Joomla! CMS project FAQs

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===What is Open Source Matters?===
 
 
Open Source Matters is a non profit organization that provides financial, legal and organizational support for the Joomla! project. For more information on Open Source Matters, please visit the OSM FAQ http://www.opensourcematters.org/content/view/92/63/.
 
 
===What has the copyright of Joomla!?===
 
 
 
The Joomla! project does not aggregate the copyrights of its code contributors. No contributor is required to transfer his/her copyright to Joomla! and each individual contribution will forever remain in the ownership of its author. This also applies to translations of the Installation language set as these alone are included in the core release of Joomla!.
 
 
Open Source Matters Inc., a not-for-profit organisation, holds the Joomla! project's assets and represents Joomla!'s legal matters. Joomla! project claims copyright over the total aggregated creation which is the CMS and framework. This copyright is held by Open Source Matters Inc. This is why each file in the release is marked "Copyright - Open Source Matters Inc." This does not violate the copyright and ownership of the individual contributions. These always remain the authors' property. Attributions of the copyrights of contributors and other included code elements is detailed in the main copyright file in the root directory of the Joomla! installation. As the contributors do not transfer copyright they instead declare that their code contributions are licensed to Open Source Matters Inc. in a limited and non-exclusive fashion. Limited meaning that Open Source Matters Inc. may only use their contribution if it is released under GNU/GPL for the entire Joomla! CMS (or GNU/LGPL in the specific case of the Joomla! Framework Libraries). Non-exclusive meaning that the contributors are free to do whatever they wish with their own creations including using it for their own releases under any licence they wish (including commercial).
 
 
===How do I report a bug?===
 
 
 
If you think you have found a bug, please report it.
 
 
Please start by posting a description in the Quality and Testing Forum for the release. This will allow others to see if the problem can be reproduced.
 
 
1.5: http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/board,199.0.html
 
1.0: http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/board,198.0.html
 
 
 
Before reporting a bug to the issue tracker, we strongly recommend reading "How to Report a Bug Effectively" http://dev.joomla.org/content/view/1450/89/1/1/ by Simon Tatham
 
 
To report a bug using the tracker you need to register at joomlacode.org.
 
 
For bugs in the 1.0.x series, please read these instructions:
 
 
http://dev.joomla.org/content/view/1450/89/
 
 
For bugs in the 1.5 series, please file the report here:
 
http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/tracker/?action=TrackerItemBrowse&tracker_id=32
 
 
===How do I request a feature?===
 
 
You can request a feature here:
 
 
http://forum.joomla.org/index.php/board,38.0.html
 
 
or here:
 
 
http://joomlacode.org/gf/project/joomla/tracker/?action=TrackerItemBrowse&tracker_id=20
 
 
You will need to register at joomlacode.org to submit a feature request.
 
 
===Who are the core team?===
 
 
The Joomla! Core Team is a group of people that provides overall project management and guidance. The Core Team handles the long term planning of the project including rolling out new community resources, development time-lines, event attendance, etc. We are currently comprised of 17 members and you can find biographies for all the members here: http://www.joomla.org/content/blogcategory/43/85/.
 
 
===How does someone become a Core Team member?===
 
 
A current Core Team member makes a nomination. A vote is started. A vote requires 2/3 of the team to cast a vote to form a quorum. Once a quorum has been established, you need 2/3 of the votes cast to be in favor. If we do not have a quorum or we have less than 2/3 votes in favor, the motion fails. The voting process lasts up to one week. If every Core Team member votes before one week expires, the voting process ends at the point the last team member voted. You can only vote once and you vote by sending an e-mail to the mailing list with either a +1 or -1. There is technically no limit to the number of times a person can be nominated or voted on although we have never had more than one vote for a single addition. If a Core Team member does not vote, their vote does not count against the motion, it is just neutral, +0 if you will
 
 
===Can someone be removed from the Core Team?===
 
 
Yes, someone can be forcefully removed from the Core Team by a vote. The voting process is very similar. A motion is made to remove a member from the Core Team for whatever reasons. A vote is started. A vote requires 2/3 of the team to cast a vote in order to form a quorum. Once a quorum has been established, you need 2/3 of the votes cast to be in favor of the motion for the motion to carry. A Core Team member may not cast a vote in a vote regarding their own removal. The other details about how to vote, the length of the voting process and all that is the same as when adding a Core Team member.
 
 
===Why does the core team require a 2/3 vote for major decisions?===
 
 
Well, we require a 2/3 majority because we prefer to have consensus about motions being put to vote before they are actually voted on. This means, if someone wants to propose a motion, they will initiate a discussion about the issue prior to voting on it. If the discussion looks favorable to their motion, a vote will be started. Having a 2/3 majority also prevents fragmentation within the team. We don’t want to have to resort to counting the votes and having 8 in favor and 7 against. If that is the case, there is most likely a problem that has not been discussed thoroughly enough. So, as a team we tend to resemble a consensus democracy more than a straight-up democracy where majority wins.
 
