Re: What is GNOME?

[jg pa dec com (Jim Gettys)]

> Sender: foundation-list-admin@gnome.org
> From: Nat Friedman <nat@helixcode.com>
> Date: 13 Jul 2000 17:24:21 -0400
> To: kelly@poverty.bloomington.in.us
> Cc: Havoc Pennington <hp@redhat.com>, Miguel de Icaza <miguel@helixcode.com>,
>         George <jirka@5z.com>, foundation-list@gnome.org
> Subject: Re: What is GNOME?
> -----
> kelly@poverty.bloomington.in.us writes:
> 
> > a GNOME release" sufficient to qualify for membership.  In both cases,
> > who makes the decision?  Is there an appeal, and if so, to who?
> 
> We will definitely need a complaint/appeal process.  I think that the
> board (or steering committee) is probably a suitable go-to for these
> things.  Thoughts?
> 

Yup.  You do. A complaint/appeal process is essential: the issue arises 
in IETF consensus style organizations when someone wants to dispute that 
rough consensus exists.  There must be some process for hearing such 
complaints, and resolving them.  You can look at how the IETF process 
handles such problems for ideas to steal. From what I've seen in the IETF 
(which I participated in for 3 years or so) this doesn't happen often, 
but it is essential to make sure that everyone believes that issues get 
heard openly and fairly when they are raised. Even ignoring the legal 
issues that are handled by a clear appeals process, the appeals process 
is an essential way to ensure proper outcomes, and that things can't get 
swept under the rug.  Without it, you would not get ultimate agreement 
on the hard issues that come up from time to time.

					- Jim

--
Jim Gettys
Technology and Corporate Development
Compaq Computer Corporation
jg@pa.dec.com