Readability increases when i choose the Desktop website in Bromite. Writes a mental not to send a PR with a fix.
Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
11–20 of 45 posts
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#12"Members are required to have an PhD in Mathematics or Computer Science related disciplines as well as being authors of FLOSS/Free Software." First of all, it is "a PhD", secondly, this looks like the typical scientific ecosystem power grab that we have seen multiple times in the US. In the Python scientific space, people doing actual work are exploited ruthlessly.
That’s an … interesting requirement. In France there is, AFAIK, an exaggerated emphasis on the importance of holding a PhD title. IMHO I can’t really see the strong connection between acquiring an PhD and the ability to successfully lead open source projects.
Simon Peyton Jones would not qualify (though he has an honorary doctorate now).
In OSS scientific software, many PhDs have management jobs, where they write a couple of grand sounding fantasy roadmaps and have creative people who report to them. Printing money basically.
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#13"Members are required to have an PhD in Mathematics or Computer Science related disciplines as well as being authors of FLOSS/Free Software." First of all, it is "a PhD", secondly, this looks like the typical scientific ecosystem power grab that we have seen multiple times in the US. In the Python scientific space, people doing actual work are exploited ruthlessly.
There is a presentation at FOSDEM 2021 about FDL: https://fosdem.org/2021/schedule/event/fosstaxbreak/ Title: Give open source a (tax) break Cash that gets into FDL/LEF is then spent to sponsor existing FLOSS projects or to acquire intellectual property rights of existing works and change their license to FLOSS. Case 1: https://bossanova.uk/jspreadsheet/v4/ got financed partly by FDL/LEF Case 2: the radio hardware of…
So only a PhD can innovate?
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#14Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a presentation at FOSDEM 2021 about FDL: https://fosdem.org/2021/schedule/event/fosstaxbreak/ Title: Give open source a (tax) break Cash that gets into FDL/LEF is then spent to sponsor existing FLOSS projects or to acquire intellectual property rights of existing works and change their license to FLOSS. Case 1: https://bossanova.uk/jspreadsheet/v4/ got financed partly by FDL/LEF Case 2: the radio hardware of…
So only a PhD can innovate?
Well, they have no hope of getting tenure (that budget is needed for administration), so it's good that PhD have another option where they can avoid doing any real work* ;)
* Giving people whose talent is thinking the chance to do that is a good idea. Better than losing that talent to management.
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#15"Members are required to have an PhD in Mathematics or Computer Science related disciplines as well as being authors of FLOSS/Free Software." First of all, it is "a PhD", secondly, this looks like the typical scientific ecosystem power grab that we have seen multiple times in the US. In the Python scientific space, people doing actual work are exploited ruthlessly.
I don't see this requirement anywhere, can you point me to it?
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#16"Members are required to have an PhD in Mathematics or Computer Science related disciplines as well as being authors of FLOSS/Free Software." First of all, it is "a PhD", secondly, this looks like the typical scientific ecosystem power grab that we have seen multiple times in the US. In the Python scientific space, people doing actual work are exploited ruthlessly.
That’s an … interesting requirement. In France there is, AFAIK, an exaggerated emphasis on the importance of holding a PhD title. IMHO I can’t really see the strong connection between acquiring an PhD and the ability to successfully lead open source projects.
As stated on the web site: "In order to be eligible to act on the committee, members are required to have an PhD in Mathematics or Computer Science related disciplines as well as being authors of FLOSS/Free Software. We are currently looking for new committee members." -> The PhD requirement is for sitting on the selection committee only.
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#17Earlier quoted context omitted.
That’s an … interesting requirement. In France there is, AFAIK, an exaggerated emphasis on the importance of holding a PhD title. IMHO I can’t really see the strong connection between acquiring an PhD and the ability to successfully lead open source projects.
Simon Peyton Jones would not qualify (though he has an honorary doctorate now). In OSS scientific software, many PhDs have management jobs, where they write a couple of grand sounding fantasy roadmaps and have creative people who report to them. Printing money basically.
"Printing money" ? Really ? For the main European granting programme (Horizon Europe), the success rate is approximately 5%. In France, for funding schemes like ANR (Agence Nationale de la Recherche ~= the NSF in the US), it also between 5% and 10%. This means lead researchers need to put enormous time and effort into the grant application process, with extremely random results, even for the best cases.
(As someone who has sat in various pre-selection committees over the last 15 years, i.e. without a final say on who gets funded and who doesn't, I can also add that sometimes the best applications don't get funded, and average or even mediocre ones get funded instead).
And yes, in every organizations, being research or not, you will inevitably have people who end up in management and manage people who do most of the creative work. Does this mean that these managers are (or become) incompetent or useless ? I don't think so.
(For background information on this specific topic, on can (re)read The Pratice of Management by Peter Drucker (1954) ( https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/48018.The_Practice_of... -> "“The manager is the dynamic, life-giving element in every business” who defines the organization’s mission, develops and retains productive teams, coordinates various activities, sets goals, and gets things done.").
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#18Earlier quoted context omitted.
There is a presentation at FOSDEM 2021 about FDL: https://fosdem.org/2021/schedule/event/fosstaxbreak/ Title: Give open source a (tax) break Cash that gets into FDL/LEF is then spent to sponsor existing FLOSS projects or to acquire intellectual property rights of existing works and change their license to FLOSS. Case 1: https://bossanova.uk/jspreadsheet/v4/ got financed partly by FDL/LEF Case 2: the radio hardware of…
So only a PhD can innovate?
As stated in my previous comment, the PhD requirement is for sitting on the selection committee only.
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#19The process looks quite complicated and time consuming. I wonder how many FOSS projects will enroll. The criteria is alright but doesn't mention anything about library maintainers. In the end, it's money so I get why it has to be so long form and time consuming but I think a lot of really good projects will either not take the time to enroll or give up in the middle. In my opinion, such a fund should be set up for bo…
The process mimics other grants which are known aa compliant with Tax Law. This is a way to increase juridical safety for donators.
Re: Libre Endowment Fund: Sustainable Development of Free Software
#20Earlier quoted context omitted.
That’s an … interesting requirement. In France there is, AFAIK, an exaggerated emphasis on the importance of holding a PhD title. IMHO I can’t really see the strong connection between acquiring an PhD and the ability to successfully lead open source projects.
Simon Peyton Jones would not qualify (though he has an honorary doctorate now). In OSS scientific software, many PhDs have management jobs, where they write a couple of grand sounding fantasy roadmaps and have creative people who report to them. Printing money basically.
If you're in Academia for the money you're an imbecile. Which would sort of disqualify you for said academic work in the first place. Catch 22.