Sponsor
Being an infrastructure sponsor
Fedora is an exciting environment to work in. Everything we do is under public scrutiny and comment. For the sponsors, this brings out the best in our work. We must always be confident in our decisions but also open to criticism. Those with sponsor status in a FIG (Fedora Infrastructure Group) own the environment for which the group is responsible. Obviously, major changes and architectural designs should be discussed with the community but power to make changes and decisions about the environment lies in the hands of the group.
This also makes them accountable for this group and their changes.
What is expected
Sponsors are expected to actively recruit new members to their team as needed. It is important that tickets and the infrastructure itself is being handled in a timely manner. Some issues may be quite abstract and difficult to measure. But it is expected that 'the little things' don't get over looked. Make sure your group has enough people to do what it needs to do. If it doesn't, seek a better way to do things or recruit more people.
Being a sponsor is a pretty big deal. Sponsors manage people (put that on your resume :), and need to be polite to everyone and ignore no one. If someone contacts you asking for sponsorship, you have 3 responses:
1. Take them on the path to sponsorship. 1. Tell them you cannot take on any more sponsors at this time. 1. Tell them that particular FIG is full and to try later or try a different FIG.
Mentoring
As in any volunteer organization, we see a lot of turnover. For each new member, some amount of training is needed. When possible direct people to docs on the wiki and update those docs if necessary.
When taking on a new member, make sure to find out their experience level. Highly skilled users can be given much more difficult tasks then those who are less skilled. Some may have come to Fedora to learn and should be encouraged to do so. Never be afraid to take on someone that knows nothing if they are willing to stick with it.
RFRs
RFR's are a request for resources. Sponsorship in the case of an RFR is sponsorship of the project, which may or may not involve sponsorhip of a person. It is the RFR submitter's job to find a sponsor for the project but it is our jobs as sponsors to be open minded and actually sponsor these projects. Keep the following guidelines in mind:
- Will it better Fedora?
- Will it mix in our environment well?
- Is it something that will just be dumped in our lap or is there a support cycle with it?
- Is this something that could just be done on their workstation?
Once an RFR is sponsored it is the sponsors responsibility to provide any resources needed by the requester, as well as ensure that the request will ultimately work in our environment.
Our resources are finite, not all projects can (or should) be sponsored. In general, if the request is for a new repo layout or a way to set up a proof of concept, the RFR's should be fairly easy to handle. If the RFR is for a coding project (outside of hosted) that must be maintained by the Infrastructure team, then more careful consideration must be taken. An RFR is not an opportunity for someone to come up with an idea and drop it in our laps.
How to become a sponsor
Becoming a sponsor is based on meritocracy. Those that do good are granted more power to do good. Especially those that have proven they can be around for a long term commitment, which can take many months. Make sure you see the GettingSponsored page first to get involved. If you feel its time you get sponsored, just talk to your sponsor. They are ultimately responsible for your actions and have the final say.