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<title>GLEP 39 -- An "old-school" metastructure proposal with "boot for being a slacker"</title> |
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[<b><a href="http://www.gentoo.org/">Gentoo Linux Home</a></b>] |
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[<b><a href="http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/glep">GLEP Index</a></b>] |
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g2boojum |
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[<b><a href="http://www.gentoo.org/proj/en/glep/glep-0039.txt">GLEP Source</a></b>] |
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</td></tr></table> |
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<tbody valign="top"> |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">GLEP:</th><td class="field-body">39</td> |
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</tr> |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Title:</th><td class="field-body">An "old-school" metastructure proposal with "boot for being a slacker"</td> |
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</tr> |
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dev-zero |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Version:</th><td class="field-body">1.6</td> |
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</tr> |
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dev-zero |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Last-Modified:</th><td class="field-body"><a class="reference" href="http://www.gentoo.org/cgi-bin/viewcvs.cgi/xml/htdocs/proj/en/glep/glep-0039.txt?cvsroot=gentoo">2008/06/05 20:27:30</a></td> |
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</tr> |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Author:</th><td class="field-body">Grant Goodyear <g2boojum at gentoo.org>, |
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Ciaran McCreesh <ciaranm at gentoo.org>,</td> |
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</tr> |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Status:</th><td class="field-body">Accepted</td> |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Type:</th><td class="field-body">Informational</td> |
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</tr> |
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g2boojum |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Content-Type:</th><td class="field-body"><a class="reference" href="glep-0002.html">text/x-rst</a></td> |
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</tr> |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Created:</th><td class="field-body">01-Sep-2005</td> |
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<tr class="field"><th class="field-name">Post-History:</th><td class="field-body">01-Sep-2005, 09-Feb-2006, 12-Oct-2007, 19-Jan-2008</td> |
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</tr> |
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</tbody> |
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</table> |
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<hr /> |
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<div class="contents topic"> |
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<p class="topic-title first"><a id="contents" name="contents">Contents</a></p> |
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<ul class="simple"> |
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ciaranm |
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<li><a class="reference" href="#status" id="id2" name="id2">Status</a></li> |
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<li><a class="reference" href="#abstract" id="id3" name="id3">Abstract</a></li> |
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<li><a class="reference" href="#motivation" id="id4" name="id4">Motivation</a></li> |
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<li><a class="reference" href="#specification" id="id5" name="id5">Specification</a></li> |
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<li><a class="reference" href="#rationale" id="id6" name="id6">Rationale</a></li> |
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<li><a class="reference" href="#copyright" id="id7" name="id7">Copyright</a></li> |
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</ul> |
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</div> |
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<div class="section"> |
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<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id2" id="status" name="status">Status</a></h1> |
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<p>Implemented. GLEP amended on 09 Feb 2006 to add the final bullet point to |
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list B in <a class="reference" href="#specification">Specification</a>.</p> |
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</div> |
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g2boojum |
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<div class="section"> |
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<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id3" id="abstract" name="abstract">Abstract</a></h1> |
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<p>GLEP 4 is replaced with a new "metastructure" that retains established |
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projects (and makes new projects easier to create), but adds a new "Gentoo |
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Council" to handle global (cross-project) issues.</p> |
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</div> |
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g2boojum |
1.4 |
<div class="section"> |
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<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id4" id="motivation" name="motivation">Motivation</a></h1> |
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<p>The Fosdem and subsequent reform proposals shepherded by Koon are thorough, |
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extremely detailed, and somewhat complicated. They have a lot of good ideas. |
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For many who have been with Gentoo a long time, though, there's just something |
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about them that they don't really like. More than a few Gentoo devs are |
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almost entirely uninterested in metastructure as long as it doesn't get in |
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their way, and because the current proposals impose at least some order on our |
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unruly devs these proposals are guaranteed to "get in the way" to some degree. |
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For example, a frequent comment that has been heard is that many Gentoo devs |
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don't know who his/her manager (or project lead) is, which is a clear |
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indication that our current system is broken. The existing proposals solve |
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the problem by requiring that each dev belong to a project. Perhaps the part |
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that is broken, though, is the belief that every dev should have a manager. |
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The history of Gentoo is such that traditionally big advances have often been |
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implemented by a single or a small number of dedicated devs (thus our |
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long-standing tradition that devs have access to the entire tree), and surely |
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we do not want to make things harder (or less fun) for such people. So here's |
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a minimal proposal for those who remembers the "good ol' days" and thinks |
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things aren't really so different now.</p> |
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<p>Synopsis of the current system:</p> |
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<blockquote> |
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<ul class="simple"> |
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<li>There are 13-15 top-level projects (TLPs). Top-level projects are |
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comprised of sub-projects, and the goal was that every Gentoo |
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project would be a sub-project of one of the TLPs. Supposedly each |
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dev therefore belongs to one or more TLPs.</li> |
