Re: [Boost-announce] Boost Asset Stewardship Review begins 09/03

From: Glen Fernandes (glen.fernandes_at_[hidden])
Date: 2024-09-02 18:24:17

Hi Andrzej,

> I have a couple of procedural questions.
> I understand that the reviews and the discussion can go to the Boost
> Developers list, right?

Correct, reviews should go to the Boost developer list.

> Typically, for the library reviews we were instructed to prefix the
> email title with the reviewed library name, so that it is easier for
> the Review Manager to notice all the relevant messages. Do we have a
> tag like this in this case? Shall I use "Boost Asset Stewardship
> Review", or is "stewardship" just fine?

"Asset Stewardsip Review" or "Asset Stewardship". When people see
individual review mails independently of the review announcement, the
desire is that they not mistake that the review is about governance
about the C++ library development.

> I am also not clear what the subject of the review is. At a high
> level I understand that there are two organizations with different
> visions competing for some form of control over Boost, but what
> exactly that "some form of control" is I am not sure.
>
> Are we talking about the ownership of servers, infrastructure
> software, logos, domains? Or legal representation? Or are we also
> deciding on introducing new bodies, like a "steering committee"? I
> would appreciate it if this was clarified in the review
> announcement.

We are talking about ownership, payment, and management of the
following assets, that require financial support:
- The boost.org domain
- The website hosting
- The mailing lists
- The downloads (storage and CDN)

For reference, the Boost Foundation currently owns and pays for the following:
- The rackspace which provides hosting and mailing lists

It manages the following, but technically (see Kristen's email) does
not own it yet:
- The boost.org domain

Beman was the owner of the domain. The Boost Foundation is working
with his widow to transfer ownership to it.

The C++ Alliance pays for and manages the following:
- The Drone CI
- The CDN for Boost downloads
- Technical assistance for the Boost release process
- Backup domain names in case boost.org expires (boostlibraries.org)
- The hosting and download archives for the new website

Note the content of the current boost.org website as well as the
boost.io website is still decided by the Boost developer community.

The fiscal sponsorship proposal from the C++ Alliance that begat the review:

1) is a legal agreement where the C++ Alliance holds assets on behalf
of the Boost project. It proposes a newly formed (steering) committee
that would be composed of Boost library authors and contributors that
would determine how the assets are used.
2) donates the assets that it funds to the Boost project (domains,
hosting, etc.)

I have asked Vinnie to provide us with a high level summary of the
agreement that will appear in the forthcoming review announcement (but
he is free to post it here in advance of it).

We have one alternative proposal by the Boost Foundation, which asks
that the community consider letting it continue to be the steward of
the aforementioned Boost assets, but with an intention to change how
it will manage those assets going forward.

Glen