Re: moderation on desktop-devel-list

[Ali Akcaagac <aliakc web de>]

On Wed, 2004-07-14 at 20:15 +0100, Mark McLoughlin wrote:
> The solution I heard suggested most often was that we go back to using
> a private developers-only list. Clearly, though, this would be even
> worse for GNOME's inclusiveness.

This is a strict violation against the Charta.

Excerpt:
""""""""
I. Principles of the GNOME Foundation

Open and Public

In almost every sense of the word, GNOME is an open project. This is one
of our greatest strengths, has always been, and should be the balefire
by which we plot our course into the future.

The foundation should not be exclusionary or elitist. Every GNOME
contributor, however small his or her contribution, must have the
opportunity to participate in determining the direction and actions of
the project.

The openness of GNOME has always been a point of pride for us, and an
important characteristic which distinguishes us from many of the other
open source projects out there. Anyone can become a contributor, write
access to our CVS does not involve trial by fire or other masonic
rituals, we don't use Access Control Lists, and we've always been
exceedingly good about folding talented newcomers in our arms and
welcoming them to the project. No resume required.

Major components of GNOME -- things we now consider to be absolutely
core to the project -- were begun by energetic individuals with the
desire to create something cool. Look at glade, zvt, libxml, dia, GNOME
vfs, libart, the desktop icons... all of these were created by people
who had not previously contributed heavily to the project, but who are
now considered to be among our heavy hitters.

The GNOME foundation must not stifle the interest of outsiders. An ill-
conceived foundation could discourage outsider participation directly,
by establishing rules which limit the ability of potential contributors
to make their mark, or indirectly, by engendering an alienating sense of
elitism. The stained glass of the cathedral creates a colorful spectacle
for those inside, but from the outside, the building is just a hulking
grey edifice, intimidating and impenetrable.

This principle has real, concrete meaning for the foundation: All
discussions must be publicly viewable, any person must have the
opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process, and every
GNOME contributor must have the direct ability to influence the
decisions which are made. The foundation must be democratic and friendly
to those responsible for making GNOME what it is.