[OPEN-ILS-GENERAL] Is it time to begin retiring open-ils.org?

[Brandon W. Uhlman]

FWIW, The Gentoo Foundation is one of the exemplars we would be  
following if an Evergreen foundation were formed for the purposes of  
owning the Evergreen software base. The Gentoo Foundation is  
incorporated in the USA as a 501(c)(6) organization, not (c)(3).

A quick read around the Internet shows that there are lots of  
differences, around taxation, and other things, between (c)(3) and  
(c)(6). Hmmm. I'm sure there will be lots of interesting discussion as  
or if this goes forward.

Anyhoo, I am not a lawyer, either. I'm not even an American. :)

~B

  Quoting Kermit Jones <kermitjr at gmail.com>:

> Karen,
>
> I founded a 501(c)3 non-profit a few years back and it really wasn't
> difficult at all.  The hardest part most non-profits have is building a
> community around their chunk of the world.  Evergreen already has that, so
> it greatly simplifies the process, overall.  We're also working with Equinox
> to host a few Evergreen instances that would probably fit bettter into an
> Evergreen npo than our current model, but I'm more concerned with getting
> the service out there than worrying about the where and who stuff.
>
> All that to say, if you need some help, please let me know.  I'm not a
> lawyer, but I've made it through all the forms, the incorporation and the
> ruling period to be a permanent 501(c)3.
>
> Cheers,
> Kermit
>
> On Fri, Aug 15, 2008 at 9:47 PM, Karen G. Schneider   
> <kgs at esilibrary.com>wrote:
>
>> > Question: will the domain name, mailing lists, etc continue to be
>> > owned by GPLS, or will it be taken over by Equinox (whois says Equinox
>> > registered evergreen-ils.org back in July, presumably to avoid the
>> > curse of domain name squatters), or by some other entity? For the
>> > paranoid amongst us, this is where an Evergreen Software Foundation or
>> > something like that could play a role. I'm not worried, personally,
>> > but we should be clear about changes that might have side effects
>> > beyond just the name.
>>
>> I raise my hand and say I did it, and also quickly add that as you
>> suggest, it was to avoid domain squatting. That said, I quickly turned it
>> over to Equinox (in case I got hit by a truck) and at that, we're all
>> aware that the domain names should really be in the name of a separate
>> entity for Evergreen. Currently they are here and there.
>>
>> Actually I would say that many people involved in Evergreen (including and
>> even particularly Equinox) are in favor of establishing an entity for
>> Evergreen.
>>
>> I will be frank and say that when I came on board with Equinox -- well,
>> actually well before this -- I kept hearing talk of a "foundation" for
>> Evergreen and I thought, well maybe. But after a while I realized that
>> people were saying "foundation" (which made me think the focus was on
>> soliciting funds--not a bad idea but a not well-gelled) when what I
>> /think/ they mean is nonprofit organization (as in a legal entity specific
>> to Evergreen, which could in fact be used for fundraising, which is a very
>> different emphasis). This is a very sound idea.
>>
>> I have been (partly) down this road in another life and have some sense of
>> the nonprofit landscape. I also have a lot of familiarity (actually too
>> much) with managing a project that had no legal status, and I have peers
>> (even two in the OSS world) in a similar position. Once a project achieves
>> a certain age and size, it is much, much better for everyone concerned if
>> it has its own legal identity.
>>
>> I have certainly seen changes happen -- sometimes overnight -- that have
>> adversely  affected a project that really should have had its own destiny.
>> Even when all the principals are fully on board -- and I think I can say
>> in all sincerity that is completely true with Evergreen -- things happen.
>> As Joan Didion wrote, "Life changes in the instant." In my experience, it
>> takes longer to get a nonprofit established than it does for most of these
>> changes to take place.
>>
>> I have never actually brought a nonprofit to fruition, though I came very
>> close and have spent a lot of time reading up on them, attending nonprof
>> conferences, etc. I know enough to believe nonprofit status is a very
>> rational path for Evergreen and would be willing to help make this happen
>> (in fact, uh, I bet there are some people, including my boss, who actually
>> consider this part of my job...). I also think some of our stakeholders
>> are similarly interested and would be willing to work to help establish
>> this entity.
>>
>> Karen G. Schneider
>> Equinox Community Librarian
>> kgs at esilibrary.com
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>



======================================
Brandon W. Uhlman, Systems Consultant
Public Library Services Branch
Ministry of Education
Government of British Columbia
605 Robson Street, 5th Floor
Vancouver, BC  V6B 5J3

Phone: (604) 660-2972
E-mail: brandon.uhlman at gov.bc.ca
         brandon.uhlman at bclibrary.ca