[License-discuss] Improvement to the License-Review Process

[Florian Weimer]

* McCoy Smith:

> Might it be time to require license submitters to actually identify
> themselves, the organization they represent, and the name of the legal
> person they worked with in creating and submitting the license?

Quite a few people view such a requirement in a software license as
DFSG-noncompliant.  I think it would be a bit odd if OSI adopted such
a requirement within its contribution process.

> I know this was a minor blip in the process, but isn't the all-volunteer
> Board busy enough that they shouldn't have to go through the motions of
> convening a meeting and scheduling a vote on someone's joke proposal?

Instead, you will have to review the provided identifying information
and determine whether a proposal has genuine (business, community,
artistic) interest behind it or not.  I doubt that it would save much
time.

It also does not stop people from submitting time wasters under a
real, government-issued identity.

> [I'd also suggest that people caught doing these sorts of non-serious or
> pseudonymous submissions not have the right to submit or comment on the
> mailing lists in the future]

How are you going to enforce that?

There's going to be an exception process, just like in the Vaccine
License (but some egal certificate instead of a one issued by the
doctor).