by Typelevel on Jan 19, 2022
governance
As a first step in our effort to increase transparency in the Typelevel organization, the Steering Commitee have approved and released an initial set of Governing Documents.
The most important document is the Charter, which specifies the role of the Steering Committee and criteria for member projects. The most notable change is that Typelevel no longer distinguishes “full” and “incubator” projects, but instead recognizes:
Affiliate Projects. These projects agree to use an approved license and adhere to organization policies, including the Code of Conduct.
Organization Projects. In addition to the requirements for Affiliate membership, these projects agree to be hosted by the Typelevel organization, and to abide by the guidance and direction of the Steering Commitee (which may specify policies for binary compatibility, documentation, contributor base, and so on). It is our hope that these changes will help clarify maintenance expectations for users of foundational libraries like Cats and Cats-Effect.
Most projects that are now hosted by Typelevel will become Organization Projects, and most that are hosted elsewhere will become Affiliate Projects. Final designations will be reviewed with maintainers and cataloged on the Typelevel website.
First, the Governing Documents provide high-level structure, but do not specify fine-grained policies and procedures for Organization Projects, events, moderation, and so on. These will be discussed and added to the Governance repository in the coming months, under the voting procedures specified by the Charter. Notable policy changes will be accompanied by an announcement here.
Second, the Typelevel website does not yet reflect the Governing Documents or membership policy changes. The current website will be updated minimally, until the redesigned website (in progress) becomes available sometime in the next few months.
Finally, we recognize that the Steering Committee does not currently represent the diversity of the Typelevel community. We expect to appoint many new faces and see the retirement of many longstanding members over the next year.
