Social contracts and code contracts

[Jo Walsh]

dear all, 

My friend Biella Coleman is an anthropologist who did a lot of
research on the process of establishing legal norms within the Debian
project. This is a paper of hers i have been reading:
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=805287

It is quite long, here are a few excerpts which talk about the
governance principles that came to be established. 


"As Debian has organizationally matured, it has also concurrently
matured along legal lines, codifying key principles in two related
documents: the Social Contract, which are a set of promises to the
F/OSS community; and the Debian Free Software Guidelines, which
clarify the legal meaning of freedom for the project."

"...a prospective developer has to find a sponsor and advocate, learn
the complicated workings of Debian policy and technical
infrastructure, successfully package a piece of software that
satisfies a set of technical standards, and meet at least one other
Debian developer in person."

"The Debian Constitution outlines in great detail Debian's
organizational structure, which includes non-elected and elected roles
and responsibilities."

"Before prospective developers formally enter the New Maintainer
process, they are first asked to identify the contributions they plan
to make to Debian. They are encouraged to demonstrate their commitment
to Debian, to express why they want to join, and to display some level
of technical proficiency... New maintainers work closely with their
sponsorts, who check their work for common errors and take partial
responsibility for the new maintainer."

"Two related attributes of Debian developers jurigensis is that it
simultaneously is oriented towards the methods of *critical contrast*
- tracking, understanding, and undermining normative IP law - as well
as *constructive engagement* building transposable alternatives that
heavily rely on the interpretation of liberal precepts."

"Debian developers, like other F/OSS developers, are constituted as
legal subjects by virtue of being extremely active *producers* of
legal knowledge."

"Despite their riskiness, however, periods of crisis are also among
the most fertile moments of ethical production, articulation, and
transformation; their mere expression is proof that people are
ethically 'on call'."


best wishes, 


jo