[Debian-sponsors-discuss] What are we doing and what more can we do to reward companies and individuals that are supporting Debian?

[Brian Gupta]

On Mon, Jun 3, 2013 at 5:05 AM, Dr. Michael Meskes
<michael.meskes at credativ.com> wrote:
>> As far as debian-companies goes, I wonder, if inaddition to whatever
>> criteria we have or will have for joining the debian-companies group,
>> if this might also be an optional perk of financially sponsoring
>> Debian?? (Obviously the group would need to be more active than it
>> sounds like it is, for this to be appealing as a perk.) IE: Thinking
>> we might want to explore multiple paths into debian-companies:
>>
>> 1) N DDs on staff and X employees (permanent membership as long as you
>> maintain the requirements)
>> 2) Financially sponsor Debian above a certain level (This would be a
>> one year membership.)
>
> You mean companies have to be either 1) or 2) right? If so I strongly
> object. By selling membership we cannot control the quality of this
> group at all.

I don't think adding this additional and separate path into
debian-companies is counter-productive.

If we take a step back and look at the companies that have sponsored
us above say the silver level (using DebConf sponsorship as an
example), I think we'd be hard pressed to find companies that would
both want to participate in the conversation, that we don't want
participating in the conversation. (If I understand the goals).

In other words, if we clearly set the criteria for what participation
in debian-companies means, what the goals are, and what is and isn't
allowed on the list, quality can be maintained.

If debian-companies is to get off the ground, I think we need to
provide addition paths to advertise and enter the group, as this graph
indicates there are only 4 members of the group atm:
http://lists.debian.org/stats/debian-companies.png

Two possible options here:
1) Lower criteria to 1 DD.
2) Also allow larger sponsors to participate (by not making it a
permanent membership in the group, we are free to change the
requirements if it proves that the requirements are too open.) This
would also allow people working on sponsorhip to invite companies to
participate.

One addition reason to consider this was to have our sponsors
participate in a larger dialog, but, that can happen anywhere
(including this list.)

> If, however, you were talking about 1) and 2), with 2) deciding the
> level of membership, that's an idea we might want to discuss further.

Well, at this point I think that ADDING the requirement of having
financially sponsored Debian as an additional requirement to enter
joining debian-companies is probably something we shouldn't be doing
ATM, due to the already low participation.

That all said, I've updated the wiki to include my proposal as a
"rejected" proposal, and will leave further discussion of
debian-companies to be moved to the debian-companies list, and/or with
those driving the initiative. I'd ask though if something
actionable/useful comes out of that discussion that would be
informative to the larger discussion that we find a way to share it
with this (slightly) larger group. (Without violating any privacy
expectations.)

Thanks,
Brian

> Michael
>
> --
> Dr. Michael Meskes, Geschäftsführer/President
> Tel.: +49 (0)2161 / 46 43 0
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>
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