I'd like to follow-up on my first email by explaining why I think the
policy should be changed.
First, let me clarify exactly what I am proposing: that the submission
policy for contributions to OpenWrt, which currently disallows
"pseudonymous contributions", be changed to allow the use of
identifiable pseudonyms.
This is in line with (among others) the CNCF, whose policy [1] states that:
> A real name does not require a legal name, nor a birth name, nor any
> name that appears on an official ID (e.g. a passport). Your real
> name is the name you convey to people in the community for them to
> use to identify you as you. The key concern is that your
> identification is sufficient enough to contact you if an issue were
> to arise in the future about your contribution.
[1]: https://github.com/cncf/foundation/blob/main/dco-guidelines.md
(CNCF has a broader definition of "real name" than OpenWrt)
In other words, a pseudonym would be accepted so long as it uniquely
identifies a contributor within the community, and can be used to
contact that contributor, should the need arise.
Using myself as an example, `sudoBash418` would be an acceptable
pseudonym, as I use it elsewhere within the community (OpenWrt forums)
and it can easily be used to contact me (either through community
channels, or after a web search which would quickly surface other
channels of communication, including my GitHub account).
In contrast, my legal name is actually less suited to this purpose, as
it is only unique within the OpenWrt community (a web search would not
surface any contact methods).
---
There are many reasons why someone would choose to use a known identity
besides their "real name".
Some may simply prefer to be known by a chosen identity throughout
OpenWrt community spaces, while others have more serious reasons to
avoid publicizing their "real name", such as deadnaming or the threat of
being doxxed.
Keep in mind that any contributions to OpenWrt repositories are
generally *immutable*, in contrast to other instances of a contributor's
name (e.g. forums, IRC).
Drew DeVault has a blog post on this subject [2], which I'll cite here:
> That said, intent or otherwise, these policies can cause harm. The
> profile of the contributor who is comfortable using their “real
> name” is likely to fall more narrowly into over-represented
> demographics in our community; enforcing a real-name policy will
> ostracize some people. Those with marginalized identities tend to be
> less comfortable with disclosing their “real name”. Someone who has
> been subject to harassment may not be comfortable with this
> disclosure, since it offers more fuel to harassers keeping tabs on
> their activities. The use of a “real name” also confers a gender
> bias; avoiding a “real name” policy neatly eliminates discrimination
> on this basis. Of course, there are also many falsehoods programmers
> believe about names [3] which can present in the implementation of
> such a policy.
[2]: https://drewdevault.com/2023/10/31/On-real-names.html
[3]:
https://www.kalzumeus.com/2010/06/17/falsehoods-programmers-believe-about-names/
Accepting contributions from those using pseudonyms benefits the OpenWrt
community in two ways: technically (in the form of additional
contributions), and socially (in the form of a larger, more diverse set
of contributors and community members).
From a legal standpoint, it seems unlikely to me that this change would
pose a significant risk to the project, given the many other projects
that accept "known identities" (e.g. the Linux kernel, Gentoo, CNCF).
That said, I am not a lawyer, and it would seem prudent to get an
opinion from OpenWrt's legal counsel (i.e. SFC, if I'm not mistaken).
Regarding the use of "inappropriate" usernames, I would argue that
common-sense moderation should apply, similar to other community spaces
(the forum, IRC, etc.)
Thank you,
sudoBash418
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