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9 changes: 9 additions & 0 deletions CONTRIBUTING.md
Original file line number Diff line number Diff line change
Expand Up @@ -18,3 +18,12 @@ To mitigate this, all people with [code owner entries](./.github/CODEOWNERS) for
This is done by [automatically opening an issue in regular intervals](./.github/workflows/review.yml) to ping all code owners.

This serves as an initial fallback, but more automatic approaches could be implemented in the future, e.g. by scraping and comparing the state.

## Drafting notes

Text is written in Markdown.

For the sake of human-readable diffs and patches, each line must contain at most one sentence.
Long sentances may be broken into multiple lines at points of sub-sentance punctuation (e.g. comma, em-dash, semicolon) boundaries.
Markdown explicitly ignores the location of line-breaks within paragraphs, so this convention does not affect the meaning of the text.
(This rule is an instance of the general principle of "semantic line breaks", discussed at greater length at <https://sembr.org/>.)
64 changes: 46 additions & 18 deletions doc/constitution.md
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Expand Up @@ -32,7 +32,8 @@ It has the following responsibilities, which it may delegate as appropriate:
- Decision authority may be delegated to other teams when significant analysis is needed, but the SC remains responsible if the delegated team fails to reach a decision.
- Evolve the constitution, including governance structures and processes, as needed, subject to supermajority approval.
- Coordination with the NixOS Foundation Board:
- Collaborate with the NixOS Foundation Board to set policies and priorities for high-visibility actions, events, and resources under the Foundation's care. Both the SC and the board need to approve such policies.
- Collaborate with the NixOS Foundation Board to set policies and priorities for high-visibility actions, events, and resources under the Foundation's care.
Both the SC and the board need to approve such policies.
- Any delegation of responsibilities related to these areas also delegates communication with the Board on the relevant topics.
- Be involved in the [board composition change process](#board-composition-changes)
- Creation and Management of Teams:
Expand All @@ -47,7 +48,8 @@ It has the following responsibilities, which it may delegate as appropriate:
- Ensure the existence and proper execution of processes for granting access to projects and resources.
- As of the establishment of the SC, [official resources](https://github.com/NixOS/org/blob/main/doc/resources.md) and access details are listed in the repository.

The SC has the authority to make decisions within the scope of its responsibilities; the restrictions on this authority are all explicitly listed in this constitution. The SC may make a decision to revoke delegation of a specific part of authority, if necessary — even if the authority in question has been with a certain team since before the current constitution.
The SC has the authority to make decisions within the scope of its responsibilities; the restrictions on this authority are all explicitly listed in this constitution.
The SC may make a decision to revoke delegation of a specific part of authority, if necessary — even if the authority in question has been with a certain team since before the current constitution.
Comment on lines +51 to +52
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GitHub renders this visually as two paragraphs in the side by side view of the diff, while they are not.
This, in a way, reduces the reviewability.

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You mean the thing where it makes a table with every line, and so more wrapping in one cell means vertical blank space in the other cell?

Yes it does do that, but it didn't really feel like "two paragraphs" to me, just line-based tabling.


### NixOS Foundation Board

Expand All @@ -58,7 +60,9 @@ In particular, its responsibilities are to:
- Serve as an interface between the community and the corporate/governmental/financial world
- Manage trademarks
- Handle external relationships, partnerships, and donations
- Work with the SC to establish foundation policies that balance the interests of volunteers, commercial actors, and public institutions, while staying within legal and administrative feasibility constraints. Both the SC and the board need to approve such policies. This includes sponsorship eligibility and trademark policies.
- Work with the SC to establish foundation policies that balance the interests of volunteers, commercial actors, and public institutions, while staying within legal and administrative feasibility constraints.
Both the SC and the board need to approve such policies.
This includes sponsorship eligibility and trademark policies.
- Build and maintain beneficial and collaborative relationships
- Maintain and support grants/grant providers
- Provide a framework for the community to self-organise:
Expand All @@ -71,9 +75,12 @@ In particular, its responsibilities are to:

#### Board Composition Changes

Prior to appointing a new board member, the board shall inform the SC and give the SC the opportunity to object to the appointment by simple majority. In case of objection, the SC shall privately provide the written reasons to the board. The objection of the SC is binding to the board unless recalled by the SC.
Prior to appointing a new board member, the board shall inform the SC and give the SC the opportunity to object to the appointment by simple majority.
In case of objection, the SC shall privately provide the written reasons to the board.
The objection of the SC is binding to the board unless recalled by the SC.

