This post was actually meant to be for this page but the server was being hammered today and so thought it better to put it down someplace before I completely forget it again.
We have been discussing mostly among the members and a few folks interested in the Membership Committee about the issues with the current workflow. These normally relate to the following:
- How to process applications that don’t have a reference ? This excludes applications which don’t have a reference to a person but provide links to the GNOME Bugzilla or perhaps a Changelog
- How to define a timeframe for an applicant contact response ? In a few cases (and recently in the case of Corey) till the time all the references respond we really cannot process the application. And of course poking the contacts on IRC or on mail by us is a bit of not-done
- How to do away with renewals ?
The last issue is something that is kind of once in sometime. Memberships are required to be renewed when the validity expires – this ought to be automated and should be. What can be provided to members as an option is to opt out of membership if they feel that there has not been substantial contributions to GNOME. While it may have the effect of having folks who did not contribute substantially yet are still members, it also puts some work off the committee’s shoulders. Speaking for myself, the Committee should be validating requests rather than indulging in fancy hand magic f00. Note, that as on date we have around 200 or more members whose memberships are pending renewal. Would not do too much harm if we automated the process and then allowed them to opt out of the membership (some of them have done that out of choice anyway)
Lastly, we need to look into the issues of lowering the barriers to entry for GNOME membership yet make it attractive enough or make it valuable enough so what others can join up.