Re: [Libreoffice] [tdf-discuss] Proposal to join Apache OpenOffice

Hi Greg,

        First - welcome to the list :-) we appreciate more hackers taking an
interest in LibreOffice of course and really good to have you here.
Patches most welcome too BTW :-)

On Sat, 2011-06-04 at 00:21 -0400, Greg Stein wrote:
> Sure... I can also answer questions, and would be more than happy to
> do that. In any discussion threads that may pop up, about the Apache
> work, I'll also attempt to fill in blanks where I see them.

        Great - there is quite a big one here; Rob's blog's characterisation of
Apache (pwrt. the advantages of 'getting in on the ground floor') has
been interpreted by many as ASF rewarding people who join early
disproportionately to their merit (as and against new people joining
'late') :-) I don't think that is Apache's intention or practise. Alan
picked up on earlier on the list with (excerpted):

On Sat, 2011-06-04 at 09:08 -0400, Allen Pulsifer wrote:
> I do know this however.  There is currently an open invitation for us to get
> involved.  If we get involved, we can have a say in with direction of the
> project.
 ...
> If we wait however, we risk being locked out.  The open invitation is get
> involved is only valid for during the incubation proposal stage.  After
> that, we will need "prove our merit" and approval to become a member.  So if
> you sign up now, it is no risk and no obligation.
 ...
> But the time to jump in is now.  We can't wait. 

        So the questions are:

                + if we wait, do we risk getting locked out ?
                + after the incubation proposal is accepted is
                  it possible to become a committer ?
                + will people with relevant experience, contribution and
                  merit find it possible to become committers later ?

        You see my answers on the list - I think Apache stays open and does it
right, as a meritocracy, always :-) but it'd be good to back that with
your authority and clear this up. The ground-floor stuff it seems can
easily be twisted into a threat to exclude people that don't join day
one :-)

        Thanks,

                Michael.

-- 
 michael.meeks@novell.com  <><, Pseudo Engineer, itinerant idiot