[od-discuss] comments on License Approval Process

Mon Dec 3 16:01:31 UTC 2012

Hi, all-

Was pointed this morning at:

http://opendefinition.org/licenses/process/

I'd like to propose a couple of comments/expansions, mostly based on
OSI's (much more involved) process document:
http://opensource.org/approval

1) This should explicitly state that the AC will decide based on the
definition; i.e., change

"Note that it is the Advisory Council who take the final decision on
license conformance though usually consensus is reached via discussion
on the mailing list."

to something like:

"The Advisory Council will make the final decision on whether or not a
license conforms to the Open Definition, based on the OSD. This
decision will typically follow the consensus reached via discussion on
the mailing list."

[OSI doesn't do this! Oops. I'm going to fix this :)

2) Slightly flesh out the submission process:

"Submitting The License
Submit the license to the Open Definition for discussion. To do this:

1) Sign up to the mailing list, so that you can participate in the discussion.
2) Send a link to the online version of the license to the mailing list.
3) State the rationale for the new license.
4) Compare and contrast to any existing similar OD-approved licenses.

Ideally, this should occur before the license is finalized, so that
you can revise based on the group's feedback."

3) Explain what will happen:

"What Will Happen
After submission, the OD community will discuss on the mailing list
and reach consensus. The OD AC chair will summarize the consensus to
the AC, which will make the final decision or request additional
information at their next meeting. The AC chair will report back to
the list, and the website will be updated as appropriate."