Re: Making the Association aims more clear -- proposal

[John Darrington]

>  [2] 'producers' is better word than 'contributors' due
>      to 'contributors' sounds like "gratis", and we want
>      such persons get paid by their work.  So maybe
>      'producers' is a better word.

I think "producers" is a very bad word here.  It encourages the people
to think of software with a "producer--consumer" mentality. See 
http://www.gnu.org/philosophy/words-to-avoid.html#Consumer.

"Contribute" can imply "gratis", in some contexts, but it by no means 
requires that meaning.  I don't think that there's going to be any
word here that's not open to misinterpretation, but I particularly
dislike "producer" for the above reasons.  I think "contributor" was
the best word, but if that's not acceptable, perhaps you could try
"author". 


> Also, I would remove the world "professional".  It has negative
> connotations that someone is only doing a task because they are paid
> to do so, not because they want to do it anyway.

I disagree that the word has "negative connotations", or that it
implies that pay is the incentive.  To me a "professional" is someone
who performs a service, and in doing so assumes an extra duty of care
(over and above that expected by non-professionals).  In order to
allow the professional  to perform this service on a regular basis,
(s)he would normally charge a fee for service.  

Removal of the word "professional" means a total change from what I
had understood the organisation would do.  I thought it was aimed at
persons who do Free Software as paid work (either full time or part
time) but now that word has been removed, there's nothing to suggest
that.  I recommend keeping the word.


With regard to the "persons" versus "people" argument, both are
correct in modern English.  However one or other may be more
appropriate depending on what you wish to emphasise.  I think that 
"helping people" implies the association will have a more general,
indirect role, whereas "helping persons" suggests helping them on a
personal, one-to-one basis.




J'


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