gnome foundation

[Sam Ganesan <sam centaur homeunix net>]

A few random thoughts from an interested user of gnome re the recent
fracas about member ship.


I am just an interested user of gnome who wishes that the gnome project
and effort grow.  SO here are some suggestions and I hope that these are
at least read by the members of the foundation and the committee.

The first of my suggestions to eliminate and settle this membership
fracas would be to say that all who have made significant contributions
can be members....But, there will be two sub-categories of members; one
would be currently active members who have contributed within the last
year, who get a certain set of entitlement based on their current
contributions.  This is also the group that drives current development
and is at the cutting-edge and needs the extra entitlements.  The great
contributors to gnome who have taken leave of absence are still members
and can move into the current category anytime when a new contribution
from them in added to the software map.  All current members will stay
current for the duration of one year from the date of adding their
software to the map.  We can also add a third category of absolute
Hall-of-famers who are nominated by the membership and then elevated to
the exalted status on a membership vote!!!  There can also be a
mechanism to drop off the membership list if the hiatus from
contributions is say 5 years old, unless they are Hall-of-famers.