David A. Harding
Sunday, 23 Mar 2008
I'm not supporting Bruce Perens's bid to rejoin the Open Source Initiative's (OSI) Board of Directors because I think he would bring more attention to a worthless and better-off-dead organisation.
Below: Eben Moglen
(left, black shirt) & Perens (red
coat)—March 2007
The OSI doesn't do anything for me. They don't determine what software my GNU+Linux distribution distributes. They don't sell or give away any services. They don't do any advocacy. They don't write or distribute any software. They only certify that certain software licenses meet certain guidelines—guidelines no major GNU+Linux distribution uses.
The OSI's only real asset is a trademark. No substance, only brand. They're literally worthless.
OSI Directors serve no purpose but to create controversy and complain
about license proliferation
so that free software pundits can
engage in Entertainment Weekly-style rumour mongering on a slow
news week.
Mr. Perens won't bring the OSI closer to the community it doesn't serve, but he will brighten the Directors' metaphorical limelight enough to put more legitimate news into the metaphorical shadows.
Below: Perens & Mako Hill—March 2007
