Date: Mon, 5 Feb 2001 23:31:03 +0000 From: Martin Michlmayr <tbm@cyrius.com> To: debian-devel-announce@lists.debian.org Subject: Changes to the New Maintainer (NM) system As of today, a few changes with regards to the New Maintainer (NM) system have gone into effect. This e-mail contains crucial information for prospective _and_ existing Debian developers so please read on. When the New Maintainer system was re-opened, there was a big backlog of applications. Many volunteers did great work and the waiting time for an AM (Application Manager) assignment was reduced from many months to 4 weeks. Recently, the waiting time has gone up again because more applications are pouring in than are processed. While this big interest in Debian shows that we are on the right way, an increasing number of applicants are either not serious about joining Debian and contributing to the project or not well prepared for the NM process yet. Such applicants can be put 'on hold' (until they are better prepared) but this takes away time of an AM which could better be spent on someone who is actively contributing to Debian and who needs an account so he can effectively get his work done. A proposal was made to solve this problem: in order to be able to enter the NM process, an existing Debian developer has to recommend the prospective developer. For anyone seriously interested in Debian, getting recommended won't be a problem at all -- if he has a package in Debian already, his sponsor can recommend him; if he has done work on a Debian port, the web pages or boot-floppies then he will know Debian developers to recommend him. Those not very serious in joining are thus not able to apply in the first place. The effect is that the waiting time for AM assignment for well prepared applicants will go down. So, I said this e-mail was important for existing developers... since prospective developers now need a Debian developer to verify their application, you have to know when and how to do this. It's really easy. http://www.debian.org/devel/join/nm-checklist has a checklist of what a NM has to do. Basically, he needs a GPG key signed by a developer, he has to answer some Philosophy and Procedures questions and in the Tasks and Skills test he has to show that he has the experience to be a good Debian developer. You should advocate someone when you think that he is ready to be a developer -- when he has the required skills and when he has been involved with the project for some time. Just ask yourself if you want to see him in Debian -- if you think he should be a Debian developer then go ahead and recommend him. The exact steps are like this: you agree with a prospective developer to recommend him and he signs up at http://nm.debian.org. Then you have to go to this site, click on his name, follow the "advocate this application" link, put in your Debian login and press the 'submit' button. You will then receive an e-mail with an auth key which you have to return GPG/PGP signed. When this is done, the prospective developer will get an AM assigned who goes through the NM steps with him. I will put more information on Debian's NM web site at http://www.debian.org/devel/join/nm-advocate Feedback and questions are welcome. Thanks to Craig Small for implementing most of the scripts needed to make this possible, all AMs for their work and all NMs for their interest in Debian. -- Martin Michlmayr tbm@cyrius.com -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-devel-announce-request@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmaster@lists.debian.org