Re: [Caml-list] Whither the Caml Consortium?

[Michel Mauny <Michel.Mauny@inria.fr>]

Hendrik Tews wrote/écrivait (Oct 25 2001, 12:00PM +0200):
> Sven writes:
>    i was contemplating creating a association in france to group
>    several users which would, once we are able to sum up the 2000
>    euros, become one member of the consortium.
> 
> Are you sure that your application to become a member of the
> consortium will be successful? As I understand it, INRIA decides
> on the applications.

I confirm that we want such an application to be successful and I see no
problem at all.

> My impression from the current thread (and from previous ones on
> the consortium) is that there is some confusion about the real
> purpose of the consortium (i.e., INRIAS position)

Well, Xavier's post (http://caml.inria.fr/archives/200110/msg00272.html)
was rather clear, as well as the description of the Consortium given
as appendix of the membership agreement at

  http://caml.inria.fr/consortium/documents/Annex1-eng.shtml

Roughly speaking, the idea is to bring together major users (as many
as possible) in order to make other potential users more confident in
the future of OCaml. The existence of the Consortium should bring
(probably partial) answers to questions such as "Who else is using
it?", "What happens in case INRIA stops supporting it?". Hopefully, at
some point, some companies able to sell services around Caml will be
members of the CC, and that could also help in answering other
important questions such as "What company could maintain, adapt or
further develop this OCaml app that we are planning to use?"

The goal of further developing OCaml for it to match more precisely
the needs of programmers, and getting funds for that, is of course
also important, but I think the primary goal is the one given above.

We all understand that it's a chicken/egg problem, and this is why
it's starting a bit slowly (my opinion). (Well, honestly, one should
probably also add some work overload on my side as an another reason.)

And, again, forming an OCaml users group that would be a member of the
Consortium is definitely a good idea.

-- Michel
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