# Governance WG: Reboot **URL:** \ **Category:** Governance\ **Created:** [April 6, 2023, 1:00pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220 "2023-04-06T13:00:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2

**Author:** ![RichardLitt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/richardlitt/32/8_2.png) [@RichardLitt](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/RichardLitt)\ **Post date:** [April 12, 2023, 11:49pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/21 "2023-04-12T23:49:49Z")

Thank you, @jlcanovas! I am happy to host this. I’ve started [a basic agenda](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NvVbubpP8CLVcyOnN9AaGkf9acinYMnx-8BcverIN1I/edit#) and set up a Zoom link, in the doc. See you tomorrow! ---

**Author:** ![RichardLitt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/richardlitt/32/8_2.png) [@RichardLitt](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/RichardLitt)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 5:03pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/22 "2023-04-13T17:03:12Z")

Note - starting now. See [SustainOSS Governance WG – April 2023 - Google Docs](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NvVbubpP8CLVcyOnN9AaGkf9acinYMnx-8BcverIN1I/edit#heading=h.cjdo0nax9z30) for details. ---

**Author:** ![RichardLitt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/richardlitt/32/8_2.png) [@RichardLitt](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/RichardLitt)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:01pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/23 "2023-04-13T18:01:42Z")

Good group today - a tough introductory discussion to unknot! I think here’s a few things we can focus on going forward: - Working on an OSS Governance definition - Building a resource that will help people make their projects more sustainable easily, without invoking the word governance, but will get them to a point where they can use it today and then be in a place where a deeper workshop (á la Shauna’s Python work or Javi/Greg’s ostrom questions) can be applied more easily - Working on identifying metrics that can show the state of the governance in a project for the purpose of mass collection of data, and looking at other work that is ongoing elsewhere on this project I think the second one would be most useful, here, but I think these are all three related to each other in any event. I think the third is also really interesting, but I need to know more about what CHAOSS already does here. ---

**Author:** ![tobie](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/tobie/32/838_2.png) [@tobie](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/tobie)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:19pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/24 "2023-04-13T18:19:49Z")

I’d offer a fourth option here (or maybe this is a subset of the second one?): define the critical information pieces that we would want to know about a project and that aren’t generally provided. Make it super easy to provide that information. For example: - who has admin access to the repo? - who has admin access to the package manager? - what the the story if those people disappear overnight? - how are decisions made to merge a pull request, close an issue, give admin / write access to someone ? - who makes those decisions? - is there a CoC and related email? - is there a vulnerability disclosure policy and related email? - etc. ---

**Author:** ![greggish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@greggish](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/greggish)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:45pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/25 "2023-04-13T18:45:37Z")

Tobie – yes most of these questions are already included [in the initial matrix that we put together](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ya_flgj83ki46genn2b-QiXPxMrDrqjmTgmKIWJgLu4/edit). Would be glad to see this elaborated and refined and then designed into something useful. ---

**Author:** ![tobie](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/tobie/32/838_2.png) [@tobie](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/tobie)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2023, 6:56pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/26 "2023-04-13T18:56:24Z")

Great. Then the exercise can be to curate that list to keep just the most essential questions around. ---

**Author:** ![cschweik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@cschweik](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/cschweik)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 7:13pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/27 "2023-05-04T19:13:12Z")

Greetings all! I’m Charlie Schweik, a faculty at UMass Amherst, and I met some of you at an event I co-organized at the Internet Archive in San Francisco. Greg Bloom reminded me of this reboot and I’m joining… will try to participate. Like all of you I’m sure, bandwidth is lean. But this is an exciting group in my view. I’ll lurk and will be learning this platform. Thanks to Sustain OSS for hosting this! ---

**Author:** ![RichardLitt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/richardlitt/32/8_2.png) [@RichardLitt](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/RichardLitt)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2023, 7:50pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/28 "2023-05-04T19:50:56Z")

Thanks for coming here, Charlie! Good to have you. Everyone: It seems that we had some ideas as to how to move forward from the last call, but we didn’t arrange a follow-up meeting to resolve them. Shall we meet again on Thursday the 25th at 1:00pm ET (same time as last time)? ---

**Author:** ![greggish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@greggish](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/greggish)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2023, 4:46pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/29 "2023-05-24T16:46:07Z")

Hi folks – I have a hold on my calendar for tomorrow at 1p ET for this conversation, with no information in it… I must have put it down when @RichardLitt suggested it, but now I see we might not have confirmed. Do we want to talk tomorrow? What’s our agenda? I could do it, and do have at least one update to share… but could easily put that time to other use. lmk. ---

**Author:** ![jlcanovas](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/jlcanovas/32/240_2.png) [@jlcanovas](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/jlcanovas)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 2:08pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/30 "2023-05-25T14:08:50Z")

Hi everyone, as Greg, I added the event on my calendar but with no additional details. Do we have the call today? What’s the agenda? From my side I have little (almost nothing) to report but I can try to make it. Cheers, ---

**Author:** ![RichardLitt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/richardlitt/32/8_2.png) [@RichardLitt](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/RichardLitt)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 2:56pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/31 "2023-05-25T14:56:11Z")

