Your participation is crucial in shaping the future of OSI.
If you’re not already a full member (Supporting or Professional), there’s still time to become one and participate in the discussions and vote! Sign up before March 7th at 11:00 am UTC (4:00 am PST).
Voting ends on March 17 at 5:00 pm UTC (10:00 am PST).
We look forward to a vibrant and informative election process!
Hey, everyone! Rasim here. Big thanks to Nick and the OSI team for all your hard work. I’m excited about the election and ready to connect—feel free to ask me anything!
Hi, everyone! A big shout out to the hard work by the OSI team. I’m excited to take part in the election and welcome your questions.
I’ve worked in the open source diligence and compliance trenches for years – from scan analysis, diligence, training, tool implementation, policy and program creation and management, licensing, and compliance. I’ve been fortunate to work with some of the brightest data scientists, engineers, release managers and release engineering, DevOps, product managers, lawyers, and other stakeholders in this important space. I also have a substantial deal and trade compliance background, including extensive experience involving open source across both areas.
Maybe you’re okay with the OSAID as-is, or your discussions about the OSAID are spirited debates, or perhaps you’re just looking for substantive material to help determine if something meets the OSAID – but as someone who works with open source you recognize the importance, value, and necessity of having a standardized, single source of truth. With the speed of AI advancements, constructive collaboration to iterate on and to improve the OSAID are paramount in this evolving space, as is utilizing diversity of thought to do so.
Consider voting for me if you want collaborative solutioning to the challenges related to the OSAID and to continue to support the important work that the OSI undertakes.
Hi everyone,
I’m Richard Fontana! I’m running as an individual member candidate on the Shared Platform for OSI Reform which features the following four planks: Repeal the OSAID Adopt a process for formal review of previously approved licenses Remove “code of silence” from Board Member Agreement Directors should be allowed to use FOSS for Board activities Bradley Kuhn is running on the same platform as an affiliate candidate. I encourage other candidates to sign on to this platform.
I’m happy to answer any questions!
I support those who are willing to tackle the problems OSI is facing in a positive way, and who do not impose their personal beliefs on others. It is a good thing that it seems that several people already fit this description.
I would also like the board to consider making a valid response to articles that unfairly defame us, such as the one published on theRegister last week.
This is McCoy Smith. I’m also a candidate for an Individual seat. I’ve commented on my candidate page about the things that I think are important for the OSI going forward, but have also commented on the platform of Carlo Piana, which I fully endorse and adopt. You can see my comments under his posting “A Vision for OSI’s Future.”
Thank you for the opportunity to be considered for a board seat at the OSI. I have stated my stand primarily around OSAID v1.
My name is Harish Pillay and I’ve been in the free and open source world for well over 35 years (going all the back to the ARPAnet days).
I know of the hard work that has gone into the discussions and the considerations that made available OSAID v1. The challenge I have is that it is a compromised definition. It fails to address once and for all the need for complete provenance of the training data set.
I am open to the idea behind the Lesser/Library GPL as a way forward. I haven’t fully fleshed out the idea but by distinguishing the current v1 of OSAID with the LGPL lens, and a proper OSAID the honours and stands by the Open Source Definition.
Yes, these are going to reopen issues that did get raised in the lead up to v1, but it behooves us to do the right thing. We cannot fail the future to appease short term considerations.
Maybe 150 to 200 people will vote in this individual election. Honestly, I’m probably not the right candidate for most of you. I suspect my perspective on Open Source and OSI is idiosyncractic—certainly so, judging from the narrow focus on OSAID and the Board Agreement currently dominating the discussion.
(OSAID? Trust the process, iterate to v2. Board Agreement? Non-issue, at best.)
We Are a Gift Economy
I want to zoom waaaaay out and talk at a much higher level about the challenges and opportunities I see for Open Source. I want to talk about Open Source as a gift economy. This is probably a new or non-primary framing for most folks reading this, which is why I doubt my pitch is going to land very well … this year.
A gift economy is a system of exchange based on the principle that to receive a gift is to accept an obligation to reciprocate at some point in the future.
Think about when two friends go out to eat, and they argue over the check at the end. The “loser” will often say, “I’ll pick it up next time.” They walk away with an obligation to return the favor. Open Source works because enough of us who accept the gift of Open Source software also accept the responsibility to return the favor in due time with our own gifts of code and other contributions.
The implications are profound. Open Source has become foundational to civilization. Understanding the true nature of Open Source as a gift economy is the first step in properly navigating our relationships with one another and with the corporations and governments of the world who now have to deal with us. As the global steward of the Open Source movement, OSI is the right organization to lead this effort.
To Do
Projects I would eagerly undertake together with you all in OSI over the next two years as a board member:
Develop a robust self-understanding of Open Source as a gift economy.
Refine the mission and vision of OSI in light of this improved understanding.
Clarify roles and relationships between Open Source actors including individuals, projects, foundations, companies, and governments.
Continue leading policy initiatives, especially in EU and US.
Oversee continued integration of Open Source with the market economy (including fundraising for OSI itself).
If this framing and these projects capture your imagination, then I welcome your vote. If not, I’ll see what I can do to build the case before the next election. Thanks for the opportunity!
I’m truly excited to be running for the OSI Individual Seat! Open source has always been close to my heart, and I want the best for it. Wishing good luck to all candidates and looking forward to contributing to OSI’s future.
If elected, my key priorities and contributions will include:**
Expanding OSI awareness by organizing events, training sessions, and representing OSI in international organizations to amplify its global presence.
Advocating for stronger partnerships with tech giants. Major cloud providers (AWS, Azure, GCP, Alibaba, etc.) and AI leaders profit immensely from open-source projects but often give little back. I will work to secure partnerships, sponsorships, and funding deals to ensure they contribute fairly to the ecosystem.
Continuing efforts in emerging technologies as I did with the Open Source AI License (proud to be part of the working group).
Strengthening open-source licensing to tackle challenges in emerging technologies such as AI, Robotics, Digital Identity, Cybersecurity, Blockchain, Web3, Industry 4.0, IoT, Quantum Computing, and Extended Reality (AR, VR, Metaverse).
Developing monetization strategies to enhance OSI’s financial sustainability, including securing grants and preparing the necessary documentation.
Advancing the OpenSource.net project, formulating tactical and strategic plans to maximize its impact and potential.
Open source thrives on collaboration, and I’m eager to bring my experience and passion to help OSI grow and evolve! If you share similar views or support these ideas, I’d greatly appreciate your vote. Looking forward to your support!
Thank you Nick and team for all your work with OSI. Looking forward to the election, ready to answer any questions. 
I’m excited to take part in the election and welcome your questions. 
Repeal the 
