[OSCOM] Oscom @ Gilbane

I can see that open souce commercial talk make some people salivate
and other people
very very suspicious

I have known Frank a little, met him once in person but worked with
him regularly when I launched content-wire. At the time he and I  had
the only content management webistes - that's how I got his attention
- except that I was using a CMS and he was not. He quickly upgraded
his technology, and now he does news regularly

He organised the Open Source Panel to which Henri and I participated
in Amsterdam

I am convinced that his interest in new stuff is genuine, he never
hesitated to invite me -
to participate in his activities  without any personal interest, never
asking for payments other than pure enthusiams for sharing , Where
possible even offered to pay a fee. (He obviously recognises talent)

After September 11 things changed however. Gilbane conferences was for
a couple of years affliated to Seybold, and I do not see that as a
particularly lucky time - but as I understand  now he is 'free again'.
Although the business community around him is strangling his
creativity (or at least that's how I see it, not having heard from him
in a while)

 I look forward to a better future in content management
and hopefully Oscom can contribute to a healthy balance of views

(Let's not forget, Oscom could potentially be a competitor to CM Pros!)

I would be happy to see Oscom associated with Gilbane, provided - as
someone has spotted - that its independence from commercial interests
is guaranteed and maintained

All Oscom activities shoul be open, by invitation, to all Oscom members
As Michi said, lets look at the papers, lets make the papers a
collective Oscom effort

Let's not push individuals, and cartels, nor 'old boy's clubs

Is ther an Oscom panel going on?  All Oscom members should be invited
to participate
Ultimately - we are all experts in some area or other - and we should
not be pushing
one professional or commercial interest over another.
Otherwise this is not going to take off the way we all hope it will

If an activity is not open invitation to all Oscom members, it should not
be branded under Oscom -


Who can be an Oscom member? - anyone who has a demonstrated interest,
compentence, skill, activity, academic or professional relation or
made a contribution to open source cms should be able to sign up -
this is how we are going to make this community grow.

That's the spirit of Open Source that we should be pushing for in the
first instance

Look forward to collaboration on all accounts

Paola Di Maio