Re: Boost Governance?

From: Andrey Semashev (andrey.semashev_at_[hidden])
Date: 2021-05-06 17:38:31

On 5/6/21 7:25 PM, René Ferdinand Rivera Morell via Boost wrote:
> A disclaimer: I write this solely as a Boost Library author. And not in any
> other capacity or representing any other interest.
> 
> It's now been at least a year since Boost switched from the Software
> Freedom Conservancy to the Boost Foundation for its governance
> organization. But have people noticed any difference? Did you know that
> switch happened? Did you know that they held an election for the Board of
> Directors and for the Officers? Do you know when that election happened? Do
> you know who got elected? Do you know how they were selected? Do you know
> what their responsibilities are? Do you know what their bylaws are? Do you
> know their financials?
> 
> More importantly: Did you answer "no" to any of those questions?

I did answer "no" to many of these questions, although I think Boost 
Foundation was announced at some point on this list. Or maybe mentioned 
in some discussion. I can't remember the details, it's just the name 
does ring a bell.

> As a library author, I can say I definitely answered no to many of those
> questions. This is a problem. As authors, without asking, we should know
> those answers from the organization that governs our work. We should have
> input into how that organization governs. In other words, we deserve open
> and transparent governance; not the closed and opaque status quo.

I agree the process could be more open.

I have to say, as a library author and maintainer, I don't see how I'm 
being governed by those bodies. I don't see them intervening in 
technical discussions and decisions, so when it comes for development, 
reviews, library acceptance/rejects and even the development policies 
Boost seems pretty much governed by developers themselves. Which, I 
think, is a good thing.

I'm not involved in financial or legal side of things, and don't 
participate in GSOC and other side projects, where Boost Foundation 
probably has a more prominent and important role. I'm not very 
interested in those areas.