One comment that I wish I could express more clearly:
On 6/14/2013 10:42 AM, Mattmann, Chris A (398J) wrote: ...
* pTLP are nothing different than what existed before there was an Incubator. Yes we have more projects now. So what. We'll continue to have more projects and those will eventually graduate to TLP, so we'll be in the same place.
Actually, from the *outside* perspective, it's completely different. The Incubator has podlings, this weird thing that most people don't quite understand, but know that it's weird, so they look at the Incubator site enough to understand "Oh, it's kind of at Apache, but it's not an *Apache project*".
pTLPs are something that... well, the "p" is lowercase, so who cares - they're just TLPs which is pretty easy to google to top level project, which means - a-ha! - here's a brand new *Apache project*! And look - they're totally run by SoAndSo Co - what, is Apache now pay to play, allowing an Apache project to work like that?
This distinction - as seen in the view of the general computer using public, and especially in the view of those in positions of authority at corporations that use/build/create software - is *very* important to helping to define the Apache brand.
It's taken a while to educate enough of the press and other open source watchers to understand what podlings are, and the whole concept not only of probation, but also the concept of incubation: i.e. not just waiting until the new podling does the right kinds of things, but actively helping and guiding the community to learning and embracing The Apache Way of doing things... at which point, they graduate and then become an Apache project.
As VP, Brand, I believe this is an important issue. But I often don't know how to explain it, precisely because we all here know what podlings and pTLPs and so on are - what is important to me is the perception of the *rest* of the world who *doesn't* know what they are. Nor does the rest of the world care about the details - what they care about is: is it an Apache project? If so, it's got good community, a safe license, will be around for a while, and I know I can contribute to it safely without being abused by competitors/bigcos/whoever. That's what the Apache brand means.
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