[FFmpeg-devel] [ANNOUNCE] upcoming vote: CC election

[Michael Niedermayer]

Hi Marth64

On Thu, Dec 05, 2024 at 12:39:49PM -0600, Marth64 wrote:
> I volunteer. I have no revolutionary agenda or financial skin in this game,
> and my current career does not intersect with A/V. I have been generally
> reading the mailing list since March 2023. I can provide the following
> services,
> 
> 1) Being an effective de-escalator and diplomat. There are bursts of
> tension I notice that can hurt morale. Most but not all of the tension can
> probably be talked through, socialized better, or worked out over some
> other medium such as slides or voice calls. I am recognized for this
> ability by my peers in other experiences.
> 
> 2) Fostering teamwork and collaboration by pushing broken conversations
> toward a solution or middle ground and providing feedback to help improve
> habits of bad or emotional communication. Sometimes that means being a
> sounding board and absorbing the heat and I am able to handle that.
> 
> 3) Welcoming and encouraging new contributors and professional/polite
> constructive criticisms. Conversely, identifying sources of toxicity (which
> exist in any team) and helping understand their root cause. If
> uncomfortable calls need to be made, advocating for the appropriate voting
> and action so that something is done and things can be “unstuck.”

can you maybe provide a few more details so I and people know better
how you would handle concrete examples, here are some:

1a. Prior context:
For a long time FFmpeg booths where organized by various FFmpeg developers
like Thilo but also others. They where always announced publically, they
surely had a touch of hobbyists and a "non professional" community

On NAB 2023 theres a booth paid by VideoLabs, with VideoLabs money to promote consulting on open source projects.
it used the FFmpeg name and logo. Without the FFmpeg community knowing about it or approving it.
They gave out videolabs buisness cards
Kieran and jb where the 2 people from FFmpeg associated with this booth.

Thilo organizes a FFmpeg booth on NAB 2024 (with GPAC)
He announces it in november 2023 see "FFmpeg at NAB 2024"

1b. The issues:
Since the booth was announced, thilo has been attacked by various people.
(but see the thread from back then yourself)
After the NAB 2024, more attacks rain down claiming the booth was not continously
manned by FFmpeg developers. Privately i also hear attacks against GPAC

Kieran later doxes Thilo by pointing to his street address related to the NAB 2024 booth registration

The CC is informed about this but no action is taken that i remember.

I can also say that from personal communication, that other FFmpeg
developers associated with prior FFmpeg community boothes do not like
or support these hostilities, and it seems they are distancing themselfs
more from FFmpeg (which really could become a loss to the project)

I belive various complaints about the NAB 2024 booth are also raised on
VDD 2024 while not mentioning the NAB 2023 booth. Also nothing of this
is recorded.

While above is in the past, this situation is not resolved, what do you intend
to do about this ?
I belive community members should be able to announce and setup a FFmpeg
booth without fear that they are attacked or doxed.

(also one might say we need a set of clear rules for booths but i think this
 misses the problem entirely, this was not a disasgreement on rules. It was
 a commercial entity using FFmpeg IP behind the communities back. That started
 all this. It was not some community booth.)


2. and the most recent case
Nicolas was banned twice from FFmpeg by the CC, Kieran was never banned by
the CC

If you look at the thread "RFC: complete rework of s337m support"
Kieran provocates Nicolas,
Nicolas replies quite offensively to Kieran
Kieran reports this to the CC
and jb and ronald vote for a third ban of Nicolas,
ronald states that he would not have voted for a ban if Nicolas apologized.

Various people have been offensive, few have appologized, some people have been
banned repeatedly, many have never been banned.
Bans are often a bad solution but they should be used consistently.

I see a bias in the CCs decissions.
Some people say there is no bias. My first question, do you see a bias in
the CCs decissions ? (as a whole not based on what i write here)
And if so what do you plan to do about it ?

personally i think its really not good that the CC is made of people that
have close ties to thouse they "judge".

thx

-- 
Michael     GnuPG fingerprint: 9FF2128B147EF6730BADF133611EC787040B0FAB

Does the universe only have a finite lifespan? No, its going to go on
forever, its just that you wont like living in it. -- Hiranya Peiri
-------------- next part --------------
A non-text attachment was scrubbed...
Name: signature.asc
Type: application/pgp-signature
Size: 195 bytes
Desc: not available
URL: <https://ffmpeg.org/pipermail/ffmpeg-devel/attachments/20241219/52401e83/attachment.sig>