> On Sep 22, 2016, at 08:27, Shane Curcuru <a...@shanecurcuru.org> wrote:
> 
> Jochen Wiedmann wrote on 9/22/16 1:43 AM:
>> On Thu, Sep 22, 2016 at 7:18 AM, Roman Shaposhnik <ro...@shaposhnik.org> 
>> wrote:
>> 
>>> Still, the question remain -- for somebody like that, what would be a 
>>> criteria
>>> to be added as a committer after the project enters incubation?
>> 
>> Projects decision.
> 
> Exactly so.  This would be a podling just like every other podling, and
> the IPMC would expect the PPMC to start operating like an Apache
> project.  That is, when new people come to the podling and contribute
> work, and help the work of the podling, that after a time the PPMC will
> discuss them, then vote them in as new committers.
> 
> Past merit (i.e. past contributions) is a great help to a new
> contributor to a project, both because it's easier to get started, and
> because the community already has a feel for how they act and can help.
> But it in no way IMO directly leads to current merit.  Old contributors
> normally would be voted in as committers only once they actually start
> doing new work on the project.

Perhaps we need to clarify what you mean by “old contributor” … Do you mean 
those currently contributing to the imported project, those who have 
contributed at some time in the past, but not in X days/months, or anyone not 
on the initial committer list? If the latter, then why would this be true for a 
current OSS project coming to ASF? If this is exactly the case, then more 
emphasis is put on the initial committer list IMO, and that seems an 
unnecessary distraction, and an artificial limit, but if it must be that way it 
must, and if not, then great, but please clarify.

I ask this because I recently contributed some things for Groovy support, and 
intend to work quite a bit on those features. I have contributed quite a bit to 
the form (UI editor), J2EE, and Java SE modules in the past. I don’t want to 
suddenly be hindered just because the project moves to the ASF where I have to 
“start over”; I have invested quite a number of years into NetBeans and it’s 
community.

> On Sep 22, 2016, at 07:00, Stian Soiland-Reyes <st...@apache.org> wrote:
> 
> Agree - but the initial committer list is also an opportunity to show
> you really mean open development, and that it's not just business as
> usual with Friends & Family on the list.
> 

Understood, but the impression still has to be on the community all the rules 
of merit apply regardless of perception. I have faith Gj and many I know on 
that initial list will make sure anyone who has made solid code contributions 
to NB, who also want to contribute in the ASF, will be fast tracked per prior 
NB community decisions. We are operating off this assumption now; community and 
Oracle included per my understanding.

> One of the freedoms a project gains from moving to ASF is (somewhat)
> relief from institutional political considerations.  A new intern at a
> company would no longer just be given carte blance write access
> without first engaging with the whole community and earning merit
> through contributions. Of course each community decides how high or
> low the bar should be to earn committership - but the bar should be
> the same for anyone.
> 
I 100% agree with this. I think it is definitely that the rules have to apply 
to everyone equally including employees of a company including the donor. I 
don’t imagine someone who falls outside categories of merit in the current NB 
process now should suddenly be committers at ASF. Committers should be 
committers. Those who were well on their way to earn committer status should be 
considered, and it should be rare they are not promoted. Those not committing 
code or submitting patches now, should start from the premise they have to earn 
committer rights, and the project should enforce that as a minimum; merit isn’t 
about free trophies or we’d all have doctorates or be in the NFL or NBA :-D

> 
> I found for several podlings that people (myself included) who were
> perhaps dormant "contributors" before the Incubator 'woke up' after
> being added as an equal peer on the initial list. The beginning of a
> podling; while sometimes struggling a bit with bootstrapping, is also
> a chance for a project to review many of its practices and to build
> common ownership - reduce the "us and them" feeling.
> 

Sure; IMHO a sane committer of old should be a sane committer of new; if they 
want to be involved. My understanding in the current NB processes that is true 
now. Certainly in an OSS world people come and work as they can, and sometimes 
they can do more than other times. Sometimes they necessarily have to become 
dormant; children, jobs, friends, life… In the NB community we understand this 
and respect it; a work life balance.

> I think Netbeans has the balance somewhat right - but I would hope
> there would be more engagement on their existing lists to more openly
> invite anyone who wants to join; or at least make it clear that the
> whole of the community (read: mailing list) gets to influence project
> decisions.
> 

Yes, everyone on the lists “influences” the project now, but not everyone on 
the mailing list gets “committer” rights or the same influence; even in Apache 
projects that I have seen. We have a merit based process for that now. In the 
ASF us non-Oracle employee committers should then gain a higher level of 
influence as it becomes community driven versus single entity driven; we 
certainly have to step up though! … like Spiderman’s Uncle Ben said … great 
power; great responsibility.

My assumption or expectation perhaps is roughly (and I imagine it will be 
close) 1) if you were a committer to NB, per its already existing rules, then 
you are in 2) if you were already submitting patches to “show you know what you 
are doing” per the current rules, then you are in 3) if you were not an active 
contributor, then you have to step up and show merit. This essentially models 
the current NB process, and per my involvement with different Apache projects 
over the years, is roughly like a lot of them.

Thanks,

Wade



===================

Wade Chandler
e: cons...@wadechandler.com
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