Board members have terms of no longer than 2 years. At the end of a term of a board member:
Board members have terms of no longer than 2 years.
At the end of a term of a board member:
- If the member wishes to remain on the board, the board may approve a term renewal.
- If the board approves the renewal, the SC is given the ability to object with a supermajority.
- The board can override such an objection only by a unanimous decision.
Expand All @@ -91,26 +98,31 @@ The following decisions require at least a 2/3 supermajority agreement of the fu
- Forced removal of SC members
- Objecting to NixOS Foundation board member term renewals

Furthermore, the SC decides on the Election Committee (EC) with a 2/3 supermajority. If the SC cannot come to supermajority agreement on the list of EC members, they will elect an EC using the same tallying system as the previous SC election, where only SC members can vote.
Furthermore, the SC decides on the Election Committee (EC) with a 2/3 supermajority.
If the SC cannot come to supermajority agreement on the list of EC members, they will elect an EC using the same tallying system as the previous SC election, where only SC members can vote.

Disqualifications of candidates in an election requires supermajority among the currently serving SC members.

Substantial amendments to the Nix Community Values require 90% agreement in a poll among eligible voters. Deciding that an amendment is not substantial can be done by unanimity among a full SC.
Substantial amendments to the Nix Community Values require 90% agreement in a poll among eligible voters.
Deciding that an amendment is not substantial can be done by unanimity among a full SC.

#### Ordinary decisions

Everything within the authority of SC that doesn't require an extraordinary decision can be decided with a simple majority (more than 50%) of a full SC (vacant seats count as abstaining).

An exception to that is when there is when the [conflict of interest balance](#conflict-of-interest-coi-balance) condition is suspected to be violated. In that case, all non-involved currently serving SC members will have a simple majority decision over whether there is a violation.
An exception to that is when there is when the [conflict of interest balance](#conflict-of-interest-coi-balance) condition is suspected to be violated.
In that case, all non-involved currently serving SC members will have a simple majority decision over whether there is a violation.

### Composition and Appointment

The SC consists of 7 elected members.
Regular elections are once a year, with half (alternating rounding every year) of the seats up for election,
such that each member holds a seat for one term of at most 2 years before it is up for election again.
Members can at most serve two consecutive terms. There is no lifetime maximum.
Members can at most serve two consecutive terms.
There is no lifetime maximum.

The previous SC appoints an Election Committee (EC) of at least 3 people to administer the election. If the SC cannot come to supermajority agreement on the list of EC members, they will elect an EC using the same tallying system as the previous SC election, where only SC members can vote.
The previous SC appoints an Election Committee (EC) of at least 3 people to administer the election.
If the SC cannot come to supermajority agreement on the list of EC members, they will elect an EC using the same tallying system as the previous SC election, where only SC members can vote.
SC members can be EC members only if they're leaving after the election.

#### Vote eligibility
Expand All @@ -124,7 +136,8 @@ There are two automatic ways to become eligible for voting, either:

The list of automatically eligible voters is made public.

