Re: Draft XG Charter

To the general list:

To those discussion XG related issues:

I would just like to report that I am gearing up to write a dissertation on
governance of FOSS projects in humanitarian relief, partly at the suggestion
of Louiqa Raschid.   My advisor is Max Stephenson at Virginia Tech.  I will
be contacting several of you as that research process continues, but in the
interim, since this XG discussion is so on point, I just wanted to introduce
myself to let you know I am lurking out here.  I'd be grateful for any
thoughts and suggestions (particularly from Paul Currion who was recommended
to me by the US Holocaust Museum where I have had several discussions on
Darfur and their Google Earth based mapping projects with Michael Graham.)

I am on Facebook and several other sites.  My email is rlanham1963@gmail.com


I am 44, a former Internet entrepreneur and IBM product manager.  My main
concern is governance of FOSS efforts that run along lines of  "leaderless"
organizations (Starfish and Spider sorts of things) and
collaborative/voluntary efforts and their relationships to enabling
foundations, etc.  Pointers most welcome.

Thank you,

Ryan Lanham
Virginia Tech

On 8/9/07, paola.dimaio@gmail.com <paola.dimaio@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>
> > So, what I am saying is that (1) I would like to keep all issues
> > originating in political structures out of the XG, and at the same time
> > (2) the work of the XG must be defined with an awareness of the
> > political issues in the field, so that important parties see the XG as
> > an opportunity, not a threat.
>
> HI Olle
>
> I am sure most of us will agree -  thing is that our 'users' must move
> within political constraints and its the politics that prevents
> cooperation (more than the technology at times)
>
> therefore we should design accordingly  - if we simply  'avoid
> acknowledging' the issue,
> we may produce something that is not easily usable from that viewpoint
>
> How do you think such 'awareness'  and 'neutrality' should be
> reflected in our work?
>
> pdm
>
>


-- 
Ryan Lanham
Virginia Tech
rlanham@vt.edu
rlanham1963@gmail.com
540-552-1550