The Solid Team are dedicated stewards of the Solid Project, tasked with realizing the Solid Mission by supporting the realization of the Solid Roadmap.
The Solid Team fulfills roles and responsibilities necessary to realize the Solid mission and provide an effective means of governance. Individuals occupying these roles were appointed by and follow the direction of the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee.
The Solid Team has the great responsibility to exercise their authority when necessary to ensure the viability and integrity of Solid, while at the same time fostering a collaborative, transparent, and supportive environment for contribution. As the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee heads the Solid Team and can veto decisions and adjust direction as he sees fit.
| Individual | Role |
|---|---|
| Tim Berners-Lee | Leader |
| Mitzi László | Manager |
| Kjetil Kjernsmo | Team Member |
| Ruben Verborgh | Team Member |
| Justin Bingham | Team Member |
The mandate of the Solid Team includes but is not limited to:
- Solid Roadmap - Curation of the Solid Roadmap comprised of a description of the Solid mission and key success factors. The Solid Team works to ensure that any and all decisions, priorities, and output are always in alignment with the Solid Roadmap.
- Solid Specification - Guiding the evolution of the Solid Specification, with an aim to encourage constructive dialogue and foster changes that result in healthy successive iterations aligned with the Solid Roadmap.
- Solid Panels - Sanction and subsequent oversight of new Solid Panels, as well as projects or duties associated with a Panel. Also includes voting on Panel nominees.
- Solid Projects - Sanction and oversight of any repositories hosted under the Solid GitHub organization, including sanctioned projects undertaken by Solid Panels and/or the Solid Team, and open source community reference implementations of the Solid Specification in different languages and technical stacks.
- Solid Culture - Foster a culture that makes contributing and/or participating in the evolution of Solid as accessible, inclusive, and sustainable as possible. Providing clarity and fair implementation of appropriate decision-making processes and seeking consensus among those building on Solid and using Solid before acting in a formal capacity. Acting as a court of final appeal for decisions where all other methods have failed. Coordinating the definition of the Solid values so they are accurate and inclusive.
- Solid Governance - Implement appropriate decision-making processes, ensuring that decisions and associated processes are always aimed towards furtherance of the Solid mission, and supportive of a healthy and beneficent Solid ecosystem. Where necessary, act as a court of final appeal for decisions where all other methods have failed.
- Solid Awareness - Fostering awareness and use of Solid across geographic, economic, industrial, and academic verticals.
- Solid Compliance - Creation and curation of the Solid Test Suite, which any Solid specification compliant server must pass to be considered a fully compliant implementation.
- Solid Website - Curation and Management of the Solid Website.
- Solid Communication Channels - Sanction and oversight of official Solid project communication mediums, such as chatrooms, forums, mailing lists, and message boards.
The Solid Team cannot modify governance processes without the explicit approval of the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee. As the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee reserves the right to change governance processes at any time. The Solid Team may vote to have a governance change be reviewed by the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee. The Community Panel may also vote to have a governance change be reviewed by the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee.
Why is a Solid Team necessary?
Solid is a relatively young project with a lot of promise. It has garnered incredible interest and support, from many in academia to some of the largest organizations in the world. However, this adoption will not continue if Solid doesn't consistently live up to its potential by delivering standards that power usable software. This requires consistent care and feeding every day, driven by an ability to make key decisions that squarely align with the Solid Roadmap.
Consequently, it is imperative that a small, dedicated group be in a position to organize and focus the efforts of those willing to contribute. They must do so efficiently enough to meet the expectations of our community and ecosystem at large. They must make decisions based on their complete understanding and commitment to the furtherance of the Solid Roadmap.
Organized contribution is orchestrated through sanctioned Solid Panels in the form of projects. More spontaneous contribution is also expected and always encouraged. The Solid Team acts in a supervisory role to ensure this work is constructive, and on a trajectory that supports and advances the Solid Roadmap. This guidance, which may sometimes involve decisions, is essential to ensure that work is active, relevant, and consistent with the Solid Mission.
