Re: [PATCH] SubmittingPatches: allow non-real name contributions

From: Jeff King <peff@peff.net>
Date: Jul 7, 2025, 20:42 UTC
Message-ID: <20250707204224.GB3115893@coredump.intra.peff.net>
In-Reply-To: <20250706163009.335780-1-sandals@crustytoothpaste.net>

On Sun, Jul 06, 2025 at 04:30:09PM +0000, brian m. carlson wrote:

> Our submission guidelines require people to use their real name, but
> this is not always suitable for various reasons.
> [...lots of reasons...]

I certainly don't disagree with any of those, though IMHO it is not even our business why somebody would not want to disclose their real name. What is much more interesting to me from the project side is this part:

> Retain the prohibition on anonymous contributions that the Linux kernel
> has to ensure that we have some line of provenance to a known (if
> pseudonymous) author who might be able to respond to questions about it.

I.e., why are we sure that it is OK for us to loosen this requirement (without jeopardizing the legal status of contributions). And I think the answer is along the lines of "the kernel did it, and they checked with lawyers, so we can piggy-back on that work". But it would be nice if we could cite that source, and maybe even lift some of their language.

Looks like the kernel commit here:

  https://git.kernel.org/pub/scm/linux/kernel/git/torvalds/linux.git/commit/?id=d4563201f33a022fc0353033d9dfeb1606a88330

cites CNCF here:

  https://github.com/cncf/foundation/blob/659fd32c86dc/dco-guidelines.md

I don't know if there's any public discussion or statement from the Linux Foundation or other legal folks on the kernel's wording. So there might not be anything better to cite. And possibly we could run it past Conservancy's counsel. I'll leave that up to PLC folks to decide on.

I kind of like the CNCF wording, which seems clear (though naturally, IANAL).

Regardless, thanks for keeping this moving forward.

-Peff