On Wed, Jun 26, 2019 at 7:59 PM Ross Gardler <[email protected]> wrote: > > The policy (like most in the ASF) is Grey at the edges. Strictly speaking > it's that we don't pay for anything the project communities should do for > themselves. > > It gets confusing when talking about infra, marketing, legal etc. Which we > pay for. > > As a general rule of thumb (not a firm policy IMHO) if it goes into the > projects version control then it should not be paid for by the foundation. > This would include docs and training. > > Another rule of thumb I use (again not firm policy) is that if it impacts the > potential for others to monetize around the software then the ASF should not > pay for it. So docs and training materials would be out by that guiding > principle. > > I agree there is no policy against ASF paying for general fund work. However, > this would have to fully align with the mission of the foundation. Part of > which is to support the creation of communities around our projects. This, I > believe, fits both the D&I and Outreachy goals in this conversation.
Cool! And to reemphasize Sage's point, and in a way that I know that you previously agree to: however we got here, it is clear that the policies and practices upon which the ASF has been built upon has resulted in a community that significantly lacks in diversity. Not just on a comparison with society at large perspective, but also based on comparisons with other open source communities. We can collectively shrug and say, yup, that's the way we like it. No change is needed. Or we can examine whether or not we would like to change. Rest assured that no change will happen merely because somebody expressed an opinion on a list. These discussions aren't easy. They will require us to re-examine core beliefs. Especially ones that we never fully came to consensus on and captured that consensus in published documentation. In the end, board approval will be required. And we have 9 Directors for a reason. Meanwhile, I want this list to be a place where we can explore uncomfortable ideas. And in the process I want to welcome new people and new ideas into the mix without the precondition that they can't change things that they were not a party to. We have ASF members and directors who weren't here in the 90s and early 2000'x. - Sam Ruby
