[Linux-aus] Linux Australia values statement

[Mike Carden]

One of the key documents that the LA Council has been working on is a
statement of our core values as an organisation. Please find below a
draft set of values for review and for your constructive input. We
recognise that capturing something as individual and important as
values in a shared way is quite a challenge, but we are optimistic in
believing that as a community we have enough in common to articulate
some shared principles.

You may note that the word Linux does not appear in this draft. We
feel that the shared values of the community extend beyond Linux and
we want to know if you agree. It's also important to note that these
values are not a contract. As a member of LA you're not bound by these
statements, but we would like to see them reflect a broad
understanding of what you think is important.

Please try to make your contribution relevant and useful. Rather than
"I don't like XXXX, it's rubbish", please offer something like "I
don't think XXXX quite describes that well enough. How about YYYY?" In
other words, patches are welcome. :-)



Linux Australia Draft Statement of Values

As an organisation, we aim to represent and assist Open Source
communities in Australia. In doing so, we aim to uphold certain
values, reflecting the core values surrounding open technologies. The
community is diverse in many ways, and has many different needs that
should be addressed and supported to the best of our ability. These
needs are cast here as the essential values that we aim to embody,
embrace and promote.
These values should inform the strategic direction,
activities and decision making of the organisation as a whole.


Open Technology

The foundations of Linux Australia are in all facets of open
technology. By this we mean openness in source code, standards,
formats, licences and APIs. Whether for software sources, documents,
hardware designs, images, works of art etc, we value the use of open
licenses to promote the creative reuse of intellectual effort.

Open source makes code available to everyone to study, modify,
repurpose and redistribute. We value the innovation made possible by
the sharing of openly licensed intellectual effort.

Community

We value the creation, support and maintenance of community around
open technologies. This encompasses private individuals, community
projects, other aligned organisations and businesses engaged with open
technologies. Communities can be any combination of developers, users
or advocates of open technologies. We will invite participation in our
communities and culture, and welcome newcomers.


Freedom

We value freedom in the use and development of open technologies. This
encompasses freedom of expression within accepted community norms,
though not the freedom to behave in a manner disrespectful to others.

We value the freedom to license intellectual property via any license
an author chooses, and we strongly encourage the use of open licenses.

Within legal bounds, we value the free sharing and repurposing of information,
in particular that information held by the public sector.


Respect

We value respect for people, for community, and for society. This
includes respect for the opinions, ideals and choices of others, for
the communities which we create and participate in, and for society as
a whole. It is vital that while we uphold our ideals, we respect the ideals
of others. We obey lawful restrictions placed
upon us, particularly with reference to licencing, copyright and
patent law, to the best of our ability.


Diversity

People of all ages, genders, nationalities, ethnicities, backgrounds,
abilities and walks of life are part of the communities we serve. We
respect and encourage diversity at our conferences, events, and other
activities.


-- 
Michael Carden, for the LA Council.