[Osia-discuss] Re: [Linux-aus] MEDIA RELEASE: Open Source Industry Australia - National Body Launched

[Con Zymaris]

On Mon, Mar 01, 2004 at 08:58:54PM +1100, Del wrote:
> Pia Smith wrote:
> >On Mon, 2004-03-01 at 11:06, Con Zymaris wrote:
> >
> >
> >>Australia now has a national body tasked with increasing the uptake of
> >>Free & Open Source Software (FOSS) throughout the Corporate, Government
> >>and Education sectors. This group will also work towards improving the
> >>success of FOSS-related businesses and professionals.
> >
> >
> >Linux Australia wants to congratulate OSIA on its formulation. We look
> >forward to working with you to achieve common goals, and deal with
> >common issues and concerns. By maintaining a focus on FOSS from both a
> >commercial _and_ community focus, we can be sure that the future of
> >development and commercial viability of Open Source will not be
> >threatened.
> 
> Are there any plans to associate / form a working agreement / affiliate
> the organisations in any way?  Although I see LA as for the users and
> the LUGs for the LUs, and linux.conf.au for the linux.conf'ers, it'd
> be good to have some kind of working agreement covering things like
> media relations, trade show relations, etc.

There is already a very close inter-operation between the various groups. 
I don't see any advantage in wielding heavy paperwork machinery.

> 
> The topic of installfests and/or commercial Linux trade shows has been
> bantered about the community again (I just posted to the SLUG activities
> list on it).  Is this something that LA and OSIA can work together on?

Installfests are very much an LA/LUG/AUUG thing. It's something they know,
understand and have experience in. We're happy to assist/advertise/market
any such event and encourage OSIA members who are not already LA/LUG/AUUG
members to volunteer assistance.

> 
> Lastly, a question for OSIA.  Is it incorporated?  Going to be incorporated?
> Going to have elected office bearers / a formal steering body?  Or are
> we just a mailing list and a web site for the time being?

OSIA is presently not incorporated. It may become incorporated if its 
members decided that that is a good idea at some time in the future. 

However, bear in mind that OSIA exists for a very explicit set of
purposes, and once those purposes have been met, OSIA could just be
folded. OSIA doesn't exist for the sake of existing. OSIA should also only
be as 'official' an organisation as is required to achieve those purposes.

Hope this helps.

-- 
_____________________________________________________________________________
Con Zymaris <conz at cyber.com.au> Level 4, 10 Queen St, Melbourne, Australia 
Cybersource: Australia's Leading Linux and Open Source Solutions Company 
Web: http://www.cyber.com.au/  Phone: 03 9621 2377   Fax: 03 9621 2477