Any time a decision is made, there are some that will not agree. This is the nature of a having a diverse community of people with strong beliefs. It is a good problem to have. That said, arbiters must be there to make informed decisions on behalf of Solid, using information collected from both domain experts, and the community at large. Otherwise, issues would turn into long running arguments that stagnate. Everyone that believes in Solid loses when Solid can't move forward.
This is not a guarantee that all decisions will be correct. It is in fact an acknowledgement that some will not. Still, it is better to make advances and learn from the setbacks, than to remain frozen and never move forward at all. The former is healthy, the latter will inhibit Solid's impact.
In short, the Solid Team exists to guide and channel the collective energies of a diverse community of individuals and organizations to realize the Solid Roadmap.
Here we identify the Solid Team roles as well any responsibilities associated with their respective roles.
The Solid Leader defines the governing mission and vision of Solid, along with key factors for success, which are manifested in the Solid Roadmap. Tim Berners-Lee is the Solid Leader. He is the de-facto head of Solid, as well as the leading member of the Solid Team.
If there are differences of opinion, the Solid Leader has the final say on the way forward. The Solid Leader has unique veto power, and can override the decisions of the Solid Team.
The Solid Leader's responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Approving governance related decisions, such as determining the responsibilities of the Solid Team, defining how Solid Panels are sanctioned and operated, and choosing how decisions are made.
- Approving changes to the Solid Team.
- Reviewing and potentially intervening with the decisions of the Solid Team or a Solid Panel where necessary.
The Solid Manager implements the governing vision and mission of Solid. Their responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Coordinating collaboration to develop Solid
- Moderating Solid calls
- Ensuring that Solid information up to date and well-organized
- Communicating any changes clearly and publicly
- Encouraging and supporting Solid Event organizers and other constructive community events and activities
- Encouraging and supporting Solid Projects which involves the publication of the project name, project scope as well as allocation of the Project Manager and Project Contributors
All members of the Solid Team (including Solid Leader and Solid Manager) are tasked with advancing the Solid Mission through their work supporting the Solid Roadmap. Responsibilities for any given Solid Team member may include but are not limited to those items listed in the Solid Team Mandate.
All Solid Team members have admin rights on all Solid repositories, managed properties and assets, and communication channels. They are expected to both participate in regular community group meetings and to maintain availability for project-specific collaboration as needed.
Kjetil Kjernsmo - Compliance Test Suite, Solid Specification, Research, Documentation
Ruben Verborgh - Solid Specification, Solid Roadmap, Research, Documentation, Developer Experience
Justin Bingham - Solid Roadmap, Solid Specification, Research, Website and Forum, Developer Experience
Solid Team members may resign their position at any time. As the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee reserves the right to remove any Solid Team member at any time. Whenever there is a vacancy on the Solid Team, a new team member will be nominated and selected through the Team Nomination mechanism articulated in this document.
Solid Team members may take a leave of absence for sickness, child care, or for another reason deemed legitimate by a majority of the Solid Team. In these cases an interim individual may be nominated.
If a Solid Team member not on a leave of absence drops out of touch and cannot be contacted or fails to contribute positively for a month or longer, then they may be subject to a Vote of No Confidence.
As the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee may decide to expand the size of the team. There may also be a need to fill a vacancy on the team. In either case, this nomination process will be used to propose new team members for addition to the team.
Team members are nominated and explicitly approved by the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee. Tim Berners-Lee reserves the right to nominate and immediately add a new Solid Team member at any time.
The Solid Team should reflect the diversity of individuals and organizations in the Solid Ecosystem. Candidates nominated for consideration must be able to demonstrate substantial and beneficent contribution to the Solid ecosystem.
Solid Team members are trusted to act in the best interests of Solid rather than themselves or their employers. Violation may result in removal from the team through a vote of no confidence.
In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to remove someone from the Solid Team against their will. For example, due to egregious and ongoing code of conduct violations. A majority vote of no confidence in a given Solid Team Member by the Solid Team, or by the Solid Community Panel, will go up for review by the Solid Leader, Tim Berners-Lee. Tim Berners-Lee reserves the right to remove any Solid Team member at any time.