Resolution 2001-04-26.nl: Charter for the Open Source Committee
The resolution below has been accepted and approved unanimously by the
Board of Directors of Software in the Public Interest, Inc. through
email voting on May 16, 2001.
[NOTE: This resolution was posted as and voted on as '2000-04-26.nl'
but the date should have been 2001. It will be filed under the correct
proposal date as resolution '2001-04-26.nl' --Nils]
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Resolution 2001-04-26.nl
Charter for the Open Source Committee
---------------------------------------------------------------------
A charter is hereby granted for the formation and operation of a
committee within the guidelines and objectives stated herein. The
committee shall operate in the best interest of the free software
community and is responsible to the board of directors and to the
membership of the organization.
Preamble
--------
The Open Source term was established as a marketing term for free
software (i.e., software which all people may freely use, study,
modify, and share). SPI was founded to assist, support and defend the
creation of free software. The Open Source definition is rooted in
the definition of free software used by the Debian Project, an SPI
member organization. The Open Source name is a central element to the
SPI mission because it is a recognized term both among developers and
businesses. SPI is committed to using its influence and resources to
help ensure that the Open Source name represents the tenets and
beliefs of the communities from which it grew.
Purpose of the Committee
------------------------
It is the responsibility of this committee to manage the Open Source
term to best promote free software. The committee is hereby granted
the power to develop communications and marketing initiatives to raise
industry and community awareness for open software.
Operating Guidelines
--------------------
The committee shall operate openly in the view of the public whenever
possible, but may, at the discretion of the committee members, operate
privately from time to time if this is deemed necessary.
Subject to the approval of the board, the committee shall make
reasonable procedures for transacting its business (including
delegating it to other members of the organization). The committee
should set up appropriate and reasonable guidelines for its operation
and decisions as soon as possible.
The committee will have only limited powers until it has developed a
governing policy and selected a board to direct its actions. It will
be granted the following "Interim Powers" in order to facilitate the
creation of the committee.
Interim Powers
--------------
The committee shall have the following powers while the membership and
operating guidelines of the committee are being defined:
- The committee may solicit members of the free software community for
membership on the board.
- The committee may announce its presence to other individuals or
organizations to discuss potential policy options and committee
membership.
- The committee may request information services from the projects
committee, to be granted at their discretion.
When the committee has finalized its operating policy and organization
these will be submitted to the SPI board of directors for final
approval.
Membership and Organization
---------------------------
This committee will be run by an interim committee that will fulfill
the task of soliciting the formal committee. This working committee
will use the "Interim Powers" outlined above for that task. Upon
finalization of the formal committee and operating policy the interim
committee will be dissolved and replaced with the formal committee.
--
Nils Lohner Software in the Public Interest,
Inc.
E-Mail: lohner@spi-inc.org PO Box 273
Board of Directors <board@spi-inc.org> Tracy, Ca. 95378-0273, USA
Reply to: