Hi, tison I'd like to suggest a possible new name for the project: Rendez.
It is short and easy to remember. The meaning matches the project. "Rendez" comes from "rendezvous" (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/rendezvous I asked for GPT, Haha), which means a meeting point. This is basically what synchronization and coordination primitives do: let different async tasks meet and coordinate at some point. So the name describes the core idea of the project quite well. And also the crate name is available https://crates.io/crates/rendez :-) On Wed, Aug 12, 2026 at 9:31 AM tison <[email protected]> wrote: > > @Juan & @Raúl, > > Thanks for your feedback! > > I'm considering AsyncSmith or WakeWeave as alternatives. But of course I'd > prefer a single-term name. > > Naming is hard. > > @Mingcheng, > > > I'd suggest doing the podling name search > > Yes. Will do. > > Now we are seeing a necessity to do the rename now. I'll open a > PODLINGNAMESEARCH ticket once we reach a new consensus. > > Best, > tison. > > > Raúl Cumplido <[email protected]> 于2026年8月12日周三 05:40写道： > > > Thanks for raising it Juan Pablo, > > > > As a Spanish speaker I also thought the same when I saw the email. > > > > There was also a comment about the name being too short and not > > descriptive. > > > > I'd ask to consider finding a different name given the issues. > > > > Regards, > > Raúl > > > > El mar, 11 ago 2026, 21:49, Juan Pablo Santos Rodríguez < > > [email protected]> escribió: > > > > > Hi, > > > > > > A small comment from the hispanic audience in this list, regarding the > > MEA > > > name (apologies in advance for the grossness): in spanish "mear" > > translates > > > as "piss", so that Apache MEA == Apache pisses. > > > > > > Every functional hispanic adult will dismiss the association, but from an > > > hispanic viewpoint, the name is not the best. > > > > > > OTOH, hispanic people engaging with the product will most probably also > > > speak at least english, so perhaps this can all be dismished, but I > > thought > > > at least I should surface it. > > > > > > > > > best regards, > > > juan pablo > > > > > > El mar, 11 ago 2026, 17:58, mingcheng <[email protected]> escribió: > > > > > > > Hi, All > > > > > > > > I'm interested in contributing to this project. Besides its practical > > > > value, I think MEA is also a very good project for learning. It is > > > > small, focused, and has few dependencies. Each primitive maps to a > > > > clear async concept, so it is a great way to help newcomers understand > > > > async Rust (Future/Waker/Context, fairness, cancellation, coordination > > > > patterns, etc.). I'd be happy to help with documentation. For example: > > > > concept-based guides, small examples for each primitive, and maybe > > > > some material that can also be used as a teaching resource for async > > > > Rust. If the community likes this idea, I'm glad to start from some > > > > small, well-scoped doc issues after the podling is set up. > > > > > > > > By the way, I also share the concern about the name. "MEA" is a very > > > > short and generic as project name. The new meaning "Modular Essentials > > > > for Async" helps, but I'd suggest doing the podling name search / > > > > trademark review early, so we don't have to rename it later after > > > > people already know the name. > > > > > > > > Thanks! > > > > > > > > Best regards, > > > > mingcheng > > > > > > > > On Tue, Aug 11, 2026 at 9:46 PM Twice <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > > > > > > Hi IPMC, > > > > > > > > > > I would like to propose MEA [1] as a new Apache Incubator project, > > you > > > > > can find the proposal of MEA [2] for more details. > > > > > > > > > > I'm acting as the champion, and we currently have 4 mentors > > (including > > > > me). > > > > > > > > > > The proposal was updated based on the previous discussion [3]. We > > kept > > > > > MEA as the project name, but reinterpreted it as 'Modular Essentials > > > > > for Async.' > > > > > > > > > > [1] https://github.com/fast/mea > > > > > [2] > > > > > > > > > https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/spaces/INCUBATOR/pages/446071349/MEA+Proposal > > > > > [3] https://lists.apache.org/thread/4gbqnmw15743r55m68q698lj2g2vzyvo > > > > > > > > > > Full proposal inlined below for easy reading. > > > > > > > > > > Best regards, > > > > > Twice > > > > > > > > > > ------------------------------------------------------------ > > > > > > > > > > Abstract > > > > > MEA is a runtime-agnostic Rust library of composable synchronization, > > > > > coordination, channel, and concurrency-control primitives for > > > > > asynchronous applications. > > > > > > > > > > Proposal > > > > > MEA provides reusable building blocks for asynchronous Rust programs > > > > > without coupling applications or libraries to a particular async > > > > > runtime. Its primitives interoperate through Rust’s standard Future, > > > > > Context, and Waker interfaces and can therefore be used with Tokio, > > > > > async-std, or other executors. > > > > > > > > > > The proposed project scope includes: > > > > > - Synchronization primitives such as Mutex, RwLock, Semaphore, > > > > > Barrier, Condvar, Latch, WaitGroup, Once, OnceCell, and OnceMap. > > > > > - Communication primitives such as one-shot, bounded and unbounded > > > > > MPSC, and broadcast channels with different delivery and overflow > > > > > strategies. > > > > > - Composed coordination utilities such as graceful shutdown > > signaling. > > > > > - Concurrency-control utilities such as admission control and > > > > > duplicate-call suppression. > > > > > The following areas are intentionally outside the project’s scope: > > > > > - I/O reactors or proactors for filesystems, networking, signals, > > > > > timers, or similar facilities. > > > > > - Task schedulers or complete async runtimes. > > > > > - General-purpose Future or Stream combinator libraries already > > > > > covered by the Rust futures ecosystem. > > > > > MEA is intended to be a focused, commons-style foundation for async > > > > > synchronization and coordination in Rust rather than another async > > > > > runtime. > > > > > > > > > > Background > > > > > MEA was started by Zili Chen (tison) in October 2024 and has been > > > > > developed publicly on GitHub under the Apache License, Version 2.0. > > > > > The project publishes the mea crate on crates.io and versioned API > > > > > documentation on docs.rs. Right now, we have four active contributors > > > > > and the crate has been downloaded more than 5M times. > > > > > > > > > > Rationale > > > > > Async Rust libraries frequently need synchronization and coordination > > > > > facilities even when they do not want to impose a particular runtime > > > > > on downstream applications. Runtime-specific primitive > > implementations > > > > > can introduce otherwise unnecessary coupling, while repeatedly > > > > > implementing low-level concurrency machinery increases correctness > > and > > > > > maintenance risks. > > > > > > > > > > MEA addresses this gap with a coherent set of executor-independent > > > > > primitives and a deliberately small runtime dependency surface. It > > > > > gives libraries a shared implementation for common concurrency > > > > > behavior while allowing applications to choose their executor. > > > > > > > > > > Moving MEA to the ASF would establish durable, vendor-neutral > > > > > ownership and a transparent, merit-based governance model. It would > > > > > also create a neutral place for users of different runtimes and > > > > > downstream projects to collaborate on correctness, API design, > > > > > performance, documentation, and new primitives within a well-defined > > > > > scope. > > > > > > > > > > Initial Goals > > > > > By transferring ownership of the project to the ASF, MEA expects to > > > > > ensure its neutrality and further encourage and facilitate the > > > > > adoption of MEA by the community. > > > > > > > > > > Some of the areas we would like to focus on during the Apache > > > > > incubation phase include: > > > > > - A healthier community: More contributors could be able to > > > > > participate in MEA and own different modules. > > > > > - Wider adoption: MEA can be adopted by more Rust projects, which in > > > > > turn drives its own functionality. > > > > > - Strengthening correctness evidence through cross-runtime > > integration > > > > > tests, stress and property testing, and targeted model checking. > > > > > - Establishing reproducible benchmarks and improving performance > > > > > without compromising safety, fairness, or API clarity. > > > > > > > > > > Current Status > > > > > Meritocracy > > > > > MEA has been developed through public GitHub issues and pull > > requests. > > > > > Contributors receive credit through the repository history and > > release > > > > > notes, but project ownership and release