[IAEP] Project as a platform

[David Farning]

Sugar Labs has spent the last year focused internally.  That was
necessary.  Sugar Labs is now a completely independent, open source
educational project.  Some of it was not easy, but all of it was worth
it.

Internally, Sugar Labs has focused on the three Cs; Commitment,
Consistency, Credibility.

Commitment to our mission, commitment to our vision, and commitment to
our values.  For over a year Sugar Labs members have been working,
with out pay, to make Sugar the best possible learning platform.
These members have been working tirelessly to create a world in which
every student across the world has access to Sugar as a effective
learning platform.  Most importantly, the Sugar Labs members have
lived their values and made those values part of the Sugar Labs
culture.

Sugar Labs has consistently delivered releases on time.  Each of those
releases has been consistently better than the previous release.
Sugar Labs has consistently delivered it's message.

Finally, Sugar Labs has established credibility.  Credibility that by
using open source and community methodologies we can cost effectivetly
create a viable product.  Credibility that Sugar Labs is in this
business for the long term no matter the economic climate.
Credibility that Sugar Labs honors it's commitments.  Many times we
have said, "No we don't think we can do that yet" rather than promise
something we could not support.

Now, we are ready to start focusing outward.  Ready to start working
with partners to get Sugar in the hands of students.

Fostering external partnerships in an open source project is a lot
like fostering internal community contributors.  In the community
there are no managers with coercive authority over anyone else.
Instead, it is a matter of making the project compelling enough that
smart, passionate people want to become involved and contribute.

It is the same with external partnership.  Sugar Labs must work
collaboratively with other communities and companies over whom we have
no authority and they have no authority over us.

What unites us internally, our mission, vision, and values will be
what unites us externally with partners.

david