Assign TOB the ability to add and remove maintainers from subprojects

[jdolitsky]

Even if we have people willing to take on the role of maintainership, PRs to add these people are not even being reviewed. For example:

• Add Sajay as maintainer image-spec#911
• Add Brandon as maintainer image-spec#909

I propose that a supermajority 2/3 vote from TOB members can add or remove a maintainer from any subproject in order to keep OCI alive and well.

[samuelkarp]

Hi @jdolitsky! From my reading of the charter, § 5 (which discusses the TDC and maintainers) and § 6 (which enumerates the TOB's role and limits) would both need to be amended to grant the TOB this power.

Note that § 6a reads in part:

The TOB shall not dictate or interfere with the day-to-day work of individual OCI Projects or their decisions.

This restricts the actions the TOB can take and (in my view) helps to ensure that project maintainers are actually the ones responsible for the decisions that affect their project (including the identity of the maintainers). This principle of non-interference is also explicitly called out in § 5c:

The maintainers and contributors shall set the technical direction of the OCI Projects, with minimal interference by the Technical Oversight Board;

While I understand the frustration here with the lack of response, I'd hope we can draft something that both allows the TOB to act when warranted while maintaining the principle of non-interference as much as possible, respecting the role and responsibilities of a project maintainer.

If you'd like to propose amended text for the charter, I'd be happy to facilitate a discussion within the TOB at which point we can vote on whether to adopt such an amendment.

[jdolitsky]

Hello @samuelkarp! Thanks for pointing out the relevant sections.

hope we can draft something that both allows the TOB to act when warranted while maintaining the principle of non-interference as much as possible

This would be the goal. There is no intention to widely expand the existing powers of TOB, but to just grant them the ability to interfere in rare circumstances such as this.

[dlorenc]

I'd argue that Section 6 does grant the TOB this ability already: https://github.com/opencontainers/tob/blob/main/CHARTER.md#6-technical-oversight-board-tob

a. The TOB is responsible for managing conflicts, violations of procedures or guidelines and any cross-project or high-level issues that cannot be resolved in the TDC for OCI Projects. The TOB shall also be responsible for adding, removing or reorganizing OCI Projects. The TOB shall not dictate or interfere with the day-to-day work of individual OCI Projects or their decisions.

I think a lack of active maintainers clearly results in a high level issue that cannot be resolved in the TDC for that specific project. This is not day-to-day work, and this is not interfering in a decision.