SPI using Google Apps?

[Hilmar Lapp]

Apologies for the silence. To not leave this hanging, I'm in full agreement with the argument of preferring open-source software when there is a choice to be made. Though in fairness, Google invests a fair amount of money into open-source, and so using Google products isn't exactly inconsistent (IMHO) with an open source commitment.

At any rate, what prompted the query to start with is that OBF runs mailman lists (and MediaWiki wikis, but Google Apps wouldn't do anything about those) on hardware and OS versions that are highly outdated and thus cause pain and vulnerability. Also, we receive a lot of spam. Keeping on top of that through moderation, even with spamassassin and stuff, has been too painful for a while, so we're looking for alternatives. Google Apps obviously isn't a solve all for this, so my query was mostly informational. So I'm at least as curious about how other SPI projects fill these needs, and whether SPI runs any infrastructure for common use by its associated projects. (I realize I should have put that in a new thread.)

-hilmar

Sent with a tap.

On Oct 12, 2012, at 8:38 PM, Jimmy Kaplowitz <jimmy at spi-inc.org> wrote:

> Hi Hilmar,
> 
> On Fri, Oct 12, 2012 at 05:04:18PM -0400, Hilmar Lapp wrote:
>> I was wondering whether SPI, or an SPI-associated project is using Google
>> Apps, i.e., has a Google Apps account, and if so, whether it's a Google Apps
>> for Non-Profits account.
> 
> Since I'm currently employed by Google as my day job, I'm going to limit my
> participation in this thread and any resulting decisions.
> 
> However, I will provide several current-status facts:
> 
> * SPI doesn't currently use Google Apps directly or offer our projects a
>  pre-existing relationship with Google Apps, nor has it
>  signed up in any way with Google for Nonprofits.
> * SPI doesn't forbid SPI-associated projects from using Google Apps, whether
>  paid with their project's SPI-held funds, with other funds, or at a free tier.
> * Some associated projects might use it already, but my quick spot-check of a
>  few projects' MX servers didn't any pointed at Google.
> * When SPI is making software decisions, it generally prefers free software.
> * SPI-associated projects are not strictly speaking "part" of SPI, nor are they
>  acting on SPI's behalf or as SPI's agent. SPI is providing fiscal sponsorship
>  services to the projects under certain terms, but they remain independent
>  nonprofit unincorporated associations.
> * Our projects are free to work with other fiscal sponsors in addition to SPI,
>  and some do. They can and do also act as individuals.
> * When SPI does something in its role as a project's fiscal sponsor, SPI's
>  501(c)(3) status and EIN are relevant to that.
> * When a project acts other than via SPI, SPI's 501(c)(3) status and EIN are
>  irrelevant.
> 
> I'll leave all the subjective aspects of this thread to others.
> 
> - Jimmy Kaplowitz
> jimmy at spi-inc.org