[Koha] PTFS Koha Community Support and the Koha.org Website

[Christopher Nighswonger]

Hi John,

It is good to hear from you.

> As you know, PTFS acquired LibLime and is integrating the LibLime operation into our existing open source software business unit.  With this acquisition, PTFS inherited quite a few tasks, all to be performed simultaneously, and our work is not near complete.  However, we want to increase our involvement within the community now, at this early phase of the transition.
>

We all appreciate the incredibly complex task of merging two
companies. No doubt this task is greatly complicated by PTFS being
fairly new to the FOSS concept as well.

> As promised, PTFS will continue to support the Koha open source community.  We understand that the http://koha-community.org/ website was set up as a temporary measure before our purchase of LibLime, out of concerns that the content of koha.org was out of date and was not under the control of official members of the community.  To resolve this issue PTFS would like help in updating and supporting koha.org.

The time for updating and supporting koha.org as an independent site
is past. There is nothing else to be said in that regard. One of the
very issues that PTFS appears to be concerned about is at stake here:
instability in governance. Make no mistake. There is no instability
here. To move "back" to koha.org would indeed be a sign of instability
and indecision on the community's part. We have learned a hard and
sorrowful lesson in the trust betrayed by LibLime and its former
management. Surely you understand the need of ensuring that never
again can a single for-profit interest threaten the existence of Koha.

The clearest and best indication that PTFS is willing and desirous to
participate in the Koha community on the common ground of the term set
forth by the community would be to turn all Koha related assets over
to the community appointed trustee HLT. You would be surprised what a
grateful response this would receive from the community *as well as*
many of the former LibLime customers.

> PTFS looks forward to continuing our work with the community to mutually advance the goal of producing the world’s best open source ILS system that can truly go head-to-head with the legacy proprietary systems.

PTFS has a wonderful opportunity at this point in its own history and
that of Koha. Furthermore, PTFS stands a good chance of wide
acceptance in the Koha community if it chooses to enter the community
on the terms common to all who come this way: those set forth by the
community.

To my knowledge, no one has shunned, belittled, ostracized, or
otherwise discriminated (to use a currently politically hot term)
against either of the two PTFS developers who regularly frequent the
list and irc channel. To the contrary, many of us have invested our
*valuable* time FREE OF CHARGE to assist them in issue directly
related to PTFS client work. To this degree and further, PTFS has
received invaluable benefit from this community. In return we are only
asking that PTFS be honorable and transparent in its dealings with the
community. Let's leave the smoke and mirrors to the politicians.

I am personally looking forward to greater involvement of PTFS in the
Koha community. I have enjoyed interaction with the two PTFS employees
who are currently involved and appreciate their valuable contributions
to the community as well.

Kind Regards,
Chris Nighswonger
Koha 3.2 Release Maintainer