Editing Russ Nelson (section)

===Open Source Initiative===
In 1998, Nelson became one of the six first members of the [[board of directors]] of the Open Source Initiative.<ref name="osi">{{cite web | url = http://opensource.org/history | title = History of the OSI | access-date = 2008-08-22 | last = Tiemann | first =  Michael | author-link = Michael Tiemann | date = 2006-09-19 | publisher = Opensource.org}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = http://onlamp.com/pub/a/onlamp/2008/02/12/a-look-back-at-10-years-of-osi.html | title = A Look Back at 10 Years of OSI | first = Federico | last = Biancuzzi | date = 2008-02-12 | access-date= 2011-04-01 | publisher = [[O'Reilly Media|onlamp.com]]}}</ref>

On February 1, 2005, he was named as the new president of the Open Source Initiative, replacing [[Eric S. Raymond]].<ref name="lamonica">{{cite web | title = Open-source leader steps aside at industry group | last = LaMonica | first = Martin | date = 2005-02-01 | url=http://news.cnet.com/Open-source-advocate-leaves-industry-group/2100-7344_3-5558688.html | publisher=[[CNET News]]|access-date = 2009-02-03 }}</ref> On February 7, Nelson published a post to his personal [[blog]] titled "Blacks are lazy", which generated controversy.<ref name="blackslazypost">{{cite web
 |url=http://blog.russnelson.com/economics/.removed/blacks-are-lazy.html
 |title=Blacks are lazy
 |last=Nelson
 |first=Russ
 |date=2005-02-07
 |website=Russ Nelson's personal blog
 |access-date=2022-04-08
 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050308034834/http://blog.russnelson.com/economics/.removed/blacks-are-lazy.html
 |archive-date=2005-03-08
 |quote=Black people are lazy in that they work less hard than whites}}</ref><ref name=finlayson>{{cite news |last1=Stuart |first1=Finlayson |title=Open source chief makes swift exit after "racist" gaffe |url=http://idm.net.au/blog/003135open-source-chief-makes-swift-exit-after-racist-gaffe |access-date=14 February 2019 |work=Information & Data Manager (IDM)}}</ref><ref name="racism">{{cite news | url = http://www.theage.com.au/news/Breaking/Racism-row-forces-open-source-head-out/2005/03/09/1110316060643.html| title = Racism row forces open source head out | first = Sam | last = Varghese | date = 2005-03-09 | access-date = 2008-07-11 | newspaper = [[The Age]] }}</ref> Nelson apologized to those who perceived the post (which he withdrew because it "was not well written") as racist.<ref name="blog.russnelson.com 2005 c248">{{cite web | title=Russ Nelson : economics/blacks-are-lazy.html | website=blog.russnelson.com | date=2005-03-08 | url=http://blog.russnelson.com:80/economics/blacks-are-lazy.html | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050308204237/http://blog.russnelson.com:80/economics/blacks-are-lazy.html | archive-date=2005-03-08 | url-status=dead | access-date=2023-08-10 | quote=It was not well written and I have withdrawn it. I apologize to anybody who thought that the posting itself was racist.}}</ref> Nelson resigned as president in early March (the resignation was backdated to February 23), and stated he did not believe himself to be politically savvy enough for the role of president.<ref name="racism"/><ref name="Russ Nelsons blog 2005 g488">{{cite web | title=Russ Nelson's blog : /opensource/osi-presidency-resignation.html | website=Russ Nelson's blog | date=2005-03-02 | url=http://blog.russnelson.com/opensource/osi-presidency-resignation.html | access-date=2023-08-10}}</ref>

Nelson remained on the board of directors of the Open Source Initiative for another six years.<ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.opensource.org/node/560 | title=Board Meeting Report | date=2011-03-18 | access-date=2011-04-01 | publisher=Opensource.org}}</ref>