Changes to the LSC Charter - Feedback wanted

[Orion Pobursky]

The LDraw.org Standards Committee (LSC) was created to oversee the LDraw.org File Specification. In recent years, the LSC has been relatively ineffectual in fulfilling their chartered responsibilities. The LDraw.org Steering Committee (SteerCo) has control over the LSC Charter and has discussed possible changes to this document. We are formally releasing our proposed chages for public discussion and debate.

Below are our proposed edits. If a section isn't mentioned then that section will remain unchanged. For reference, the LSC charter is here: http://www.ldraw.org/article/382.html

• Procedures - Remove the bullet point "Procedure for filling an early vacancy of a member"
  
• Voting - Delete
  
• Membership - Membership of the LSC shall have a minimum of 3 people. The LDraw.org Steering Committee (SteerCo) can add members when needed or remove a vacant seat if desired. One seat is reserved for a current LDraw Library Administrator. If there is more than one LDraw Library Administrator then the LDraw Library Administrators will self select a member to represent them on the LSC. The other vacant seats will be appointed by the SteerCo following a public call for volunteers.
  
• Terms - Members will be appointed to one year terms. Should a member desire to leave before their term is up then the SteerCo will appoint a new member to fill out the remainder of the term. Each LSC member seat will be formally replaced, reappointed, or removed (provided the minimum membership is met) via public forum when the term for that seat has expired. The normal term expiration date will be 1 month after the inauguration of the currently sitting SteerCo.
  
• Nominations - Delete
  
• Elections - Delete
  
• Inauguration - Newly appointed members of the LSC will take office effective immediately.
  
• Recurring Dates - Delete
  
• Glossary - Change LDraw.org Standards Committee (LSC) definition to "
  Group of parts authors, Parts Tracker reviewers, or LDraw-compatible software authors appointed by the LDraw.org Steering Committee to ratify and publish the Official LDraw.org File Format Spec.".
  

Comments
Orion Pobursky:

• I proposed to change the name of the LSC to the LDraw.org File Format Committee or something that can't be confused with the Steering Committee.
  

Tim Gould:

• What about shifting the work of coming up with standards to the broader community and having the LSC serve a "rubber stamp" role? With development of standards opened up to the wider community we might get faster improvements.
  
• With the flexibility in numbers it could be a good chance to introduce longer terms (say three years) or even indefinite terms. The elected SteerCo can always kick people out if they're being obstructionist (although we would have to add an item to cover this).
  

Later additions (dates given are date added here, not proposed)

• RM 18/12/2014 Identified issue of LSC/SteerCo joint membership. TG responded about rules for recusing self.
  
• TG 18/12/2014 We may wish to explicitly grant the SteerCo the power to remove members from the LSC. But only after community consultation.
  
• S 18/12/2014 Proposes to merge LSC and SteerCo
  
• BS 18/12/2014 See http://forums.ldraw.org/showthread.php?t...9#pid14929