OPEN SOURCE INITIATIVE (OSI) ANNOUNCES NEW AFFILIATE MEMBERS

By Leslie Hawthorn
July 21, 2014

Palo Alto, California — The Open Source Initiative (www.opensource.org) is very pleased to announce that the Puerto Rico Python Interest Group (prPIG) has joined the OSI as an Affiliate Member. The prPIG was founded to provide an additional community beyond the limited options of the proprietary software industry in Puerto Rico.  prPIG works to raise awareness and adoption of Open Source software and development practices throughout Puerto Rico's technology, government and private sectors where proprietary software development technologies have traditionally been dominant.

prPIG’s mission is to build a sustainable software development user community in Puerto Rico.  To that end, its advocacy and support of Open Source software development methodologies provides an alternative that champions the power of distributed peer review and transparency of process. Kevin Shockey, prPIG's founder, explains: "prPIG offers free workshops and seminars to educate about and advocate for the benefits of Open Source. To grow our community and increase our reach we will continue to build bridges among different constituencies, focusing especially on high school and university students.  Our belief is that by exposing students to the Open Source Definition, we can illustrate the promise of Open Source and provide a viable alternative to predatory vendor lock-in."

Patrick Masson, General Manager at the OSI added: "prPIG captures the very essence of the Open Source movement, where communities of practice self-organize around common goals to share and co-create. I expect the prPIG to set the standard for peer-driven development across Puerto Rico while also contributing to the larger Python community."

About the Puerto Rico Python Interest Group

The Puerto Rico Python Interest Group (prPIG) works to increase the number of software developers and the amount of software written in Puerto Rico. A key goal is to change the paradigm in Puerto Rico, from one in which information technology is a cost-center to one that acknowledges the strategic value of IT. You can find out more about prPIG at www.prpig.org or by following prPIG on Twitter via @pr_PIG.

About the Open Source Initiative

The Open Source Initiative (OSI) is a California public benefit corporation, with 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status, founded in 1998. The OSI is the steward of the Open Source Definition (OSD) and the community-recognized body for reviewing and approving licenses as OSD-conformant. The OSI is also actively involved in Open Source community-building, education, and public advocacy to promote awareness and the importance of non-proprietary software. OSI Board members frequently travel the world to attend Open Source conferences and events, meet with Open Source developers and users, and discuss with leaders from the public and private sectors the ways in which Open Source technologies, licenses, and models of development can provide economic and strategic advantages.

Press Contact:  press@opensource.org