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Small improvements to governance document #3202

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Merged
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Sep 17, 2018
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Small improvements to governance document #3202

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d426bf9
Fix typo
eigenfoo Sep 17, 2018
4a94420
Rewrite awkward section
eigenfoo Sep 17, 2018
508aa9e
Fix another typo
eigenfoo Sep 17, 2018
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20 changes: 9 additions & 11 deletions GOVERNANCE.md
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Expand Up @@ -190,7 +190,7 @@ All members of the Council, BDFL included, shall disclose to the rest of the
Council any conflict of interest they may have. Members with a conflict of
interest in a particular issue may participate in Council discussions on that
issue, but must recuse themselves from voting on the issue. If the BDFL has
recused his/herself for a particular decision, they will appoint a substitute
recused him/herself for a particular decision, they will appoint a substitute
BDFL for that decision.

### Private communications of the Council
Expand All @@ -211,16 +211,14 @@ should conduct their business in an open and public manner unless privacy is
specifically called for. Private subcommittee communications should happen on
the main private mailing list of the Council unless specifically called for.

Question: if the BDFL is not on a subcommittee, do they still have override
authority?

Suggestion: they do, but they should appoint a delegate who plays that role
most of the time, and explicit BDFL intervention is sought only if the
committee disagrees with that delegate’s decision and no resolution is possible
within the team. This is different from a BDFL delegate for a specific decision
(or a recusal situation), where the BDFL is literally giving up his/her
authority to someone else in full. It’s more like what Linus Torvalds uses with his
“lieutenants” model.
Even if the BDFL does not sit on a specific subcommittee, he/she still retains
override authority on the subcommittee's decisions. However, it is expected that
he/she will appoint a delegate to oversee the subcommittee's decisions, and
explicit intervention from the BDFL will only be sought if the committee
disagrees with the delegate's decision and no resolution is possible within the
subcommittee. This is a different situation from a BDFL delegate for a specific
decision, or a recusal situation, in which the BDFL gives up his/her authority
to someone else in full.

### NumFOCUS Subcommittee

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