<div dir="ltr"><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px"><b style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8000001907349px;line-height:normal">***Discussion should not take place on the email list but in the forums. Comments on the email list will not be collected.***</b><br></p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px">The Open Source Hardware Association (OSHWA) is kicking off the process to create an <a href="http://wp.me/p43VcC-ux" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">Open Source Hardware Certification</a>.  In addition to all of the amazing things that will happen at this year’s <a href="http://2015.oshwa.org/" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">Open Hardware Summit</a>, our goal is to be able to roll out the first version of the Open Source Hardware certification this fall.  In order to be able to do that, we need <a href="http://wp.me/p43VcC-ux" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">your input now</a>.  You can find all about the certification and the process <a href="http://wp.me/p43VcC-ux" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">here</a>, but the rest of this post will give you a quick overview of what you need to know:</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px"><strong style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Who</strong>: The Open Source Hardware Community and the <a href="http://www.oshwa.org/" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">Open Source Hardware Association</a>.  if you are reading this, that probably means YOU.</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px"><strong style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">What</strong>: A certification program for projects so that people can know that the project really is open source hardware.</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px"><strong style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">When</strong>: From now until the <a href="http://2015.oshwa.org/" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">Open Hardware Summit</a>.  The first deadline for comments and answers to the questions is June 26, 2015.</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px"><strong style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Where</strong>: Comments and answers are being collected in the Open Source Hardware Association <a href="http://www.oshwa.org/forums/forum/discussion-of-open-source-hardware-certification-proposal/" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">forums</a>.  We are aiming to roll out the first version of the certification process at the Summit in Philadelphia.</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px"><strong style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">Why</strong>:  While the community has done great work on developing <a href="http://www.oshwa.org/definition/" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">open source hardware principles</a>, many people are still looking for a simple way to know that something really is open source hardware.  Hopefully the certification will be a big step towards that goal.</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px"><strong style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline">How</strong>:  The initial proposal is available <a href="http://wp.me/p43VcC-ux" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">here</a>.  Once you have read the proposal, weigh in on the questions in the forums <a href="http://www.oshwa.org/forums/forum/discussion-of-open-source-hardware-certification-proposal/" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">here</a>.  The OSHWA board will use those answers to craft a final version of the proposal.  If more input is needed, there may be a second round of questions for the community.</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px">So what are you waiting for?  Check out the full proposal <a href="http://wp.me/p43VcC-ux" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">here</a> and starting giving feedback <a href="http://www.oshwa.org/forums/forum/discussion-of-open-source-hardware-certification-proposal/" target="_blank" style="border:0px;font-family:inherit;font-style:inherit;font-weight:inherit;margin:0px;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(25,130,209);text-decoration:none">here</a>!</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px">(<a href="http://www.oshwa.org/2015/06/02/your-input-needed-for-open-source-hardware-certification/">Original blog post</a>)</p><p style="border:0px;font-family:'Helvetica Neue',Helvetica,Arial,sans-serif;font-size:15px;margin:0px 0px 1.625em;outline:0px;padding:0px;vertical-align:baseline;color:rgb(55,55,55);line-height:24.375px"><span style="color:rgb(34,34,34);font-family:arial,sans-serif;font-size:12.8000001907349px;line-height:normal"><b>***Discussion should not take place on the email list but in the forums. Comments on the email list will not be collected.***</b></span><br></p></div>