[GRASS-PSC] Re: GRASS PSC

[Frank Warmerdam]

Paul Kelly wrote:
> Does anyone know what OSgeo requires for a PSC's terms of reference? I 
> mean, is there any way we could come up with an unacceptable RFC that 
> could then be ruled "unconstitutional" for OSgeo membership or something 
> like that?!!! :)

Paul,

The OSGeo guidelines are very non-specific.  The guidelines talk about
ensuring that the project has a mechanism in place to maintain control
over the code base.  One required role of the PSC is to enforce proper
legal controls over the code base.  Normally this is achieved by the
PSC establishing code commiter guidelines, selecting new commiters,
and acting when violations are found.

More generally the PSC is expected to be able to speak on behalf of the
project.

If the GRASS PSC established code commiter guidelines, decided on new
commiters and followed up on possible legal problems, that would likely
meet the minimum requirements.

In practice though, the Incubation committee votes for graduation based
on whether they feel the project is being run in an orderly fashion and
has a healthy functioning community.  So the guidelines are at most
guidelines.  At the end of the day what matters is the judgement call
by the incubation committee members.

I'd add, I think it would be acceptable for the PSC to say that commiters
can continue to develop as they do now, using the -dev mailing list for
discussion, and making changes as seen fit.  In this situation the PSC
would basically be a mechanism for arbitration if the informal mechanism
fails on particular issues, or with regard to specific people.

What I don't think you need are a lot of complicated rules.

Best regards,
-- 
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I set the clouds in motion - turn up   | Frank Warmerdam, warmerdam at pobox.com
light and sound - activate the windows | http://pobox.com/~warmerdam
and watch the world go round - Rush    | President OSGeo, http://osgeo.org