First Version as of 2/15/2007 - your feedback is welcome (send a private message to our community host)

This document defines the guidelines for the db4o Project. It includes definitions of how the project cooperates with the db4objects company, how decisions are made and how ownership for user needs are delivered in shared responsibility.

The objective of these guidelines is to enable as many committers as possible to contribute all their talent to and be part of the success of the db4o Project, while providing a framework that clearly defines the boundaries and provides for those necessities that user need to successfully adopt db4o for their own projects.

People

db4o Developers

All those who are contributing time, code, documentation, or resources to the db4o Project.

db4o Committers

Those who are responsible for the technical aspects of the db4o Project. This group has write access to the appropriate source repositories.

Membership as a Committer is by invitation only and must be approved by majority of the db4o PSC members.  Membership expires by their own declaration or by not contributing in any form to the project for over six months.  Membership can be revoked by a majority vote of all the PSC members (except the member in question if they are a PSC member.)

To be eligible as a Committer, candidates need to

• sign a shared IP agreement with db4objects (Level dCC1 or above) 

db4o Project Steering Committee (PSC)

The group of people who are responsible for managing the db4o Project.

This includes

• Define and execute the db4o Project roadmap
• Care for a complete product in the eyes of users, including documentation and support (in cooperation with the db4objects company and other partners)
  
• Make sure that releases are successful: complete, on time, and properly documented
  
• Make architectural decisions while considering input from Committers
  
• Make sure that bugs get fixed
• Care for an agile and quality-driven development process
  
• Make sure that people find it easy to contribute to the db4o Project, e.g. by providing source code presentations
• Prepare and lead (parts of the) developer meetings
• Pairing and information exchange with non-PSC Committers

Membership in the db4o PSC is by invitation only and must be approved by consensus of the incumbent db4o PSC members and the President of db4objects.  Membership is for one year and can be renewed by consensus of the db4o PSC members other than the member in question.  Half of the PSC are voted for a term lasting from February 1 to January 31, while the other half are voted for a term from August 1 to July 31.  Membership can be revoked by a unanimous vote of all the PSC members other than the member in question or by decision of the President of db4objects.

The number of members on the PSC should not exceed 30% of the total number of db4o Committers.

The PSC's communication is accessible to all Committers who have sign a confidentiality agreement with db4objects (Level dCC2), e.g. via Skype-developercasts, forums, or mailing lists.

To be eligible to the PSC, candidates need to

• be a Committer
• show comprehensive ownership for important parts of the db4o Project
  
• sign a shared IP AND confidentiality agreement AND work at least 50% of their time for db4objects (Level dCC3)

Relationship between the db4o Project and the db4objects Company

The db4objects company, represented by its President

• holds the IP for the db4o core product for distribution under the GPL or a commercial license
• every Committer has to sign a shared IP agreement (dCC1 level)
  
• handles customer projects that require confidentiality (NDA)
• dCC2 level access rights for those that have signed an NDA with the company
  
• sponsors the projects by funding individual Committers
• dCC3 level for >50% fulltime Committers
  
• has a veto on PSC decisions and staffing