OSI procedures - a study in quotes [LWN.net]

OSI procedures - a study in quotes

Posted Aug 25, 2005 6:02 UTC (Thu) by ncm (subscriber, #165)
Parent article: OSI procedures - a study in quotes

Over the years the OSI has gradually driven away its more reasonable membership, and now selects only the compatibly irrational.

Probably the best thing Bruce could do now is to start a competing group, welcoming all reasonable persons as members -- and also the OSI membership. The latter will be roundly outnumbered. His competing group may begin by defining as "Open Source" any product for which the source code is available on RAND terms, and concentrate on compatibility with Free Software instead.

The "Open Source" brand has proved a distraction at best, and a proliferator of non-Free licenses at worst. Let the brand join its promoters in well deserved obscurity.

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OSI procedures - a study in quotes

Posted Aug 25, 2005 11:59 UTC (Thu) by sean.hunter (subscriber, #7920) [Link]

There's nothing irrational per se about the comittee excluding Bruce Perens in spite of his own very high estimation of the value he would bring to the process. There's also nothing magical about the OSI. If people don't like the results they should just ignore them. For what little difference it makes, I will be ignoring the OSI whether or not I like the results, just like I ignore all other self-appointed organisations that puport to speak on my behalf.

Rationality

Posted Aug 25, 2005 22:04 UTC (Thu) by ncm (subscriber, #165) [Link]

Rejecting Bruce doesn't demonstrate irrationality, it's just consistent with the already observed pattern. The point is that as long as there's no public competing voice, their claims to legitimately control the definition of "Open Source" appear to stand. Once there are two contradictory voices it becomes much easier for a casual observer to dismiss the stranger one (or both) as irrelevant.