authority are currently > > > > > concentrated in the founding maintainer, and no formal > > > > > committer-governance model exists yet. > > > > > > > > > > The initial community intends to adopt the Apache Way. Technical and > > > > > governance decisions will be made transparently on ASF-managed > > > > > channels, contributions of code and non-code work will be evaluated > > on > > > > > merit, and contributors who demonstrate sustained positive > > > > > participation will be invited to become committers and PPMC members. > > > > > > > > > > Community > > > > > Contributors: 9 > > > > > > > > > > Users: > > > > > - Apache OpenDAL > > > > > - Prek > > > > > - Foyer > > > > > - ScopeDB > > > > > - ... and more on https://crates.io/crates/mea/reverse_dependencies > > > > > The donation discussion is public at > > > > https://github.com/fast/mea/issues/140. > > > > > > > > > > Core Developers > > > > > The current core developers have experience with Rust, asynchronous > > > > > systems, and public open-source collaboration. Zili Chen is an ASF > > > > > Member and IPMC member with experience mentoring incubating projects. > > > > > Yunze Xu is an Apache Pulsar PMC member. Dian Luo and Haixu Ouyang > > > > > have contributed to the implementation, documentation, testing, and > > > > > maintenance of MEA and related projects in the fast GitHub > > > > > organization. > > > > > > > > > > This gives the initial group some ASF experience, but not every core > > > > > developer is familiar with ASF release, governance, and communication > > > > > practices. The Mentors will help the whole community learn and > > > > > consistently apply those practices. > > > > > > > > > > Alignment > > > > > MEA is already licensed under Apache-2.0, is developed in public, and > > > > > is directly used by Apache OpenDAL. Its purpose as reusable, > > > > > vendor-neutral infrastructure aligns with the ASF’s emphasis on > > > > > community-led development and long-term stewardship. > > > > > > > > > > The ASF hosts a growing set of Rust projects and Rust components, > > > > > including Apache OpenDAL, Apache DataFusion, and parts of Apache > > > > > Arrow. MEA can provide shared async coordination infrastructure for > > > > > Apache projects where appropriate while remaining useful to the wider > > > > > Rust community. > > > > > > > > > > Known Risks > > > > > Project Name > > > > > “MEA” is a short and generic acronym. The current community proposes > > > > > that it mean “Modular Essentials for Async” and prefers to retain the > > > > > existing crates.io name, but a formal ASF podling name search and > > > > > trademark review have not yet been completed. The community will > > > > > complete that review and address any material conflict before the > > name > > > > > is finalized. > > > > > > > > > > Orphan Products > > > > > MEA is a small library whose maintenance has so far been led > > primarily > > > > > by one person, so loss of interest by the founding maintainer is a > > > > > real risk. Existing downstream adoption and the commitment of four > > > > > active contributors reduce the immediate risk, but they do not > > > > > eliminate it. > > > > > > > > > > The central incubation goal is to distribute ownership across a > > larger > > > > > group of committers and downstream stakeholders. Transparent > > > > > governance, documented maintenance practices, and ASF-controlled > > > > > project assets will make continuation less dependent on any one > > > > > individual. > > > > > > > > > > Inexperience with Open Source > > > > > MEA has been developed openly on GitHub since its inception, and all > > > > > initial committers have participated in public open-source workflows. > > > > > Zili Chen and Yunze Xu have substantial ASF experience, while other > > > > > initial committers are newer to ASF governance, mailing-list-based > > > > > decision-making, release voting, and policy requirements. > > > > > > > > > > The project will rely on its Mentors and experienced initial > > > > > committers to teach these practices and ensure that knowledge is > > > > > shared rather than concentrated. > > > > > > > > > > Length of Incubation > > > > > Expect to enter incubation in two months and graduate in about two > > > years. > > > > > > > > > > Homogenous Developers > > > > > The initial active developers are geographically concentrated in > > China > > > > > and share overlapping professional interests in Rust