I think that's exactly it. If we write policy down it becomes a rule. Rules work great when every environment is the same, but that's not the real world.
We do, as a group of individuals, have the tendency to assume the way things are done in project Foo is the entirety of The Apache Way. In fact what is done in Foo is a superset of the Apache Way, designed for that specific project. Consider Committer = PMC for example. The Apache Way only says that both groups should be merit based (I.e. no cabals or BD). It says nothing about what the merit levels are or whether they should be the same or different for each group. Yet, somehow, many people will express their experience as being an immutable part of the Apache Way. Individual experience should help inform other community members, but it shouldn't restrict them. Ross Sent from my Windows Phone ________________________________ From: jan i<mailto:j...@apache.org> Sent: 2/16/2015 8:43 AM To: dev@community.apache.org<mailto:dev@community.apache.org> Subject: Re: Apache Way talks s On 16 February 2015 at 17:21, Ross Gardler (MS OPEN TECH) < ross.gard...@microsoft.com> wrote: > I agree Joe, > > We only have a very few immutable rules. Everything else is policy. As > long as policy don't break those immutable rules the they can shift and > change as much as they need to in order to empower individual project > communities. > > Coincidentally I wrote a presentation on this very topic last night. I'll > look to share it once it has been delivered, but too late for me to add to > the CFP. > I agree with you both.....only being a relative new member, it is often quite hard to see what is official policy and what is just the opinion of some members. The rules are clear, and in my opinion, protect our values. Maybe we are back in another old discussion, that some of our policies are not defined, but merely "we use to do". rgds jan I. > > > > Sent from my Windows Phone > ________________________________ > From: Joe Brockmeier<mailto:j...@zonker.net> > Sent: 2/16/2015 8:01 AM > To: dev@community.apache.org<mailto:dev@community.apache.org> > Subject: Re: Apache Way talks > > On Sat, Feb 14, 2015, at 01:38 PM, jan i wrote: > > I have a feeling that we are standing at a crossroad where many > > questions like Directd funding, ApacheCON, entry ticket to ASF > (Incubator/pTLP) > > tear us apart, and I believe it is high time the members of ASF take a > stand > > (whatever it may be), and show we are ONE united in the APACHE WAY. > > I'm not sure directed funding, handling ApacheCon, etc. are immutable or > define The Apache Way. > > We can allow (or not) directed funding and still practice community over > code, merit, openness, etc. > > The fact that a large and diverse membership do not agree on these > issues need not "tear us apart" if we can discuss and resolve issues > without animosity. If we agree that "community over code" is one of the > defining aspects of Apache, surely we can also agree that the community > is also more important than folks having their way over whether or not > Apache allows (or experiments with) directed funding or other models of > promoting/sustaining projects and their infrastructure. > > Best, > > jzb > -- > Joe Brockmeier > j...@zonker.net > Twitter: @jzb > http://www.dissociatedpress.net/ >
