Fedora Council Mindshare representative

As a major steering committee under the Fedora Council, Mindshare is responsible for selecting a representative that covers the community aspects of the Fedora Project. This person is responsible for representing Mindshare as a collective and not as a single voice. They will be required to work with all the various groups that collaborate with Mindshare and act as a liaison between these groups and the Fedora Council. The role will require a fair amount of time investment and good communication skills.

Responsibilities

The following responsibilities and duties are delegated to the Mindshare representative.

To Fedora Council:

  • Participate in two to three Fedora Council hackfests a year (If and when these events happen).

  • Participate in two to three Fedora Council meetings a month as representative of the Fedora Mindshare Committee (If and when these events happen).

  • Identify synergies and collaboration opportunities with Fedora Council responsibilities, Mindshare objectives, and the Fedora Community.

  • Any other normal functions of a Fedora Council member

To the Fedora Mindshare Committee:

  • Participate in two to three Mindshare meetings a month.

  • Share periodic updates and insight on Fedora Council tasks and priorities back to the team.

  • Listen to the needs, concerns, and hopes of the Fedora Community and relay them to the Fedora Mindshare Committee.

Duration of Service

The representative will serve in this role for two release cycles. They may also step down before that time, or the Fedora Council members or Fedora Mindshare Committee may wish to replace them; in either case, the initiation process is followed to select a successor. Careful consideration of time commitments should be taken when making the choice, and the Fedora Council members, Fedora Mindshare Committee, and the representative should evaluate their effectiveness as a group on a regular basis. In the event that the Fedora Council Mindshare representative needs to step down, they should make the Fedora Mindshare Committee aware and the process to choose their replacement will begin. In the event that the Fedora Mindshare Committee or the Fedora Council wish to make a change in representative, a thorough explanation of why will be required, and each situation will be handled on a case-by-case basis. In the event that the Fedora Council wants to change the selected representative, Fedora Mindshare Committee will review and make a final decision, and vice versa.

Initiation

The selection process documented below is initiated when one of the following occurs:

  • The current representative’s two-release-cycle term ends.

  • The current representative steps down early.

  • The Fedora Mindshare Committee or the Fedora Council members motions for a representative change.

The Fedora Community Architect (FCA) is responsible for opening a nomination ticket on the Fedora Mindshare Committee issue tracker to begin the process. In role changes due to the natural term ending reasons, the nomination ticket has to be opened within the first two weeks of the declaration of the Fedora Mindshare Committee Election Results.

Nomination

There will be a one-week (7-day) nomination period starting from the date the nomination ticket is opened. The nomination deadline must be clearly stated on the ticket.

Nominees can be self-nominated or nominated by other members of the Fedora Mindshare Committee with their explicit consent. Nominees are required to be members of the Fedora Mindshare Committee and should have a basic understanding of various Fedora sub-projects, and have enough time to perform the responsibilities required. Each nominee may optionally post a statement of interest on the ticket describing their motivation and relevant experience.

In the rare event that there are no nominees after the nomination period closes, the Fedora Mindshare Committee will work with the Fedora Council members to broaden the search and extend the nomination window. Should no nominees be found after that, the role will periodically rotate among existing Fedora Mindshare Committee members with each member holding it for a span of two months until the next Fedora Council Mindshare representative is identified.

Selection

The selection method depends on the number of nominees.

Single nominee

If only one nominee comes forward, the Fedora Mindshare Committee confirms them through the lazy approval process. This requires three or more positive votes (+3) and no negative votes (-1) within the aforementioned period, as stated on the nomination ticket.

Multiple nominees

If more than one nominee comes forward, the Fedora Mindshare Committee holds a ticket vote.

  1. When the nomination period closes, a 7-day voting window opens on the same ticket thread. The Fedora Community Architect (FCA) must clearly state the voting deadline on the ticket. No votes are accepted after this window closes — no exceptions at all.

  2. Each Fedora Mindshare Committee member casts a single public vote for one nominee by commenting on the ticket thread.

  3. The nominee with the simple majority of votes cast is selected. In the event of a tie, the Fedora Community Architect (FCA) objectively casts the deciding vote.

Notification and handover

Once the selection is finalized, the Fedora Community Architect (FCA) notifies the selected representative and the Fedora Council. The selected person begins serving in the role as soon as possible.

If there is an outgoing representative, they collaborate with the incoming representative on a transition, including sharing relevant context, ongoing tasks, and documentation.

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