Hi,
The PPMC Guide could do a better job of explaining that most projects start with a [DISCUSS] thread before holding any committer vote (patches welcome). While it mentions that many projects use both [DISCUSS] and [VOTE] threads, this could be explained more directly. The Voting and Consensus in Practice wiki also recommends beginning with a discussion instead of a vote. ComDev’s “Adding Committers” outlines the official ASF process, the PPMC Guide explains how this works in the Incubator, and the Wiki provides background on the reasoning and culture behind it. In short, ComDev sets the rules, the PPMC Guide shows how to apply them, and the Wiki explains the values that support them and serves as training for new people. Most projects use a [DISCUSS] thread followed by a [VOTE], but some ASF communities, like Training or Subversion, have open membership. In these groups, anyone who asks and contributes in good faith can become a committer. That flexibility likely explains the way the PPMC Guide is written. Justin
