[gentoo-nfp] Re: Gentoo Linux Project / Gentoo Foundation

[William L. Thomson Jr.]

Joshua,

On Tue, 2008-01-22 at 14:29 -0800, Joshua D. Drake wrote:
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> On Tue, 22 Jan 2008 17:21:58 -0500
> "William L. Thomson Jr." <wltjr@g.o> wrote:
> >
> > Well if we like needed to reinstate the New Mexico entity. Or if that
> > was moot. Or any other legal requirements before being able to apply,
> > or be considered for acceptance.
>
> Open Source projects are like cats, you can't herd them. We don't try
> to. If your project comes to us and says, "our project" wants to do
> foo... there ya go :).
>
> The New Mexico entity, once you decide to join SPI basically becomes a
> redundant entity. Keep it if you like but it does not influence your
> abilities to be part of SPI.

Ok, it's being reinstated either way now. Worse case we can dissolve it
later on. Or keep it around for some other reasons. Or fallback if we
don't go with the SPI.

> > >
> > > Well see above. Board is an elected position and when picking your
> > > Liaison remember that they effectively will control Gentoo's money.
> >
> > Things we need to discuss and decided upon. Offhand would be nice to
> > have a remaining trustee board for Gentoo. With one designated as
> > liaison, and others able to step in if that person needs to step down.
> > Any decision approved by the group before the one liaison relays it to
> > the SPI. Just some off the cuff thoughts. But really has to come from
> > the community, either developer and user base. Or just developer.
>
> If I may be so bold. Your positions with your community should be about
> who is best for the position and holds some level of "contributor"
> status.

Sure, and no worries on being bold. Please feel free, we are the ones
seeking information and advice.

> Developers are not always the best people (regardless of their hacking
> skills) to give a checkbook. Let's just be honest :).

True, it's just easier to identify how long a dev has been around verses
a contributor. But I don't think there would be to much objection to
someone outside the developer pool filling the positions.

> I for example do zero hacking (in the core code) for PostgreSQL.
> However I am recognized as one of the greater contributors for other
> things that I do for the project.

I think some of our user base isn't aware of all of our non-technical
needs. I am not sure we have done the best to express our needs there.
Areas we are also working on improving.

> >
> > Thanks much for all of your info Joshua. I think I have most all I
> > need to know now. We just need to figure out our course of action.
> >
>
> No sweat. That is why I am here.

Much appreciated.

-- 
William L. Thomson Jr.
Gentoo/amd64/Java