What is open source governance?
Open source governance is simply the processes and policies an open source project needs to have to enable it to function. This can mean many things:
- How can a project accept code?
- How does a project create a release of its code?
- Who determines what code comes into a project and what code doesn’t?
- What does someone need to do to contribute code to a project?
- How are issues handled?
- How are security vulnerabilities addressed and disclosed?
- Who can speak on behalf of the project?
- Who owns the name, artwork, and other assets of the project?
- …and the list goes on.
There are a few approaches to structuring governance in a project, each with different benefits and weaknesses to consider. One thing to know with open source governance is it’s not one-size-fits-all, as there are unique qualities in each community to consider. Let’s take a look at some of the more common options.
