Hi Martin,

On Jul 31, 2012, at 8:19 AM, Martin Desruisseaux wrote:

> Just a note: a few mails ago, they were a mention about granting commit 
> rights. Actually I would suggest a slightly different approach. We don't need 
> commit rights, at least not directly. If the SIS project goes ahead with a 
> Git repository, then we only need to clone that Git repository on our own 
> public server. We can commit whatever we want on that server and propose that 
> to the SIS project. If it looks good, someone with commit right on Apache 
> server can "pull" from our server and "push" to the Apache one. If the 
> proposal doesn't look good, then we can delete our clone and re-clone with an 
> alternative proposal. Commit right would be granted on the Apache server only 
> if the SIS maintainer feel tired to "pull" and "push" :-)

Well Git or SVN aside, the way Apache works is based on meritocracy. The Apache 
SIS PPMC members decide
when someone's time has come to grant them commit access, and then discusses 
this (privately) before nominating
a person to obtain committership and PPMC membership (2 different things) at 
Apache.

Commit rights allow someone to modify the code, and PPMC membership gives the 
person a binding VOTE on
adding new PPMC members and committers, and on releases of the software.

Apache's VOTE'ing process is documented here:

http://www.apache.org/foundation/voting.html

FWIW, these are only "loose" guidelines and projects are free to form their own
interpretation of these guidelines, but more or less should map to them in a 
discernable fashion.

The Apache SIS project decided long ago that PPMC member == committer, like many
ASF projects have done. There is no need to introduce artificial barriers into 
contributors
who *only* have commit access versus a binding VOTE on adding new personnel and
releasing our software.

So, that being said, if you contribute "enough" around here where "enough" is 
subjective
to the PPMC member who would like to nominate you or anyone else for 
committership,
that's basically the process. That's why *trust* is really important here and 
having a general
understanding of the Apache way (e.g., not being a troll; being a person who is 
friendly on
list; who values others contributions and recognizes the contributions, etc.) 
is a key 
quality.

My personal 2c is that if folks are doing any of the following enough:

* adding patches
* creating JIRA issues
* having thoughtful discussion on list
* writing documentation
* answering user questions

or being generally "interested" in the project, then they are a candidate, at 
least for me,
for committership and PPMC membership on the project. PPMC membership and
committership is not just for code. Contributions come in many forms.

> 
> (actually, in the context of Git repository this is not "commit" rights - 
> everyone have commit rights on his own clone - but "push" rights)

Yeah the ASF is supporting Git, though like I said, SIS has traditionally used 
SVN. I don't think
folks are uber opposed to it, but the transition could happen gradually, which 
is always a nice
thing at the ASF, since it allows incremental, easily reversible, change.

Cheers,
Chris

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Chris Mattmann, Ph.D.
Senior Computer Scientist
NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, CA 91109 USA
Office: 171-266B, Mailstop: 171-246
Email: [email protected]
WWW:   http://sunset.usc.edu/~mattmann/
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Adjunct Assistant Professor, Computer Science Department
University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089 USA
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

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