[Linux-aus] Should Linux Australia change its name to Open Source Australia?

Wed Dec 20 14:07:32 AEDT 2017

What happens to the "Linux Australia" brand if the name change is 
approved - or for that matter whether "just" renaming the organisation 
currently called "Linux Australia" is even the "right" move.

I forget if it were ever proposed to do something like (IANAL) actually 
incorporating/forming an organization/company (perhaps even a "for profit" 
organization with directors) that happened to be major 
shareholder/owner/stakeholder in some sub-organizations.

Or to put it in another way:

"Would it be more sensible to keep the Linux Australia brand - and perhaps 
change its legal structure (depending on Legal Advice) and then bring up 
another organization called 'Open Source Australia'?"

i.e. "Keep Google and its brand but make Alphabet which fairly much runs 
Google" <-> "Keep Linux Australia and its brand and make OSA which fairly 
much runs Linux Australia".

But then when "WordPress Australia" or "Python Con Australia" or "invent 
the next open source thing that is big and needs its own org Australia" 
can fairly much be incubated under this OSA and either become a sister to 
Linux Australia, branch out on its own, a sub-committee or whatever.

DSL

[PS. I have no idea why but the list or something seems set to reply to 
the sender and only the sender, and not to the mailing list]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: linux-aus [mailto:linux-aus-bounces at lists.linux.org.au] On Behalf
> Of Linux Australia President via linux-aus
> Sent: Tuesday, 19 December 2017 9:27 PM
> To: linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au
> Subject: Re: [Linux-aus] Should Linux Australia change its name to Open
> Source Australia?
>
> On 20/12/17 11:50, Jack Burton via linux-aus wrote:
>
> >> NO
> >>
> >> Why? Not because I am engaged in a religious war on the various
> >> aspects of open source theology but because OSIA open source
> industry
> >> australia exists and has done for a decade or more.  To rename LA to
> >> OSA open source australia is to court confusion in the market and the
> >> community/ies  and to what end?
> >>
> >> Sorry Kathy and I know you dont want to start name shopping but if
> we
> >> are to change name then it needs to be to one that does not walk into
> >> confusion from the get go.
> > I must say I agree completely with Brenda on this.
> Thanks Jack for your feedback.
> > Please do not rebrand LA as OSA, as that is likely to cause extreme
> > brand confusion between OSA & OSIA.
> Any name that we move to that has "Open Source" in it is likely to have
> the same impact. As a case in point, is OSIA often confused with, say 
> the
> Open Australia group (that does Right to Know etc)?
> > Whether there should be any name change is a broader question,
> which I
> > don't have a strong view on either way so long as whatever new name
> is
> > chosen does not end up being likely to cause brand confusion with
> > other relevant organisations.
> >
> > Linux Australia does superb & highly important work, as by far the
> > leading community body for FOSS in Australia.
> >
> > In my opinion at least, the work of OSIA, as the only remaining
> > industry body for FOSS in Australia, over the last 13 years has also
> > been of great importance and utility (particularly in the public
> > policy space)
> > -- although admittedly not over the last 12 months, but steps are
> > being taken at OSIA right now to remedy that in the new year.
> Agreed, both organisations do excellent work. I'd be very interested to
> hear what OSIA has planned, particularly given the impetus that was
> started in 2013 with the OSIA 2013-2018 Strategic Plan:
> http://www.osia.com.au/drupal7/sites/default/files/default/osia_sp_2013-18-1.2_web.pdf
>
> Strategy 1.4 of this document seeks to collaborate and build open source
> / FOSS relationships in Australia, however from the Linux Australia
> perspective there doesn't appear to have been a lot of progress toward
> that strategic objective. And that's understandable. FOSS / open source
> organisations are often stretched for time and resources.
> > From an OSIA perspective, it would be a great shame if that work were
> > derailed, by forcing us to undertake our own rebrand in the midst of
> > all that -- which seems to me an inevitable outcome if LA changes its
> > name to OSA.
> This is a long bow to draw, and slightly disingenuous to be frank.
>
> We're not "forcing" OSIA into any sort of decision. We're canvassing the
> desire of our Members to change the name of an organisation to a name
> that was the most popular alternative the last time this was formally
> floated in 2011/2012. If our Members vote not to proceed, we won't
> proceed with the name change.
>
> If the vote passes, then it's up to OSIA whether to respond to that
> change.
>
> Our decision to seek feedback on a name change is driven by our
> external environment, and the role Linux Australia is now playing in 
> that
> environment.
>
> The only 'Linux' event we run now is linux.conf.au, although to be fair 
> it
> is a flagship event. We also run Pycon AU, DrupalSouth and this year
> have entered into an MoU to help facilitate WordPress-based events in
> Australia (we've been auspicing WordCamps for several years now).
> These only have a peripheral association with 'Linux' - and so 
> activities
> such as Sponsorship, and relationship building can be hampered because
> of
> *our* brand in these markets.
>
> *Keeping* our name as Linux Australia actually has the same impact to
> us
> *now* - it causes brand confusion in the markets we operate in.
> > Please reconsider -- personally, I think that OSIA and Linux Australia
> > (or whatever new name it chooses) should look more to *collaborate*
> > with each other on relevant initiatives, rather than stepping on each
> > other's toes (and that cuts both ways -- I'm aware that some of OSIA's
> > limited activities during 2017 may have been seen as straying into
> > community territory, and over at OSIA I'm seeking to end that and
> > return to our core focus).
> I'd be very interested in hearing more from OSIA around how you see us
> collaborating. We've had some early initial discussions with EFA in this
> regard, and as you would have seen, we've finalised an MoU this year
> with WordPress Support PLC to facilitate WordPress in Australia. We also
> collaborated strongly this year with VALA around VALATechCamp, which
> was a roaring success. So yes, we're very open to suggestions on how
> we could collaborate and deliver mutual value.
> > The views above are my own and not necessarily those of the OSIA,
> > although I suspect that most OSIA members would probably agree.
> Out of curiosity, how many members does OSIA have currently?
>
> Kind regards,
> Kathy
>
> >
> > Regards,
> >
> >
> > --
> > Jack Burton FACS CP <mailto:jack at saosce.com.au> Director, Saosce Pty 
> > Ltd
> > Company Secretary, Safecoms Cyber Security Pty Ltd Company
> Secretary,
> > Open Source Industry Australia Ltd
> > _______________________________________________
> > linux-aus mailing list
> > mailto:linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au
> > http://lists.linux.org.au/mailman/listinfo/linux-aus
> >
> > To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to
> > mailto:linux-aus-unsubscribe at lists.linux.org.au
>
> --
> Kathy Reid
> President
> Linux Australia
>
> 0418 130 636
>
> mailto:president at linux.org.au
> http://linux.org.au
>
> Linux Australia Inc
> GPO Box 4788
> Sydney NSW 2001
> Australia
>
> ABN 56 987 117 479
>
> _______________________________________________
> linux-aus mailing list
> mailto:linux-aus at lists.linux.org.au
> http://lists.linux.org.au/mailman/listinfo/linux-aus
>
> To unsubscribe from this list, send a blank email to 
> mailto:linux-aus-unsubscribe at lists.linux.org.au