Open Source Applications Foundation

Last updated
Type 501(c)(6) organization
Area served
Worldwide
MethodPromotion, protection, and standardization of Linux by providing unified resources and services needed for open source to successfully compete with closed platforms.
Website www.osafoundation.org

The Open Source Applications Foundation (OSAF) was a non-profit organization founded in 2002 by Mitch Kapor whose purpose was to effect widespread adoption of free software/open-source software.

Contents

History

Founded in 2002 by Mitch Kapor to effect widespread adoption of free software/open-source software.

The 2007 book Dreaming in Code: Two Dozen Programmers, Three Years, 4,732 Bugs, and One Quest for Transcendent Software documented the struggles of OSAF in building an open source calendar application, Chandler.

In January 2008 Mitch Kapor ended his involvement with the foundation, stepped down from the board, and provided transitional funding. In the restructure that followed, Katie Capps Parlante became acting president. There were at one time eleven employees with Sheila Mooney as president.

Projects

From 2005, OSAF participated in Google's Summer of Code programs by allowing several interns to work on OSAF projects during the summer.

OSAF Funds

Major contributors to OSAF included:[ citation needed ]

OSAF Mission

The mission of the OSAF was stated this way:[ citation needed ]

  1. Create and gain wide adoption of open source application software of uncompromising quality.
  2. Carry forward the vision of Vannevar Bush, Doug Engelbart, and Ted Nelson of the computer as a medium for communication, collaboration, and coordination.
  3. Design a new application to manage personal information including notes, mail, tasks, appointments and events, contacts, documents and other personal resources.
  4. Enable sharing with colleagues, friends and family. In particular, meet the unique and under-served needs of small group collaboration.
  5. Demonstrate that open source software *can* serve a general audience in the consumer market.
  6. Offer a choice of platforms and full interoperability amongst Windows, Macintosh, and Linux versions.
  7. Leverage our resources by using an open source model of development.

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