Re: Mission Statement

[Doug Loss <dloss@csrlink.net>]

Ian Bicking wrote:
> 
> A mission statement, description of goals, project summary, etc.,
> should be the boiling down of some more general, more vague idea
> of definition.  I don't think that exists either, so maybe that's where
> to start.
> 
Bob posted an earlier idea of having three progressively more detailed
statements about what we're doing.  The first, called a mission
statement, would be a single sentence describing the purpose of
seul-edu.  The second, called "about seul-edu", would be a paragraph
talking in broad terms about what we do and what our goals are.  The
third, called a manifesto, would be a page of its own going into some
detail about our philosophy and direction.  I think you're thinking of
this third one here.

For Bob's mission statement, something like this would probably do:
"Seul-edu is intended for discussion about using Linux for educational
purposes."

For the "about seul-edu," something more like this:

"Seul-edu is intended for discussion about using Linux for educational
purposes.  These purposes include using Linux for student machines in
school computer labs (primarily kindergarten through grade 12), using
Linux for faculty and staff use in K12 schools, using Linux for network
file, print, and application servers on K12 school networks, and using
Linux for educational purposes on home computers.  If present
applications meet these needs we find them and publicize their
availability; if there aren't any available applications in specific
areas we help develop the needed programs."

The manifesto is something that hasn't been started yet, except for
these discussions.

> There's two aspects I can see -- Linux, the operating system, and
> Free Software (or Open Source) the concept.
> 
> Linux is really about the philosophies and software that exists for it
> and inside of it.  There's the Unix philosophies of transparency and
> simplicity.  There's the freeness -- speech and beer.  There's the
> noncommercial aspect -- as much as people try to talk about how
> to make money on free software, and the commercial ports, the
> spirit and soul of Linux held up mostly by volunteers.  Finally, the
> community aspect -- the internet, the miriad of mailing lists, and all
> that.
> 
> These are some thoughts on why we're doing this.  Not in any good
> order at all.
> 
> Then there's how we do it.  By hook or crook I suppose.  Mostly
> find what's out there, document and adapt it as necessary.  Write
> what's missing.  And maybe get a few commercial offerings ported.
> 
> I think it's also a valid goal to get Free Software on any operating
> system, for strategic and idealogical reasons.  It's easier to get
> someone to use a new program than a new OS, and it's easier to
> get someone to change operating systems if they don't have to
> change programs.  Curriculum, textbooks, and all that is probably
> similar.
> 
This sounds like the beginnings of the manifesto I mentioned above. 
Ian, do you have the time to write this out and give us something to bat
around?  I'm leaving for vacation on Friday (and I probably won't be
able to check seul-edu more than a few times over the following two
weeks), or I'd take a crack at it.

-- 
Doug Loss                 The difference between the right word and
Data Network Coordinator  the almost right word is the difference
Bloomsburg University     between lightning and a lightning bug.
dloss@bloomu.edu                Mark Twain