[FFmpeg-devel] Democratization work in progress draft v2

[Soft Works]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ffmpeg-devel <ffmpeg-devel-bounces at ffmpeg.org> On Behalf Of Leo
> Izen
> Sent: Wednesday, January 29, 2025 10:39 PM
> To: ffmpeg-devel at ffmpeg.org
> Subject: Re: [FFmpeg-devel] Democratization work in progress draft v2
> 
> On 1/29/25 3:33 PM, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
> > Hi all
> >
> > Heres my current "work in progress": (sending that before fosdem,
> so people can discuss if they like)
> >
> > Goals:
> >      The proposed changes aim to improve the General Assembly's
> structure to ensure inclusivity, fairness, and resilience against
> attacks. The key goals are as follows:
> >      Increase the Size of the General Assembly
> >          Inclusivity: Allow every contributor to have a vote,
> ensuring all voices are heard, regardless of their role or level of
> involvement.
> >          Enhanced Security: By increasing the number of voters, it
> becomes significantly harder for a malicious actor or group to
> influence decisions. A larger voting pool dilutes the impact of any
> single attack or coordinated effort.
> >      Make Voting Power Proportional to Contributions
> >          Fair Representation: Allocate voting power based on
> contributions, ensuring that those who dedicate substantial time and
> effort to the project have a stronger voice than those with minimal
> involvement. This creates a system where contribution equals
> influence.
> >          Resilience Against Attacks: Attackers would need not only
> a large number of people but also a comparable volume of meaningful
> contributions to influence the vote, further safeguarding the
> project.
> >          Motivating Participation: Encouraging higher levels of
> engagement by rewarding contributors with more influence in decision-
> making.
> >      Broaden the Definition of Contributions
> >          Previously everyone was a software developer. But really
> there are many people in the community, who are not software
> developers.
> >
> >
> > Shares in Alternative P
> >      1 release                               == 100 shares
> >      1 entry in MAINTAINERS                  == 100 shares
> >      1 commit in           git master branch ==  10 shares
> >      1 subscription in ffmpeg-devel          ==  10 shares
> >      1 subscription in ffmpeg-user           ==  10 shares
> >      1 fixed ticket in trac                  ==  10 shares
> >      1 reported issue in trac                ==   2 shares
> >      1 mail in ffmpeg-devel                  ==   2 shares
> >      1 mail in ffmpeg-user                   ==   2 shares
> >      1 (backported) commit in release branch ==   1 shares
> >
> 
> I have been silent on this for a very long time, but I would like to
> point out at this point that Michael has approximately five times as
> many commits as the next-most prolific contributor (Andreas).
> 
> (for those curious, navigate to git master and run: git shortlog -s -
> n)
> 
> If you draft language that gives you five times as much voting power
> as
> anybody else it does not realistically make it appear as though you
> are
> interested in handing over reigns to anybody.

Am I the only one who has read that (probably so far most important) message where Michael has clearly said that such "handing over reigns" (he said "keys") is not going to happen as - would it burn down to that - people should rather fork?

I think it's important to be clear about that, as it might save a lot of wasted energy.

sw