My candidacy for the OpenStack Foundation Board
The elections have started! If you’re eligable to vote, you should have already received an email containing a link to make your vote.
You can vote for one or many candidates, but the fewer candidates you vote for, the stronger your support.
I’m running. I’m not only running because it would be an interesting thing to do, or because I believe in the mission, but I really believe I can be a valuable asset to the Board. Not only have I been a long-standing contributor to Openstack, I have a background in business and brand ownership/management, event management, and pro se trademark / copyright law.
If I may have your support, it would be graciously appeciated, both in the elections and by word of mouth, too.
About Eric Windisch
Eric has a decade of experience in building web hosting and billing automation, and has been automating virtualization and storage since 2006. Currently with Cloudscaling, his previous position was as founder and operator of a small hosting/cloud services provider where he was involved in the management and legal affairs of business processes, trademarks, and copyrights. He has been a user of OpenStack since Austin and a contributor since Cactus. Furthermore, he has been a champion of open processes and transparency for OpenStack, both on and off the mailing lists.
What is your relationship to OpenStack, and why is its success important to you and/or your company? What would you say is your biggest contribution to OpenStack’s success to date?
Years before OpenStack entered the picture, I operated a small hosting operation where I felt our long-term success pinned on an open cloud solution. Today, while I’m no longer the owner/operator of a hosting firm, I remain resolved to help others build cloud computing solutions on open technologies. I became a contributor to OpenStack and joined Cloudscaling to achieve these personal goals.
My employer, Cloudscaling, is also vested in Openstack with it being the core foundation on which their product stands.
Describe your experience with other non profits or serving as a board member. How does your experience prepare you for the role of a board member?
I have nearly 10 years of experience operating a for-profit business. While I understand that non-profits are laden with many rules, regulations, and other differences to for-profits, I hope that many of my skills will transfer. For example, I already have experience in the registration and protection of trademarks, event and brand management, and as a developer myself, will be suited to understanding and emplowering develoepr needs.
What do you see as the Board’s role in OpenStack’s success?
The Board is essential to seeing that the growth and continues success of the community. Businesses need amiable terms for use of trademarks, copyrights, and a strong brand for OpenStack. Besides interesting puzzles, contributors are attracted and retained by a strong and healthy community online and off-line. The Board must see that contributor needs are met, that the community is maintained and strengthed, that each contributor’s voice is heard.
What do you think the top priority of the Board should be during the OpenStack Foundation’s first year?
I believe it is important not to make too many changes too quickly. However, there are serious problems with the current trademark agreements that must be resolved in due haste. I know that trademarks are not very exciting, but they’re very important to the adoption and use of OpenStack.
For example, the policy only allows commercial use of the trademark per written agreement. The standard written agreement requires that all products “Built for OpenStack” pass a FITS test, but this test does not exist. The PPB was responsible to provide a solution to the community by January 1st, 2012, but this has remained incomplete and undefined. The newly elected board will need to seek the creation of a FITS test or eliminate this requirement.