content/guides/ppmc-offer.txt

Dear Joe Bob

In recognition of your demonstrated commitment to, and alignment with, the
goals of the Apache Frizzle project, the Frizzle PPMC has voted to offer you
membership in the Frizzle PPMC ("Podling Project Management Committee").

Please let us know if you accept by subscribing to the private alias [by
sending mail to private-subscribe@frizzle.incubator.apache.org], and posting 
a message to private@frizzle.incubator.apache.org.

The PPMC is the Incubator podling version of a project PMC ("Project
Management Committee") that for every top-level project is tasked by the
Apache Board of Directors with official oversight and binding votes in
that project.  When Frizzle graduates from the Incubator to a top-level
project, the project PMC is usually formed from the membership of the PPMC.
Note that while participation in the PMC after graduation is not
guaranteed, simply continuing your constructive and active participation
is usually sufficient.

As a PPMC member, and later as a PMC member, you are responsible for
continuing the general project, code, and community oversight that you
have exhibited so far.  The votes of the PPMC are not legally binding;
votes of the Incubator PMC are.  However, many of the PPMC members
are also Incubator PMC members, so they implicitly cast binding votes
when we vote on PPMC issues.  While this is an important legal
distinction, it shouldn't enter your thinking when working on the PPMC -
members should treat every decision as if it were legally binding for the ASF.  
Also, in day-to-day activities, the Incubator PMC member vs PPMC member
distinction should be invisible -- we are peers.

All PPMC members are subscribed to the project's private mail list, which 
is used to discuss issues unsuitable for an open, public forum, such as
people issues (e.g. new committers, problematic community members, etc.),
security issues, and the like.  It can't be emphasized enough that
care should be taken to minimize the use of the private list, discussing
everything possible on the appropriate public list.

The private PPMC list is *private* - it is strictly for the use of the
PPMC. Messages are not to be forwarded to anyone else without the express
permission of the PPMC. Also note that any Member of the Foundation has
the right to review and participate in any PPMC or PMC list, as a PMC 
and PPMC are acting on behalf of the Membership.

Finally, the PPMC (and assuming graduation, the PMC) is not meant to create 
a hierarchy within the committership or the community.  In fact, a goal is to
add all committers over time to the PPMC/PMC, as our belief is that those who
do the work should get a binding vote.  Therefore, in our day-to-day
interactions with the rest of the community, we continue to interact as
peers, where every reasonable opinion is considered, and all community
members are invited to participate in our public voting.  If there ever
is a situation where the PMC/PPMC's view differs significantly from that 
of the rest of the community, this is a symptom of a problem that needs to
be addressed.

With the expectation of your acceptance, welcome!

The Apache Frizzle PPMC