People not automatically eligible then have some time to send a request to the EC, which can then make an exception and approve them as voters. This is for people whose official contributions are not all visible in the NixOS GitHub organisation, but have contributed roughly the equivalent of 25 commits, also counting contributions such as:
People not automatically eligible then have some time to send a request to the EC, which can then make an exception and approve them as voters.
This is for people whose official contributions are not all visible in the NixOS GitHub organisation, but have contributed roughly the equivalent of 25 commits, also counting contributions such as:
- Participation in official teams
- Infrastructure maintenance
- Organisation of official events
Expand Down Expand Up @@ -155,7 +168,8 @@ After the nomination deadline, the SC can prevent a nominee from becoming a cand

#### Procedure

The election is done using a proportional representation oriented tallying system based on ranked ballots. One option is to use [proportional representation mode from Condorcet Internet Voting Service (CIVS)](http://web.archive.org/web/20240412235900/https://civs1.civs.us/proportional.html), but a reasonable alternative is also permitted.
The election is done using a proportional representation oriented tallying system based on ranked ballots.
One option is to use [proportional representation mode from Condorcet Internet Voting Service (CIVS)](http://web.archive.org/web/20240412235900/https://civs1.civs.us/proportional.html), but a reasonable alternative is also permitted.

In any election where seats with different end-of-term dates are available, winning candidates with higher final election rankings are appointed to the longer terms.

Expand All @@ -164,24 +178,38 @@ In any election where seats with different end-of-term dates are available, winn
- To stagger the terms, the first election will appoint half the members rounded up with 2-year terms and the remaining members with 1-year terms.
- The EC for the first election will be the members of the [Nix Constitutional Assembly (NCA)](https://github.com/nixos/nix-constitutional-assembly?tab=readme-ov-file#members), which are thus ineligible to be elected for the first SC
- All nominees become candidates for the first election, because there's no existing SC that would decide over disqualifying candidates.
- And to help the first elected SC establish itself, members of the NCA are integrated into the SC as non-voting members for 6 months after the appointment. The NCA ceases to exist at the moment of SC appointment.
- And to help the first elected SC establish itself, members of the NCA are integrated into the SC as non-voting members for 6 months after the appointment.
The NCA ceases to exist at the moment of SC appointment.

#### Conflict of Interest (CoI) Balance

To encourage diversity, there is a soft limit of one individual with the same CoI (e.g. employees of the same company or otherwise the same payer for Nix work) immediately after election results coming into force. If the results of an election would result in multiple individuals with the same CoI being elected, the lowest vote getters with any particular CoI will be removed until the condition is satisfied. Note that everybody's vote still has the same impact, because each voter is asked to evaluate all candidates. In case of doubts on what constitutes the same CoI (subsidiaries, grants, part-time work, etc.), the election committee decides. The candidates must disclose already-agreed-upon changes of affiliation that are to happen during the term, and at the time of election these are also considered as relevant CoIs. After all candidates are known and before the voting period starts, the EC must publicly commit to the list of candidate pairs considered to have the same CoI.
To encourage diversity, there is a soft limit of one individual with the same CoI (e.g. employees of the same company or otherwise the same payer for Nix work) immediately after election results coming into force.
If the results of an election would result in multiple individuals with the same CoI being elected, the lowest vote getters with any particular CoI will be removed until the condition is satisfied.
Note that everybody's vote still has the same impact, because each voter is asked to evaluate all candidates.
In case of doubts on what constitutes the same CoI (subsidiaries, grants, part-time work, etc.), the election committee decides.
The candidates must disclose already-agreed-upon changes of affiliation that are to happen during the term, and at the time of election these are also considered as relevant CoIs.
After all candidates are known and before the voting period starts, the EC must publicly commit to the list of candidate pairs considered to have the same CoI.

Furthermore, there is a hard maximum of two members with the same CoI at any time. If this condition is suspected to be violated because of job changes, acquisitions, or other events, all non-involved currently serving SC members will have a simple majority decision over whether there is a violation. In case it is deemed a violation, sufficient members of the committee must resign until the max representation limit is achieved. If it is impossible to find sufficient members to resign, all members with that same CoI will be removed and a new special election shall be held.
Furthermore, there is a hard maximum of two members with the same CoI at any time.
If this condition is suspected to be violated because of job changes, acquisitions, or other events, all non-involved currently serving SC members will have a simple majority decision over whether there is a violation.
In case it is deemed a violation, sufficient members of the committee must resign until the max representation limit is achieved.
If it is impossible to find sufficient members to resign, all members with that same CoI will be removed and a new special election shall be held.