infrastructure. > > > > > They are not all employed by the same organization, but the current > > > > > group is still too small and homogeneous for a sustainable Apache > > > > > community. > > > > > > > > > > The project will actively recruit contributors through downstream > > > > > users, Rust runtime communities, ASF Rust projects, documentation > > > > > work, testing initiatives, and well-scoped issues suitable for new > > > > > participants. > > > > > > > > > > Reliance on Salaried Developers > > > > > MEA is not known to depend on a development team funded by a single > > > > > employer. The more significant risk is concentration of maintenance > > > > > work in the founding maintainer, regardless of whether that work is > > > > > salaried or voluntary. > > > > > > > > > > The project will mitigate this risk by sharing release, review, > > > > > triage, and technical ownership among multiple committers and by > > > > > recognizing sustained non-code contributions as well as code > > > > > contributions. > > > > > > > > > > Relationships with Other Apache Products > > > > > - Apache OpenDAL directly depends on MEA and uses it throughout its > > > > > Rust implementation. > > > > > - prek depends on MEA and is used in Apache Airflow’s development > > > > > workflows, creating an indirect relationship with Apache Airflow. > > > > > - MEA may be useful to other ASF Rust projects that need > > > > > executor-independent synchronization or coordination, but no project > > > > > will be expected to adopt it merely because it is hosted by the ASF. > > > > > > > > > > An Excessive Fascination with the Apache Brand > > > > > The proposal is motivated by neutral ownership, durable > > > > > infrastructure, transparent governance, and community growth rather > > > > > than by endorsement or marketing value. The initial community > > > > > understands that the Apache name does not guarantee adoption and that > > > > > incubation requires sustained work on releases, policy compliance, > > and > > > > > community development. > > > > > > > > > > Documentation > > > > > The API documentation of MEA is hosted at https://docs.rs/mea. > > > > > > > > > > If the proposal is accepted, the community may establish a project > > > > > website at mea.apache.org; docs.rs will continue to host API > > > > > documentation for published crate versions. > > > > > > > > > > Initial Source > > > > > The project currently holds a GitHub repository and a Cargo crate: > > > > > - https://github.com/fast/mea > > > > > - https://crates.io/crates/mea > > > > > The crate will retain its name, while the repository will be moved to > > > > > the Apache org. > > > > > > > > > > Source and Intellectual Property Submission Plan > > > > > External Dependencies > > > > > The published crate currently has one direct runtime dependency: > > > > > > > > > > MIT > > > > > - slab 0.4.12 (It is planned to be removed) > > > > > > > > > > Cryptography > > > > > N/A > > > > > > > > > > Required Resources > > > > > Mailing Lists > > > > > - [email protected] > > > > > - [email protected] > > > > > - [email protected] > > > > > - [email protected] > > > > > - [email protected] > > > > > > > > > > Subversion Directory > > > > > N/A > > > > > > > > > > Git Repositories > > > > > From https://github.com/fast/mea > > > > > To https://gitbox.apache.org/asf/repos/mea > > > > > https://github.com/apache/mea > > > > > > > > > > Issue Tracking > > > > > The community would like to continue using GitHub Issues. > > > > > > > > > > Other Resources > > > > > The community has already chosen GitHub Actions as continuous > > > > integration tools. > > > > > > > > > > Initial Committers > > > > > - tison [[email protected]] > > > > > - Dian Luo [[email protected]] > > > > > - Yunze Xu [[email protected]] > > > > > - Haixu Ouyang [[email protected]] > > > > > > > > > > Sponsors > > > > > Champion > > > > > - Mingyang Liu [[email protected]] > > > > > > > > > > Nominated Mentors > > > > > - tison [[email protected]] > > > > > - Hao Ding [[email protected]] > > > > > - Jean-Baptiste Onofré [[email protected]] > > > > > - Mingyang Liu [[email protected]] > > > > > > > > > > Sponsor Entity > > > > > The Incubator > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > > > > > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > > > > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > > > > > > > > > > > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