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<li>Each TLP has at least a "strategic" manager, and potentially also an |
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"operational" manager. Only the strategic managers vote on global |
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Gentoo issues.</li> |
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<li>The managers of each TLP were appointed by drobbins, the other |
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TLP managers, or elected by their project members. These managers |
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have no set term.</li> |
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<li>Within each TLP the managers are responsible for making decisions |
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about the project, defining clear goals, roadmaps, and timelines |
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for the project, and solving problems that arise within the TLP |
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(see GLEP 4 for the specific list).</li> |
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<li>The strategic TLP managers are also responsible for deciding issues that |
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affect Gentoo across project lines. The primary mechanism for |
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handling global-scope issues is the managers' meetings.</li> |
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<li>Disciplinary action taken against erring devs is handled by the |
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"devrel" TLP, unless the dev is a strategic TLP manager. In that |
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case disciplinary action must be enacted by the other strategic TLP |
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managers.</li> |
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</ul> |
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</blockquote> |
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<p>Problems with the existing system:</p> |
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<ol class="arabic simple"> |
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<li>The assumption that TLPs are complete is either incorrect (there |
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still is no "server" TLP) or just plain weird (but the lack of a |
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server TLP is technically okay because all devs who don't have an |
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obvious TLP belong to the "base" TLP by default).</li> |
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<li>There is nothing at all to ensure that project leads actually do |
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represent the devs they supposedly lead or satisfy their |
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responsibilities. Indeed, should a TLP manager go AWOL it is not at |
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all obvious how the situation should be resolved.</li> |
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<li>Nothing is being decided at global scope right now. Some TLP strategic |
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managers rarely attend the managers' meetings, and the managers as a |
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whole certainly are not providing any sort of global vision for |
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Gentoo right now.</li> |
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<li>Even if the strategic TLP managers were making global decisions for |
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Gentoo, the TLP structure is such that almost all devs fall under |
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only one or two TLPs. Thus voting on global issues is hardly |
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proportional, and thus many devs feel disenfranchised.</li> |
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<li>Regardless of whether or not it is justified, devrel is loathed by |
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many in its enforcement role.</li> |
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</ol> |
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<p>Here's a couple of additional problems identified by the current |
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metastructure reform proposals:</p> |
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<ol class="arabic simple" start="6"> |
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<li>The current system has no mechanism for identifying either projects |
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or devs that have gone inactive.</li> |
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<li>Bugs that cut across projects often remain unresolved.</li> |
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<li>GLEPs often linger in an undetermined state.</li> |
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</ol> |
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</div> |
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g2boojum |
1.4 |
<div class="section"> |
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<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id5" id="specification" name="specification">Specification</a></h1> |
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<ol class="upperalpha"> |
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<li><p class="first">A project is a group of developers working towards a goal (or a set |
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of goals).</p> |
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<blockquote> |
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<ul class="simple"> |
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<li>A project exists if it has a web page at |
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www.g.o/proj/en/whatever that is maintained. ("Maintained" means |
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that the information on the page is factually correct and not |
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out-of-date.) If the webpage isn't maintained, it is presumed dead.</li> |
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<li>It may have one or many leads, and the leads are |
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selected by the members of the project. This selection must |
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occur at least once every 12 months, and may occur at any |
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time.</li> |
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<li>It may have zero or more sub-projects. Sub-projects are |
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just projects that provide some additional structure, and their |
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web pages are in the project's space.</li> |
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<li>Not everything (or everyone) needs a project.</li> |
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<li>Projects need not be long-term.</li> |
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<li>Projects may well conflict with other projects. That's okay.</li> |
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<li>Any dev may create a new project just by creating a new page |
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(or, more realistically, directory and page) in |
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antarus |
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<tt class="docutils literal"><span class="pre">gentoo/xml/htdocs/proj/en</span></tt> and sending a Request For Comments |
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(RFC) e-mail to gentoo-dev. Note that this GLEP does not provide for |
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a way for the community at large to block a new project, even if the |
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comments are wholly negative.</li> |
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</ul> |
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</blockquote> |
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</li> |
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<li><p class="first">Global issues will be decided by an elected Gentoo council.</p> |
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<blockquote> |
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<ul class="simple"> |
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<li>There will be a set number of council members. (For the |
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first election that number was set to 7 by acclamation.)</li> |
