docs: Update DCO real name requirement to reflect official CNCF guidance#7286
Open
robertsamples wants to merge 1 commit into
Open
docs: Update DCO real name requirement to reflect official CNCF guidance#7286robertsamples wants to merge 1 commit into
robertsamples wants to merge 1 commit into
Conversation
The "no pseudonyms" language was inherited from Linux kernel docs but does not reflect current CNCF policy. The official CNCF DCO Guidelines clarify that a real name need not be a legal name - only sufficient to identify and contact the contributor. See cncf/foundation#383.
|
It seems to me that a pseudonym, provided a real email address is used, would just be fine. |
This file contains hidden or bidirectional Unicode text that may be interpreted or compiled differently than what appears below. To review, open the file in an editor that reveals hidden Unicode characters.
Learn more about bidirectional Unicode characters
Sign up for free
to join this conversation on GitHub.
Already have an account?
Sign in to comment
2 participants
Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.This suggestion is invalid because no changes were made to the code.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is closed.Suggestions cannot be applied while viewing a subset of changes.Only one suggestion per line can be applied in a batch.Add this suggestion to a batch that can be applied as a single commit.Applying suggestions on deleted lines is not supported.You must change the existing code in this line in order to create a valid suggestion.Outdated suggestions cannot be applied.This suggestion has been applied or marked resolved.Suggestions cannot be applied from pending reviews.Suggestions cannot be applied on multi-line comments.Suggestions cannot be applied while the pull request is queued to merge.Suggestion cannot be applied right now. Please check back later.
The existing text states contributors must use their real name, with a parenthetical explicitly banning pseudonyms. This language was inherited from the Linux kernel's submitting-patches documentation, but it does not reflect the current official policy for CNCF projects.
The CNCF Foundation formally addressed this in (cncf/foundation#379, cncf/foundation#383, and linux kernal commit d4563201f33a022fc0353033d9dfeb1606a88330). The outcome, authored with input from Linux Foundation legal counsel, revised DCO Guidelines, which state:
A real name does not require a legal name, nor a birth name, nor any name that appears on an official ID (e.g. a passport). Your real name is the name you convey to people in the community for them to use to identify you as you. The key concern is that your identification is sufficient enough to contact you if an issue were to arise in the future about your contribution.
The requirement is identifiability and reachability, not disclosure of legal identity. The prohibition on pseudonyms is explicitly not part of DCO policy.
This PR updates the contributing guide to match what the governing bodies actually require, replacing the inaccurate parenthetical with a plain-language summary of the official guidelines.
Signed-off-by: Robert Samples rsamples@smith.edu