Re: Maximum term for tech ctte members

[Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org>]

Anthony Towns <aj@erisian.com.au> writes:
> On Sun, May 25, 2014 at 10:37:05AM -0700, Russ Allbery wrote:

>> We could combine both features, though: set a term length of two years,
>> and then say that people can serve for two terms in succession but then
>> have to leave the committee for at least one term.

> Two year terms would be electing (up to) four people a year. That seems
> a lot?

I was assuming that continuing on was automatic if you wanted to and most
people wouldn't step down after one term, which after thinking about it
more are both bad assumptions.  So yes, I agree with you: four year terms
are probably the minimum.

I'm still skeptical that something built around people typically serving
for eight years is the sort of turnover we want, but it's the conservative
approach and doesn't change too much at once.  Which has some definite
merits.

> Possible candidacy rules:

>  - A developer is not eligible to rejoin the committee if they have
>    been a member for more than four of the past five years.

>    (Max two consecutive terms, roughly)

I think this is my preference.

>  - When considering candidates for inclusion in the committee, the ballot
>    must include at least one candidate who has not been a member of the
>    committee in the previous four years.

>    (Enforce considering new members, not necessarily having them)

The social pressures here don't work very well.  In general, any approach
that has the existing committee decide whether to retain a member who's
already on the committee has the potential for hard feelings, creating
future difficulties working together, and so forth.  This is why I favor
some system that requires a pause; that way, no one is put in the position
of having to refuse to reappoint someone that they've worked with for the
last eight years.

>  - Any eligible developer nominated by the DPL or by at least two
>    developers in the period between August 1st and August 16th will be
>    considered for appointment to the committee, and be included on the
>    next ballot. Any developer so nominated may, however, withdraw their
>    nomination if they so choose.

I'm not sure there's any need to say something about this, unless there's
a perception that the TC's process for selecting new members is somehow
broken.

-- 
Russ Allbery (rra@debian.org)               <http://www.eyrie.org/~eagle/>