Comments on Chris Short

Last modified by ChrisShort on 2020/02/28 15:25

  • LuisVilla
    LuisVilla, 2020/02/27 18:37

    Hi, Chris- I’m asking variations of these to all candidates, trying to edit out the questions that are obviously already answered by your position statement. Apologies if I missed something and asked something already answered! Apologies also for the length, but given the importance of the moment in open source generally and for OSI specifically, I think it is appropriate to go into some depth.

    1. If OSI could do only one thing, what would it be? (Obviously it can do more, but not much more, so I’d love to understand your #1 priority for the org.)
    2. Should OSI move towards a board that advises more and does (on a day-to-day basis) less? If so, what will you do to help bring about that change? If not, why not?
    3. If OSI has to choose between being an agent of change and a stabilizing force, which should it prefer?
    4. What should OSI do about the tens of millions of people who regularly collaborate to build software online (often calling that activity, colloquially, open source) but have literally no idea what OSI is or what it does?
    5. You have 24 hours in the day, and are talented enough to do many different things. Why do you want to give some of those hours to OSI?
    6. If an Ethical Software Initiative sprung up tomorrow, what should OSI’s relationship to it be? (If you’re uncomfortable answering this about ethical software, consider instead answering with regards to the FSF or LF, or another hypothetical institution that to some extent competes with OSI for resources and influence.)

    Thanks in advance for answering, and thanks for putting forth a thoughtful case for your candidacy.

  • ChrisShort
    ChrisShort, 2020/02/28 04:06

    Hi Luis,

    First of all, thank you for asking these questions and thank you for taking an active part in this election. I'll forgive you for the length of your questions if you can forgive me for the length of my answers:

    1. OSI should be in the business of maintaining an environment where open source software can be contributed to in a healthy and positive manner. This is not a simple task on a global level but, its purpose should be to make sure that folks know about open source and the potential it brings.
    2. The OSI board should govern as much or as little as the community sees fit. It is not for the board to determine its hours; that's up to the members and the community. If they see fit to give the board of directors enough work to fill a workweek, then I hope they are ready to deal with the outcomes of that decision. If the members and community see fit to give the board little to do, that's its decision as well. The board also doesn't have to sit idle either. This is a team activity. There's a little more in my answer to #4 as well.
    3. Change is constant, especially in this industry. The primary purpose of any governing body is to manage change and continue peaceful transitions of leadership throughout the life of the body. I can see how you could think this is a binary thing but, I see it as a far more fluid situation. It's not OSI's job to do one or the other. It's OSI's job to stabilize or steward in a manner dependent on the circumstances and consistent with the needs of its members.
    4. OSI can do more as far as outreach goes, in my opinion. It could probably do more polling of its members to gauge happiness and objectives too. At the very least, part of the answer to question #2 is here. I would propose a goal of the organization would be to build as many partnerships with as many open source programs as possible. We also need to work to engage our members effectively so that members are spreading our message more. This means we need to spread the word ourselves first.
    5. I answered this one already, "Open source software has done nothing but provide opportunity after opportunity in my life. It should be cared for and maintained so that everyone willing can benefit from it as much as I have (hopefully more)."
    6. I was in the grocery store the other day browsing through coffee (looking for anything new from a local brand). I noticed one brand had six government or organizational certification logos banded around the back; fair trade, shade-grown, organic, and so on. Why couldn't other standards bodies around fair pay, equality, work/life balance, etc. stand up to certify software in the same way my coffee beans are? I would welcome friendships with any organization working effectively to better open source software and its communities.

    I hope that answers your questions!

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