[SeasonOfDocs] TheGoodDocsProject: Contributor Agreements

[Erin McKean]

>From the "big company" POV, I'm not allowed to sign a CLA that isn't on a
(SHORT) approved list of CLAs. So it would likely be a barrier for a
new/small project to get on that list.

I am asking about DCOs, will report back!

Erin

On Mon, Jul 29, 2019 at 2:33 PM Jennifer Rondeau <jennifer.rondeau at gmail.com>
wrote:

> A CLA involves signing and in the case of the CLAs I've needed to sign
> review by the governing board before you're good to go. Typically
> automated, but a multi-step process and more complicated if you need to
> sign an org-based CLA (as opposed to a CLA for an individual).
>
> A DCO is integrated with Git (GitHub and I assume other Git servers), so
> you provide a `--signoff` argument to your git commits. Or add it to your
> git alias.
>
> Either way it's an extra step of some sort, not implicit.
>
> On Mon, Jul 29, 2019 at 5:18 PM Jared Morgan <jaredleonmorgan at gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
>> With these agreements, does anyone have to actually sign and return the
>> agreement? Or do they take the form of "submitting your change is like
>> signing the agreement"?
>>
>> I'm just following along with this thread for now because (as you can
>> probably tell) I have never heard of this before in open source projects.
>>
>> On Mon., 29 Jul. 2019, 07:21 Jennifer Rondeau, <
>> jennifer.rondeau at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>> It's been my experience working with the Kubernetes community that a CLA
>>> can pose a non-insignificant barrier to entry for new contributors,
>>> especially if they aren't already familiar with FOSS. And it's my
>>> observation from working with a range of Write the Docs communities that
>>> technical writers tend to be less familiar with FOSS norms and practices
>>> than coders -- this includes writers from large companies.
>>>
>>> If we want to maintain a project that's an open and welcoming for all as
>>> possible, I'd support a DCO, but I also wonder whether we need or want even
>>> that much. My guess is that it would be enough to drive away at least some
>>> otherwise valuable contributors. I don't have data about how many potential
>>> contributors lack of a DCO would keep away -- anyone else?
>>>
>>> Related but not quite on topic: how do we want to solicit and encourage
>>> contributions? Are we assuming only contributors who are already familiar
>>> with a Git workflow? That would definitely keep some good work away, based
>>> on my experience with writing day sessions for the Write the Docs guide at
>>> WtD conferences.
>>>
>>> On Sun, Jul 28, 2019 at 2:25 PM Jo Cook <jo.k.cook at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Personally I'm fine with the light tough DCO but happy to go with
>>>> whatever works for people contributing from large companies.
>>>>
>>>> All the best
>>>>
>>>> Jo
>>>>
>>>> On Sun, Jul 28, 2019 at 1:15 PM Cameron Shorter <
>>>> cameron.shorter at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> It has been ~ 10 years since I last looked into open source
>>>>> contributor
>>>>> agreements, so I've been doing some research. I feel this is an
>>>>> important consideration for a project which is hopefully to be as
>>>>> central as ours will become.
>>>>>
>>>>> It is about having contributors confirm they are allowed to give to
>>>>> our
>>>>> project and to agree we can distribute contributions under our open
>>>>> licenses.
>>>>> We have a few options: do nothing, old heavy weight Contributor
>>>>> License
>>>>> Agreement (CLA), or lightweight Developer Certificate of Origin (DCO)
>>>>> Pros and cons are explained in Producing Open Source Software:
>>>>>
>>>>> https://producingoss.com/en/contributor-agreements.html#developer-certificate-of-origin
>>>>> I propose we adopt the light DCO: https://developercertificate.org/
>>>>>
>>>>> I'd like to hear if anyone has any opinions or experience in this area
>>>>> (especially from those of you in big companies which have legal
>>>>> departments which may be opinionated.)
>>>>>
>>>>> After we've discussed for a few days (weeks if being debated), I'll
>>>>> put
>>>>> together a motion to vote on.
>>>>>
>>>>> Cheers,
>>>>>
>>>>> --
>>>>> Cameron Shorter
>>>>> Technology Demystifier
>>>>> Open Technologies and Geospatial Consultant
>>>>>
>>>>> M +61 (0) 419 142 254
>>>>>
>>>>> _______________________________________________
>>>>> SeasonOfDocs mailing list
>>>>> SeasonOfDocs at lists.osgeo.org
>>>>> https://lists.osgeo.org/mailman/listinfo/seasonofdocs
>>>>>
>>>>
>>>>
>>>> --
>>>> ------------------------
>>>> http://about.me/jocook
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-- 
Erin McKean | Developer Relations Program Manager, Open Source Strategy |
emckean at google.com | she/her
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