[okfn-discuss] [ANN] Open-source innovation platform Cofundos.org

Wed Oct 24 08:33:30 UTC 2007

Dear Sören,

Let me simply add my congratulations on Cofundos! I think it's a  
great concept. It's actually quite similar to some ideas I've mulled  
over for a long time but didn't know how to operationalize. I can see  
lots of applications--not least in the area of open knowledge, as you  
mention. But I think it could reach even further.

I'm also keen on Rufus' idea of more-passive participation in the  
form of outright donations with no further requirements on the part  
of the donor. To me that seems like the key to opening this concept  
to a much wider audience, even serving as a sort of bridge between  
online/offline segments.

Look forward to following your progress with this.

All best,
Nate

> Date: Mon, 22 Oct 2007 12:59:24 +0100
> From: Rufus Pollock <rufus.pollock at okfn.org>
> Subject: Re: [okfn-discuss] [ANN] Open-source innovation platform
> 	Cofundos.org
> To: S?ren Auer <auer at informatik.uni-leipzig.de>
> Cc: okfn-discuss at lists.okfn.org
> Message-ID: <471C909C.800 at okfn.org>
> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=ISO-8859-1; format=flowed
>
> S?ren Auer wrote:
>
>> Dear all,
>>
>> In the last weeks we [1] were developing a novel platform for  
>> spurring
>> innovation and development of open-source software, which we think  
>> can
>> have quite an impact on open-source and web collaboration in general:
>> Cofundos.org is about revealing bright ideas regarding the  
>> development
>> of open-source software and attracting a critical mass for their
>> realization:
>>
>> http://www.cofundos.org
>>
>> The main idea of Cofundos.org is to share innovative (open-source)
>> ideas, to refine them and to mobilize funding for their realization.
>> We would like to invite all of you to register or login using your
>> OpenId and to post software ideas, requirements or even bid for the
>> realization of existing projects.
>>
>
> This is wonderful Soren. I also wonder if it could be adapted/expanded
> to support what I've jokingly termed: 'Open Offsets' (in analogy with
> 'carbon offsets').
>
> The idea here, which came out of discussion around a year ago [1], was
> that many organizations (and individuals) who use open software or  
> open
> knowledge but don't get round to contributing anything back even  
> though
> they might want to.
>
> [1]:http://lists.okfn.org/pipermail/okfn-discuss/2006-July/000104.html
>
> It would therefore be useful to set up some kind of fund to which
> orgs/people could just contribute on some regular basis with the fund
> then taking care of 'offsetting' their usage by contributing specific
> communities and projects. For large organizations the contribution  
> could
> even be based on some assessment similar to the way they have an
> assessment of their carbon footprint.
>
> Clearly for this to work one think you'd need is some form of
> trust/board to administer the 'open offsets' fund in an open,
> transparent and accountable manner but I don't think this would be  
> that
> complex to arrange (alternatively one could implement some kind of
> voting system with voting rights proportional to the contribution  
> of the
> fund but with some individuals happy to assign their rights to the
> special board).
>
> ~rufus