1. Introduction

Source codes, or rather algorithms and algebra, are the tools of the digital craftsman in the modern age with over a thousand years of mathematical theories behind them. Only for little more than a quarter of a century have they acted as software. Software is a means of creating art and communicating. It is a metaliterature which defines how meaning can be carried and (re)produced by multiplying the possibilities of communication Just as software is a means of metacommunication, so it represents a Parole, deriving its execution from a Langue: the grammatical and linguistic universe of the code. Although many see the source code as merely an obscure cryptogram, it has an indirect effect on the way we communicate and even more on the efficiency with which we do so.

Dyne.org appeared online in 2000 when Jaromil published his first free and open source project: the Hasciicam software, setting up a video stream made in letters playing from the website. His creation has been widely appreciated both for its artistical value and for letting possible to broadcast live video using old hardware from a slow network connection.

Since then, more elaborated software has been created by Jaromil and offered to the public, with the help of a growing community of developers that joined efforts, configuring dyne.org as a software atelier, a portal to Digital Creation and Media Art.

Ranging from radio makers, humanitarian organizations, video artists, medical researchers, media activists and educators, a large amount of people employed and redistributed dyne.org software worldwide, free of charge.

Openness, knowledge sharing and freedom of creation: these have been the philosophycal principles guiding the evolution of dyne.org, hosting creations that have been conceptualized not for a profit, but for their role within society.

The Netherlands Media Art Institute (NMAI) has focused since the year 2002 on the development of free and open source software. In that respect a long lasting relationship was established with this organisation resulting in a patronage for the dyne.org foundation

[ description of this history, from the begining up to the working together with Jaromil ]

2. Definitions of terms

With the definition of Free and Open Source Software we refer to all software licensed and distributed under the GNU General Public License, as published by the Free Software Foundation. In fact, free has to be intended as "Libre", free as of speech, not simply gratis, coming with all possibilities to redistribute, modify and adapt the software without any fee. From now on we'll refer to it with the acronym FLOSS (free libre open source software).

FLOSS implies 4 fundamental freedoms:

• The freedom to run the program, for any purpose.
• The freedom to study how the program works, and adapt it to your needs.
• The freedom to redistribute copies so you can help your neighbor.
• The freedom to improve the program, and release your improvements to the public, so that the whole community benefits.

With dyne.org foundation we describe a non-profit organisation which developes, employes and distributes FLOSS based software and hardware solutions.

With non-profit we specify that all the revenues are reinvested in research, development, employement and distribution of dyne.org software and hardware products. The Netherlands Media Art Institute garanties that the overhead never will be more than 5% of the turn over.

3. Mission Statement

DYNE.ORG stands

To promote the idea and practice of open source knowledge sharing within civil society: by fostering research, development, production and distribution of FLOSS based solutions.

To open the partecipation to online and onsite communities, leveraging the democratical and horizontal access to technology, lowering the economical requisites to its accessibility.

To foster employement of FLOSS in artistical creation, exploring new forms of expression and interaction and insuring the long term conservation of digital artworks.

To insure sustainability of FLOSS development, also when non-profiteable: being software a socially relevant media it should not be ideated and mantained only on the basis of its merchantability. (n.fredd: specificare meglio; sustain the people and not the structures, that can be horizontal, self organizing and distributed)

To promote the idea of Net Ecology: development should be aware of all environmental issues connected to it and, as such, keep the research focused on recycling technical equipment whenever possible, develop environmental friendly systems and find ways to optimize the use of energy sources employed.

comments and suggestions

• To promote use of FLOSS in cultural settings as a cultural autonomous activity. The organization encourages the growth, development, and use of FLOSS for artistic and cultural uses, including teaching, divulgation, production and distribution of content in new and different forms. (n.fredd like this seems to me more general without being generic)

4. Strategic and operational goals

To open up new not for profit markets and to create and distribute FLOSS to a wider audience.

comments and suggestions

• To set a lab for floss development that will become a center of excellence in the field and that can sustain itself.

4.1. Strategic goals

To open up new not for profit markets

The community of FLOSS users still consists mostly of insiders, while the potential of the developed software has reached a state of high compatibility with license based programs.

To enforce general customers to make use of FLOSS we want to offer easy to use packages of applications at affordable prices that help sustaining their development.

comments and suggestions

* n.fredd:

Put in this way is market centered, it wants to be no-profit but uses the logic of profit. MArket is one of the abstraction from society we must fight. Let's think on how to re-write this in terms of welfare. Not to mention that a non profit market is a contadiction in terms. Well, it may work for crooks or for propaganda, but i doubt that this angle helps setting the record straight.

(n.fredd: mi sembra che questo concerna piu' i mezzi degli obbiettivi. Dobbiamo fare due conti...)

4.2. Operational goals

To create and distribute FLOSS to a wider audience.

To guarantee the continuity of FLOSS creation and development we have to generate resources: money, people, infrastructure and knowledge.

To distribute the software we have to create communication strategies, attractive products, marketing and distribution channels.

5. products and combinations of markets (PCM's)

5.1. Products

5.1.1. Production of open source software

In the ArtLab - the research centre of the Netherlands Media Art Institute (NMAI) - a long term development program for open source software will be established and connected with the Artists in Residence program. This program will be defined by the dyne.org Foundation and the NMAI and financed by both partners.

(N. fredd: add: according to the following guidelines...)

5.1.2. Release of software - free of license

Conform to the protocol of FLOSS, the software developed will be made available online with its entire sourcecode.

Next to it, compilations of open source software will brought together on hardware (CD-ROM, computer boxes etc.) as well offered as plug and play products and ad-hoc setups. To compile, produce and distribute the hardware commercial calculations will be charged. The risk and profit is divided between both partners. (N. fredd: check: this has to be sustainable. in NMAI puts up structure, like space, machinery, pr and whatever, who is putting up cash? How? Project based? What about writing proposal up for subsidies at local/national/international level? Who is going to do this? we must elaborate this aspect, no need to do it in the statute, but it has to be clear...)

The profit has by both to be reinvested in research and development, production and distribution and is excluded from any private profit. (n.fredd: this formula is not legally clear. I explain to you why when we meet).

5.1.3. Donor and Patron membership program

The foundation will offer a Donor program for individuals and a Patron program for organizations willing to financially support the development of free software.

this document is confidential.

board:

• Denis "jaromil" Rojo
• Heiner Hostappels
• Robert De Geuss