#### Special Elections

In the event of a resignation or other loss of a steering committee member (including a [removal for conduct](#removal-for-conduct)), a special election for that position may be held if the SC deems it necessary, or the SC does not have half of the normal size. Otherwise, the missing positions are assumed to be abstaining from all the SC votes. A committee member elected in a special election will serve out the remainder of the term of the person they are replacing, regardless of the length of that remainder.
In the event of a resignation or other loss of a steering committee member (including a [removal for conduct](#removal-for-conduct)), a special election for that position may be held if the SC deems it necessary, or the SC does not have half of the normal size.
Otherwise, the missing positions are assumed to be abstaining from all the SC votes.
A committee member elected in a special election will serve out the remainder of the term of the person they are replacing, regardless of the length of that remainder.

#### Full Reelections

A simple majority within the SC may call a reelection of the entire SC based on perceived loss of confidence. In this case, it also has to be decided whether this election is considered a special election for the remainders of all the corresponding terms, or an initial election for full 2-year terms for half of the seats rounded up and 1-year half-terms for the remaining seats.
A simple majority within the SC may call a reelection of the entire SC based on perceived loss of confidence.
In this case, it also has to be decided whether this election is considered a special election for the remainders of all the corresponding terms, or an initial election for full 2-year terms for half of the seats rounded up and 1-year half-terms for the remaining seats.

### Removal for conduct

A supermajority within the SC may remove SC members for violating the community expectations for members in positions of high authority. The reasons include but are not limited to unfitting conduct and unavailability, and a summary of the reason should be respectfully described. The SC is explicitly expected to be held to higher standards than applied to project communication in general.
A supermajority within the SC may remove SC members for violating the community expectations for members in positions of high authority.
The reasons include but are not limited to unfitting conduct and unavailability, and a summary of the reason should be respectfully described.
The SC is explicitly expected to be held to higher standards than applied to project communication in general.

The removal can be justification for a special election where the removed person is not eligible to be a candidate.
9 changes: 6 additions & 3 deletions doc/freescout.md
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Expand Up @@ -84,15 +84,18 @@ In a conversation, the most important actions in the top bar are:
- Assigning sends an email to the assignee
- Flag icon: Mark as:
- Active (default): Waiting on you/assignee
- Pending: Waiting on contact. Getting a reply marks it as active and sends a notification to the assignee
- Closed: Not actionable. Getting a reply marks it as active and sends a notification to the assignee
- Pending: Waiting on contact.
Getting a reply marks it as active and sends a notification to the assignee
- Closed: Not actionable.
Getting a reply marks it as active and sends a notification to the assignee
- Spam

The mail icon allows you to compose and send a new email to start a conversation.

### Extra

Freescout has a [lot of modules](https://freescout.net/modules/) to extend its functionality. The following modules are currently installed:
Freescout has a [lot of modules](https://freescout.net/modules/) to extend its functionality.
The following modules are currently installed:
- [Extended Editor](https://freescout.net/module/extended-editor/)
- [Teams](https://freescout.net/module/teams/)

Expand Down
3 changes: 2 additions & 1 deletion doc/governance.md
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Expand Up @@ -7,7 +7,8 @@ The [second election](https://github.com/nixos/SC-election-2025) ran in 2025.

## RFC Process

The Nix RFC (Request For Comments) process exists to establish wider consensus for substantial changes. See the [rfcs repository](https://github.com/NixOS/rfcs) for more information.
The Nix RFC (Request For Comments) process exists to establish wider consensus for substantial changes.
See the [rfcs repository](https://github.com/NixOS/rfcs) for more information.

## Teams

Expand Down
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