[Koha] Koha trademarks

[BWS Johnson]

Salve!

A couple of observations: 

Unfortunately most foundations are built on a corporate model, and
corporations are not democratic by nature. I think we can do better than
a raw corporate model. I looked at the list of Chris' suggestions, and
they looked to have mature projects, like wine, on it.

>I really would prefer Koha to be controlled by a democratic foundation
>instead of a self-perpetuating one. There are risks to democracy, but
>at least if it stuffs up, it's the whole community's responsibility.
>Both SFC nor DSpace look undemocratic to me, appointing barons for
>life to rule over their serf projects.
>

And how is this behaviour different from the secret invitation only
mailing lists we've been hearing about? Is secrecy called for in a tiny
project that as far as I would know would never have a burden that would
warrant pitch blackness? Business to business talks ought be just that;
I fail to see why it's necessary to drag the Koha name into a single
business or two. Just as I fail to see why trademarking under a single
or couple of corporations is beneficial. It is imperative that this
school boy secrecy be ended now or risk perpetuating a good ole boy
network. 
I don't think it's the concentration of power in an individual that's
given to harm, bodies such as Congress are equally given to corruption.
It's the loss of direction, neutrality, and response to feedback that is
the source of the rot.


>Anyway, this is all moot: LibLime are working on something and we're
>waiting to see what they propose.
>

Why is it that things are more and more often rendered moot by
unilateral action taken by LibLime when those actions have not reflected
the will of the community? My problem is that they *aren't* proposing
things to this list in sunlight. If they have good ideas, wonderful.
Folks have offered help on numerous different aspects of the project at
different times and have been sluffed off. I'd rather not encourage that
model. I'm not saying that LibLime hasn't offered a substantial
contribution to the community, and I don't want to belittle their
responsibilities, but one corpo should not hold a project hostage. We
risk changing the basket from being carried by all to being carried by
one. That cedes our fundamental strength.
Rather, I think we should start taking formal votes with reasonable
announced time frames. Hopefully this will come to pass with feedback
being opened on bugzilla or projects like the one that's currently up to
allow for voting for Koha con. I'm also not sure why the trademarks are
in corporate hands when we have established users groups that are
certainly more objective.

Cheers,
Brooke


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