Thanks Greg! I, strangely, did not have this on my calendar. I am sorry about that! I suggest that we postpone for two weeks for a couple of reasons - first, I want to give people adequate time; second, I want to see how the dust settles with the IEEE group, which is under a change of leadership right now. Could we meet on June 8th? ---

**Author:** ![greggish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/dc4da7/32.png) [@greggish](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/greggish)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2023, 3:37pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/32 "2023-05-25T15:37:10Z")

On june 8th i have a thing that runs til 130p ET but could jojn right after that. what would be our agenda? ---

**Author:** ![jlcanovas](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/jlcanovas/32/240_2.png) [@jlcanovas](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/jlcanovas)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2023, 7:40am UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/33 "2023-05-26T07:40:35Z")

Hi, June, 8th looks ok for now, event added to my agenda. Cheers, ---

**Author:** ![abbycabs](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/abbycabs/32/775_2.png) [@abbycabs](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/abbycabs)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2023, 4:29pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/34 "2023-06-02T16:29:39Z")

8th should be good for me! Please invite me ---

**Author:** ![juliaferraioli](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/juliaferraioli/32/726_2.png) [@juliaferraioli](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/juliaferraioli)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2023, 5:00pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/35 "2023-06-02T17:00:27Z")

The 8th is good for me as well! I’d like to join. ---

**Author:** ![RichardLitt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/richardlitt/32/8_2.png) [@RichardLitt](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/RichardLitt)\ **Post date:** [June 7, 2023, 6:54pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/36 "2023-06-07T18:54:47Z")

Excellent. I’ve set up a Zoom call for tomorrow and invited those of you whose email I knew. Looking forward to chatting tomorrow! @cschweik Let me know if you want an invite, too. The event is available on the WG calendar: [https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=YnVybnRmZW4uY29tX2ZxYTc4Nm83aWxuYTkxNGo5dGwyZ24wOG8wQGdyb3VwLmNhbGVuZGFyLmdvb2dsZS5jb20](https://calendar.google.com/calendar/u/0?cid=YnVybnRmZW4uY29tX2ZxYTc4Nm83aWxuYTkxNGo5dGwyZ24wOG8wQGdyb3VwLmNhbGVuZGFyLmdvb2dsZS5jb20) ---

**Author:** ![shaunagm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f9ae1b/32.png) [@shaunagm](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/shaunagm)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 4:22pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/37 "2023-06-08T16:22:06Z")

Thanks, Richard! I’ll be there but a little late. ---

**Author:** ![cschweik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ac8455/32.png) [@cschweik](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/cschweik)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 6:41pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/38 "2023-06-08T18:41:27Z")

Hi Richard, These emails have been going into my “other” inbox in Outlook, so I’ve been missing some of them. I’ll work to change that. But I am leaving for Kenya and Malawi this weekend on various project work, so I can’t spare the time tomorrow, unfortunately. Most of our OSS Governance research team (e.g., Curtis Atkisson, Seth Frey, others) are all flying there too for a conference in Nairobi, so I don’t have someone I can suggest to attend on our behalf. I’ll be back in July, and will try and catch up on this thread then. Cheers! Charlie Schweik ---

**Author:** ![RichardLitt](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/richardlitt/32/8_2.png) [@RichardLitt](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/RichardLitt)\ **Post date:** [June 8, 2023, 9:36pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/39 "2023-06-08T21:36:48Z")

Thanks for the update, @cschweik. Everyone, we had what I thought was a productive second meeting today. The main thing we agreed on was that we should focus initially on building a dictionary of terms to help us tease apart what governance in open source project means, so that we can best divide up the work and help others. The notes are available here: [SustainOSS Governance WG – April 2023 - Google Docs](https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NvVbubpP8CLVcyOnN9AaGkf9acinYMnx-8BcverIN1I/edit#) As well, I have started a Working Document for Open Source Governance Definitions, here: [https://docs.google.com/document/d/10\_LM3-keWpWBrrS7s5kcG0oXWMeGteXgUavLUa96oXQ/edit#](https://docs.google.com/document/d/10_LM3-keWpWBrrS7s5kcG0oXWMeGteXgUavLUa96oXQ/edit#). Any and all help would be excellent! We agreed to meet in a few weeks. Given my travel plans (off next week for two weeks), I am going to arrange this for Thursday the sixth at the same time, if that works for others. If not, let me know here. ---

**Author:** ![ShaneCurcuru](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/flex032/user_avatar/discourse.sustainoss.org/shanecurcuru/32/1015_2.png) [@ShaneCurcuru](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/u/ShaneCurcuru)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2023, 12:12pm UTC](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220/40 "2023-07-06T12:12:50Z")

The WG is meeting today again in just under 5 hours for those interested. While I haven’t made much progress on specific definitions, I do have suggestions for how to present information that I think is important updated in the doc today. The key focus is: keeping this content valuable for our readers: Open source practicioners of varying levels of experience. [Previous page](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220.md?page=1) [Next page](https://discourse.sustainoss.org/t/governance-wg-reboot/1220.md?page=3)