Chandler Wiki : OSAFFAQ

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r12 - 05 Feb 2009 - 21:17:50 - SheilaMooneyYou are here: OSAF > Projects Web > OSAFFAQ
---+ !!Frequently Asked Questions about OSAF

---++++!!For questions about Chandler Project, visit the [[Projects.FAQ][Chandler FAQ]]
---++++!![Return to [[http://osafoundation.org][osafoundation.org]]] 


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---+++What is OSAF?

OSAF is the Open Source Applications Foundation, a 501(c)3 non-profit foundation. Our main project is the [[http://chandlerproject.org][Chandler Project]]: an open effort to build a personal information manager designed for small group collaboration. Chandler consists of a Desktop application, a Server and a free sharing service called Chandler Hub. We released Preview version of our Desktop and Server in September 2007. We continue to release new versions on a regular basis. The foundation's mission is outlined on the [[http://osafoundation.org][OSAF home page]].

We conduct most of our work transparently; if you are interested, you can [[http://blog.chandlerproject.org][read the blog]], look at [[http://chandlerproject.org/mailinglists][mailing list archives]] or [[http://chandlerproject.org/wiki][peruse the wiki]]. If you are interested in getting involved, see [[http://chandlerproject.org/getinvolved][http://chandlerproject.org/getinvolved]]. As an open project, we're interested in collaborating with individuals or other organizations.
 
---+++Where is OSAF located?

Our mailing address is 548 Market St., #22640, San Francisco CA 94104. 

---+++Who founded OSAF? How was the idea for OSAF conceived?

Mitchell Kapor founded OSAF in 2001.  You can read more about [[Projects.OSAFHistory][OSAF's history]].

---+++Who are the members of OSAF's board of directors?

We are currently in the process of making some changes to the board. OSAF's board of directors is comprised of:

Sheila Mooney

Jared Rhine

Eugene Kim

Alex Russell

Andre Mueninghoff

---+++Who are OSAF's funders?

Mitchell Kapor was the primary funder through the end of 2007. He has provided transitional financial assistance to support the organization through the end of 2008. 

In March 2003, OSAF received a $98,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to investigate whether Chandler could be extended to meet higher education needs. Subsequent grants were given in September 2003: $1.5 million from the Mellon Foundation and $1.25 million from the 25 university members comprising the Common Solutions Group. This money primarily funded work on the CalDAV calendaring standard, including the initial work on the Chandler Server and work to make the Desktop application a CalDAV client. The Chandler Server was originally formed as two projects: Cosmo (a CalDAV server) and Scooby (a Web UI for remote access to calendar data). Chandler Server has grown to be a data hub supporting a wide variety of protocols with a Web UI that is a full complement to the desktop for shared personal information.

In addition OSAF receives smaller cash donations from many individuals. 

---+++When was OSAF incorporated as a non-profit organization?

OSAF was incorporated as a non-profit public corporation in the State of CA on May 30, 2001. In February 2002, OSAF obtained Federal 501(c)3 nonprofit status. 

---+++How many employees does OSAF have? Do you have an org chart?

As of January 15 2007, there are 10  [[Projects.OSAFPeople][people]] working full time on Chandler. Our small core team will continue to support our current developers and work on a strategy for building our user base, the community and diversifying our funding sources. Our org chart is flat with all employees reporting to Katie Parlante.

---+++How large do you anticipate OSAF becoming in the future?

We do not have any plan to increase OSAF's core staff. We are primarily focused on building an active open source community around Chandler.

---+++Is OSAF hiring? If so, what types of people are you looking to bring on?

We have no open positions at this time. Please subscribe to the [[http://lists.osafoundation.org/mailman/listinfo/announce/][announce]] mailing list for updates on job openings or follow our [[http://blog.chandlerproject.org/][blog]]. We have historically hired summer interns; our recent hires have been former interns or community members who have already made contributions to the project.

---+++What type of organizational culture has OSAF created? How do you make decisions?

OSAF values collaboration between highly motivated individuals who bring a passion for excellence, commitment to high standards of performance and quality of product, a capacity for creativity, and respect for others and their differences to their work.

We hold ourselves and others to standards of honesty, fairness, and accountability in our dealings.

We have a [[Projects.OsafProjectGovernance][governance policy]] that describes (in spirit) how decisions are made at OSAF.

---+++What role does Mitch Kapor play at OSAF?

Mitch is no longer actively involved in developing Chandler. He continues to participate in Chandler Project as a user.

---+++What type of licensing model do you have in place? 

Chandler Desktop and Server are licensed with the [[http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0][Apache 2.0 License]]. We chose the Apache License because it has fewer restrictions and is generally more developer friendly. This license is consistent with our goal of widespread adoption.

Previous versions of the Desktop were licensed under the GNU GPL because we thought that we would pursue a !MySQL style dual licensing scheme as part of the sustainability plans for the Foundation. We no longer plan to pursue this kind of scheme in order to achieve our sustainability goals.
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