[License-review] Evolving the License Review process for OSI

[Josh Berkus]

On 5/24/19 7:50 AM, Pamela Chestek wrote:
> License-review at lists.opensource.org is the email address for submitting
> a license for which you seek OSI approval following the process at
> https://opensource.org/approval. The list is open to the public, so
> anyone can give their opinion about a license. The OSI License Committee
> considers the viewpoints expressed on the license-review list in making
> its license approval recommendation to the OSI Board. Since the purpose
> of the list is to inform the Committee and the Board, discussion of
> substantive issues off-list is not recommended. If a license submitter
> elects to respond to a substantive question submitted to them off-list,
> the submitter is encouraged to copy the license-review list also on
> their response after redacting the identity of the person sending the
> communication.

I feel strongly that as long as license review is a free-form mailing
list, license proposals will continue to be handled badly.  And, more
importantly, will continue to be seen by people outside this committee
as being handled badly.

We need a format that provides structured discussion, and easy
reviewabilty and referenceability.  There are any number of code review
tools out there that might suffice.

-- 
Josh Berkus