Re: OSI affiliation

[Jeremiah Foster <jeremiah@jeremiahfoster.com>]

On Feb 21, 2012, at 12:29, Philip Hands wrote:

> On Tue, 21 Feb 2012 09:56:02 +0000, Gervase Markham <gerv-gmane@gerv.net> wrote:
> ...
>> If you read the OSI discussion lists, you'll certainly find senior 
>> figures in that movement regretting previous decisions, e.g. about 
>> particular license approvals. Having groups like Debian involved seems 
>> to me that it will reduce the likelihood of more of that happening in 
>> the future.
> 
> If they regret them, then they should revoke the bogus approvals.

<snip>

> I presume if we affiliate, that we'll see a press release from OSI along
> the lines of:
> 
>  Debian gives stamp of approval to OSI
> 
> which if anything will reduce any pressure they feel to repent past sins.

I think there is room to join OSI as an observer of some kind and explicitly say to them that they don't get to use a Debian stamp of approval in their marketing material. Or make joining OSI conditional upon some sort of purge of icky licenses on their side. This might give Debian some insight and influence on their process without having to condone previous decisions.

Regards,

Jeremiah