have 4 hardware suppliers on the
> advisory board already (all of whom have donated or loaned hardware to
> GNOME over the past two years) doesn't seem appropriate.
After reading Peter's reply I felt the same way. Consider this idea
being dropped.

> > It made me think about that subject a little more and even some other
> > title to "acknowledge an outstanding sponsorship" might prove
> > controversial. I can't see a way to define that properly and moreover I
> > see another problem: What is more outstanding? A company donating
> > hardware or a company employing some more GNOME developers?
> 
> The foundation receives a good number of donations every year - and we
> try to acknowledge them all above a certain level. There's no problem, I
> would think, with the company sponsoring an upgrade to the GNOME event
> box, supplying small-form computers and having their name associated
> with the box (of course, their hardware will be on show during trade
> shows as well).
That seems to be the most appropriate option. The new Box will have a
lot of space for company logos for every company willing to give some
extra funds for the Event Box.

> I would love for you to explore this opportunity further - I'm not sure
> if there is alignment between the GNOME Foundation and this company such
> that we can invite them onto the advisory board (and nothing says they'd
> accept if we did). But I would also love to see the company get more
> visibility through a donation of hardware which would benefit GNOME user
> groups around Europe, the US or elsewhere.
When it comes to the hardware for the box, the deal is sealed and the
first set of hardware is on it's way to my place for some additional
testing.

Advisory Board: This is step #2 on my agenda.

It was important to me to discuss such a topic, because I'd like to try
some more sponsorship opportunities later the year here in Germany,
steered from the background by the e.V. If they prove successful on this
limited scale we can go international with it.

Regards,

Josh