Re: Debian Professionals Association, last try
On 16 Mar 99, at 14:57, Aaron Van Couwenberghe wrote:
> This is a service based, venture capitalist organization. I don't
> know if VA or any of the other contributors would appreciate us
> making money off their donations. On a different not, SPI may
> object.
> I think it's good that debianpro maintain a very loose relationship with
> debian, as a whole. This does not mean we stop maintaining our packages or
> anything -- just that 'debian professionals association' should not have any
> more influence on debian than any other company that makes use of it.
These two statements capture the essence of this opportunity.
Debian's strength lies in the quality of its code and the depth of the
support, which has been entrusted to hundreds of skilled and
enthusiastic volunteers. This ethic must be protected.
Its weakness lies in the fact that most professional IT buyers
cannot risk buying something that is so different to the traditional
model.
The Debian entrepreneur can close the gap, by providing a
professional service to the IT customer who does not want to open
himself to risk. This is the challenge that inspires us all and makes a
living for quite a few of us already!
I see the "Debian Professionals Association" as an association of
people who earn their living deploying Debian. Perhaps the only
requirement for membership should be that the members spend a
certain minimum portion (25% ?) of their paid working
day/week/month deploying Debian. We could also have student
members for students who work with Debian - unpaid.
The first thing we need is a list of provisional members. We do not
have any means of certifying them at this stage. Let us start a
database and let each person submit a "Curriculum Vitae" (like you
would take to a job interview). In addition to the normal "free form"
claims we can have standard questions like:
- formal qualifications.
- years experience with Unix, Linux and Debian.
- number and type of systems installed.
- number and type of systems currently managed.
- other relevant experience.
- other Company/System qualifications (eg Novell, Microsoft, Cisco
etc).
- types of service offered.
- locations (countries, cities etc) where those services are available.
Later we can work out a system of verifying the claims and posting
proof of that verification on the database.
We need a code of conduct.
We need to "elect" a committee. Prime candidates would be
volunteers who manage the database, web page, draft codes of
conduct and application forms etc. The committee should be small,
it is not a bad thing if the persons on it change every now and then.
We must talk to others in the Debian project so everybody can see
where we fit in.
Finally a Professional Association should be careful with its
marketing. We want to be seen as a group of keen Professionals
not another web site with a sales message.
Ian Forbes
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Ian Forbes ZSD
http://www.zsd.co.za
Office: +27 +21 683-1388 Fax: +27 +21 64-1106
Snail Mail: P.O. Box 46827, Glosderry, 7702, South Africa
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