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<li>Council members will be chosen by a general election of all |
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devs once per year.</li> |
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<li>The council must hold an open meeting at least once per month.</li> |
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<li>Council decisions are by majority vote of those who show up (or |
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their proxies).</li> |
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<li>If a council member (or their appointed proxy) fails to show up for |
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two consecutive meetings, they are marked as a slacker.</li> |
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<li>If a council member who has been marked a slacker misses any further |
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meeting (or their appointed proxy doesn't show up), they lose their |
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position and a new election is held to replace that person. The newly |
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elected council member gets a 'reduced' term so that the yearly |
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elections still elect a full group.</li> |
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<li>Council members who have previously been booted for excessive slacking |
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may stand for future elections, including the election for their |
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replacement. They should, however, justify their slackerness, and |
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should expect to have it pointed out if they don't do so themselves.</li> |
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<li>The 'slacker' marker is reset when a member is elected.</li> |
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<li>If any meeting has less than 50% attendance by council members, a new |
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election for <em>all</em> places must be held within a month. The 'one year' |
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is then reset from that point.</li> |
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<li>Disciplinary actions may be appealed to the council.</li> |
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ciaranm |
1.3 |
<li>A proxy must not be an existing council member, and any single person |
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may not be a proxy for more than one council member at any given |
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meeting.</li> |
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g2boojum |
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</ul> |
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</blockquote> |
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</li> |
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</ol> |
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</div> |
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g2boojum |
1.4 |
<div class="section"> |
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<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id6" id="rationale" name="rationale">Rationale</a></h1> |
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<p>So, does this proposal solve any of the previously-mentioned problems?</p> |
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<p>1. There is no longer any requirement that the project structure be |
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complete. Some devs work on very specific parts of the tree, while |
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some work on practically everything; neither should be shoehorned into |
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an ad-hoc project structure. Moreover, it should be easy to create new |
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projects where needed (and remove them when they are not), which this |
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proposal should enable.</p> |
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<p>2. By having the members choose their project leads periodically, the |
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project leads are necessarily at least somewhat responsible (and hopefully |
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responsive) to the project members. This proposal has removed the list of |
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responsibilities that project leads were supposed to satisfy, since hardly |
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anybody has ever looked at the original list since it was written. Instead |
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the practical responsibility of a lead is "whatever the members require", and |
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if that isn't satisfied, the members can get a new lead (if they can find |
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somebody to take the job!).</p> |
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<p>3. If the council does a lousy job handling global issues (or has no |
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global vision), vote out the bums.</p> |
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<p>4. Since everybody gets to vote for the council members, at least in |
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principle the council members represent all developers, not just a |
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particular subset.</p> |
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<p>5. An appeal process should make disciplinary enforcement both less |
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capricious and more palatable.</p> |
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<p>6. This proposal doesn't help find inactive devs or projects. It |
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really should not be that much of a problem. We already have a script for |
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identifying devs who haven't made a CVS commit within a certain period of |
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time. As for moribund projects, if the project page isn't maintained, it's |
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dead, and we should remove it. That, too, could be automated. A much bigger |
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problem is understaffed herds, but more organization is not necessarily a |
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solution.</p> |
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<p>7. The metabug project is a great idea. Let's do that! Adding a useful |
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project shouldn't require "metastructure reform", although with the |
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current system it does. With this proposal it wouldn't.</p> |
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<ol class="arabic simple" start="8"> |
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<li>This proposal has nothing to say about GLEPs.</li> |
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</ol> |
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</div> |
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g2boojum |
1.4 |
<div class="section"> |
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<h1><a class="toc-backref" href="#id7" id="copyright" name="copyright">Copyright</a></h1> |
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1.1 |
<p>This document has been placed in the public domain.</p> |
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</div> |
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</div> |
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<div class="footer"> |
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1.2 |
<hr class="footer" /> |
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<a class="reference" href="glep-0039.txt">View document source</a>. |
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dev-zero |
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Generated on: 2008-06-05 20:28 UTC. |
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Generated by <a class="reference" href="http://docutils.sourceforge.net/">Docutils</a> from <a class="reference" href="http://docutils.sourceforge.net/rst.html">reStructuredText</a> source. |
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</div> |
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</body> |
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</html> |
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