Re: [gentoo-project] [RFC] glep-0076: add clarification about the sign-off requirements

[Rich Freeman <rich0@gentoo.org>]

On Wed, Jul 28, 2021 at 10:47 AM Ulrich Mueller <ulm@gentoo.org> wrote:
>
> We have taken the blueprint for the certificate-of-origin model from
> Linux, and it does have a real name requirement. I'd rather not change
> any element of it without getting legal advice first.
>

While I completely get the sentiment, and tend to be a proponent of
real-name at least from Gentoo contributors, we have to keep in mind
that we're not Linux.

The Linux Foundation can afford to push people away, because half of
their contributions are probably corporate at this point, and most
contributors have a lot of motivation to get their patches included.
Their customers (who also are their board members and financial
backers) probably also value a more conservative approach.

I'm sure a lawyer will tell you that you're taking less risk if you
require legal names.  I'll go ahead and add my own advice that
everybody reading this will also be taking less risk if they never get
in a car or better still don't get out of bed.  Getting legal advice
isn't a bad idea, but ultimately the organization has to decide
whether the risks/benefits are worth it.  A lawyer might be able to
help the organization better understand these tradeoffs, but if you're
going to wait for somebody else to call the lawyer for you it isn't
likely to happen.  I suspect that most anonymous contributors don't
care THAT much - they're just going to stop contributing.

I think the key is to find the balance.  You can make an argument
either way, and I'm not sure how essential these anonymous
contributions are.  If we're better off without them then just be
aware that is the choice we're making...

-- 
Rich