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[discussion intended at -nfp, CC-ing -project] |
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|
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Hi, |
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|
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I would like to add an additional clause to the Gentoo Social Contract |
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[1], to guarantee that Gentoo will remain a volunteer-based project |
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and will not turn into some kind of paid enterprise. The suggested text |
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would be: |
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|
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| Gentoo is and will remain independent volunteer work. We will never |
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| pay anyone to develop Gentoo, nor will we accept any donations given |
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| on the condition of any particular development. |
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|
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Text improvements welcome. |
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|
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The main idea is to protect volunteers spending their time on Gentoo. |
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I don't want to learn one day that my opinion doesn't matter anymore |
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because a new lead (Council, Trustees, Board, BDFL or any other |
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possible future form) decides that they/he/she will use the donation |
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money to hire paid workers doing the Gentoo work that they desire. |
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|
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I believe that any possible lead Gentoo might elect in the future |
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should still represent the whole Gentoo community, and the community |
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should have the right to refuse to follow the directions set by |
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the lead if he/she stops listening to the community. As volunteers, |
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we have the right to refuse to do something that in our opinion harms |
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Gentoo. |
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|
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Sadly, this could become pointless if the leading bodies keep the power |
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to hire people to work on Gentoo for money. This means that effectively |
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they have the power to spend Gentoo money on pursuing their own goals |
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as long as they can legally claim that the work is done for |
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the benefit of Gentoo. In volunteer-based project, they effectively |
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have to *convince* others to work on their ideas and/or spend |
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a significant effort working on them themselves. |
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|
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The other part is pretty much a formality, that means to make it clear |
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that Gentoo is not supposed to be bribed by third-party companies to |
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alter its course. I don't think it really changes anything but it looks |
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like a nice thing to state. |
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|
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I should note that this doesn't mean to prevent anyone from being paid |
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by third parties to work on Gentoo, or receive any money on account of |
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what he did or is doing for Gentoo. I think that's fine as long as |
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the wider Gentoo community has the right to reject any work that it |
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sees unfit. |
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|
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[1]:https://www.gentoo.org/get-started/philosophy/social-contract.html |
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|
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-- |
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Best regards, |
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Michał Górny |
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<http://dev.gentoo.org/~mgorny/> |