 
===Who is the Joomla! project leader?===
 
 
Nobody. Joomla! does not have a project leader, instead, Joomla! has project managers.
 
 
===What do the project managers do?===
 
 
The Joomla! project managers act as facilitators in order to help ensure that project level tasks are handled in a timely and proper manner. They are not dictators, commanders, or fascists. They are just the poor unfortunate souls that are tasked with handling a lot of work that other people don’t want to do.
 
 
===Who are the Joomla! project managers?===
 
 
Joomla! has three project managers: Johan Janssens, Louis Landry, and Shayne Bartlett.
 
 
===Who runs Open Source Matters?===
 
 
OSM is run by a board of directors consisting of 7 members. You can find out more about the OSM board members by visiting opensourcematters.org or by clicking here: http://www.opensourcematters.org/content/blogcategory/37/62/.
 
 
===How are board members appointed/removed?===
 
 
The board members of OSM are appointed by the “Community Oversight Committee” which is basically a legal name for the Joomla! Core Team. Board members are appointed to a one year term at which point they can resign, be reelected, or be replaced. If an OSM board member is acting inapporpriately or in way that may compromise the Joomla! project or OSM, the Community Oversight Committee can hold a vote to remove that member. This action also requires a 2/3 quorum and 2/3 of the votes cast to be in favor of the motion.
 
 
===Does Open Source Matters run the Joomla! project?===
 
 
No. The Joomla! Core Team is responsible for managing the project and making sure it continues moving forward. Open Source Matters is intended to be an aide to the Core Team and to assist the Core Team. As such, Open Source Matters serves the project, it does not run the project.
 
 
===Do you work for Open Source Matters?===
 
 
No. Open Source Matters consists exclusively of the board of directors. It has no employees or members. Board members are volunteers.
 
 
===Do the Core Team or Work Group members get paid for working on Joomla!?===
 
 
Nobody is paid by the Joomla! project or OSM to work specifically on Joomla!. All the work we do for the project is done voluntarily without reimbursement. Many members of the Core Team and the Working Groups make money around the Joomla! project by providing services, products, education, consulting, etc.
 
 
===What is the Joomla! community?===
 
 
Within the context of Free and Open Source Software projects, a community is another way of describing the collective body of individuals that contribute to a project in a positive way. Membership within the community is conditional and is earned through contribution and commitment. The Joomla! community is an amazing group of dedicated, knowledgeable, and highly skilled individuals that give their time and expertise to the project freely, without strings, and without the expectation of reward or reimbursement. Joomla! is a great project because of the contributions that these people make and it would not be the same without these people. They have each earned their place, their voice, and the respect of their peers within the community through their contributions and dedication. The community consists of the Joomla! Core Team, OSM, all the Joomla! Working Group members, as well as many, many other people that have each given a piece of themselves to the project in hope of helping the greater good, of preserving freedoms, of leveling the playing field, and even just to do something fun. We are eternally grateful to all of these people and the things they have contributed to the Joomla! project.
 
 
===Why would someone be removed from the Core Team/Working Groups/OSM/Community/Project/etc?===
 
 
Sometimes, the Joomla! project has to deal with people that are detrimental to the overall health or success of the project. On rare occasions, people need to be removed in part or completely in order to protect the health of the community, the project, or the sanity of its members. There are a few reasons why someone could be removed including: intentionally harming the project, being continuously disruptive, repeatedly violating of the Code of Conduct, etc. We do not take these decisions lightly and we always give several warnings and opportunities to turn around before taking a drastic step such as removal from one of the teams or banning.
 
 
===What is a “Working Group” anyway?===
 
 
A Working Group is a group of people that are working toward one particular set of goals. Joomla! currently has 7 Working Groups: Translation, Quality & Testing, Development, Documentation, Sites & Infrastructure, Design & Web Standards, and Foundation. Each working group has a specific set of goals, tasks, and responsibilities. Each Working Group has at least one Coordinator that is a member of the Joomla! Core Team. The management and administration of each Working Group is the primary responsibility of the Working Group’s Coordinator and because of that, the Coordinator is free to setup and run the Working Group in any way they see fit and that agrees with our Code of Conduct. This allows for highly agile teams that can each decide which protocols, processes, communication methods, etc. are best for them. You can find out more information about the Joomla! Working Groups by visiting this page: http://dev.joomla.org/content/view/13/53/ (Note: it is a bit out of date).
 
 
===How are Working Group members added/removed?===
 
 
The process for adding and removing Working Group members is defined by the Working Group coordinator and because of that it varies from group to group.
 
 
===Is the Joomla! community a democracy?===
 
 
Generally speaking, the Joomla! community is not a democratic organization and it has never presented itself as such. Occasionally, the Core Team asks the community to vote on things as a whole but this tends to be a pretty rare event. However, the community’s input and feedback are welcome and carefully listened to.
 
 
<noinclude>[[Category:FAQ]]</noinclude>
 

Latest revision as of 13:35, 19 November 2008


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