PEP 772: Updates based on conversations at PyCon

peps/pep-0772.rst

@@ -115,6 +115,8 @@ will:
 
 * Work with PSF staff and the newly formed `User Success Workgroup`_ toward
   improving the user experience around packaging.
+* Pronounce on and promote APIs, protocols, interfaces, and other interoperable standards relevant
+  to Python packaging.
 * Facilitate a more stable packaging ecosystem that is more responsive to community input.
 * Increase transparency and clearly share the goals for the packaging ecosystem.
 * Facilitate tactical and fundraising support from the PSF, to increase capacity
@@ -136,7 +138,7 @@ Mandate
 The council shall work to:
 
 * Maintain the quality and stability of the Python packaging standards.
-* Formalize and maintain the relationship with the Python core team as well as the
+* Formalize and maintain the working relationships with the Python core team as well as the
   Python Software Foundation.
 * Establish appropriate decision-making processes.
 * Improve Python packaging's user experience.
@@ -159,7 +161,10 @@ The council shall:
 
 To use its powers, the Packaging Council votes. Every Council member must either vote or explicitly
 abstain. Members with conflicts of interest on a particular vote must abstain. Passing requires
-support from a majority of non-abstaining Council members.
+support from a majority of non-abstaining Council members, which requires a quorum of 3
+non-abstaining members.  If the Packaging Council cannot (e.g., by lack of quorum) or wishes not to
+come to a decision on its own, it can also refer the matter to the Steering Council, whose decision
+on the matter will be binding.
 
 Whenever possible, the Packaging Council is expected to share its decisions and processes
 publicly in a timely fashion.
@@ -208,22 +213,11 @@ A Packaging Council election consists of the following phases:
 
 Each phase will last two weeks.
 
-The Packaging Council election process is managed by one Returning Officer nominated by the Python Steering
-Council.  The PSF shall maintain records of the elections as well as run the annual election for the
-Packaging Council.
-
-Ballots are ordinarily kept anonymous to all (including the Returning Officer) but with sufficient information
-to deanonymize them.  Deanonymization requires a supermajority (two-thirds) vote of at least two of the Python
-Steering Council, the PSF Board, and the current Packaging Council.  Deanonymization must only be done to
-investigate the possibility of coordinated/inauthentic activity in the Packaging Council election that does
-not, in the view of the bodies that vote to deanonymize, accurately represent the Python Packaging community.
-The proposal to deanonymize must identify to whom ballot identities are revealed (which cannot be the general
-public).  "Anonymous" in this context shall be deemed to include software that can show identities to the
-Returning Officer or their designees in response to explicit user action, provided it does not show it by
-default.
-
-It is expected that any deanonymization request acted on will be followed by a proposal to change this PEP in
-order to address any identified irregularities that precipitated such a request.
+The Packaging Council election process is managed by a returns officer nominated by the Python
+Steering Council.  The PSF shall maintain records of the elections as well as run the annual
+election for the Packaging Council.  The Steering Council must certify the results of the election
+and may work with the returns officer in whatever capacity is necessary to validate the integrity of
+the election.
 
 
 Term
@@ -269,16 +263,16 @@ Packaging Council members to fill the vacancies, or call for new Packaging Counc
 Conflicts of interest
 ---------------------
 
-No more than two Packaging Council members may be employed by or significantly affiliated with the same
-entity. An entity is a company and its subsidiaries, or another incorporated entity such as a non-profit or
-educational institution with its own mission and goals. Significant affiliation includes, at the least,
-receiving wages for current work, officer/director roles, and 25% or more ownership stake.  PSF membership at
-any member class (as defined by Article IV of the PSF bylaws) does not count as an affiliation for this
-purpose.
+No more than two Packaging Council members may be employed by the same entity. An entity is a
+company and its subsidiaries, or another incorporated entity such as a non-profit or educational
+institution with its own mission and goals. Significant affiliation includes, at the least,
+receiving compensation for current work, officer/director roles, and 25% or more ownership stake.
+PSF membership at any member class (as defined by Article IV of the PSF bylaws) does not count as an
+affiliation for this purpose.
 
 While we expect and trust Packaging Council members to act in the best interests of Python rather than
 themselves or their affiliations, the mere appearance of any one such organization dominating Python
-development could itself be harmful and erode trust.
+packaging development could itself be harmful and erode trust.
 
 PSF staff members are not permitted to serve as members of the Packaging Council.
 
@@ -307,10 +301,11 @@ Responsibilities
 
 Packaging Council Electors participate in formal votes to elect the Packaging Council.
 
-The eligibility of Packaging Council Electors is equivalent to the Article IV, section 4.2 voting membership
-defined in the `PSF Bylaws <https://www.python.org/psf/bylaws/>`_.  Should those bylaws change in the future,
-the eligibility of Packaging Council Electors will similar change to match.  As with PSF voting membership,
-Packaging Council Electors must affirm their intention to vote in Packaging Council elections every year.
+The eligibility of Packaging Council Electors is equivalent to the Article IV, section 4.2 voting
+membership defined in the `PSF Bylaws <https://www.python.org/psf/bylaws/>`_.  Should those bylaws
+change in the future, the eligibility of Packaging Council Electors will similarly change to match.
+As with PSF voting membership, Packaging Council Electors must affirm their intention to vote in
+Packaging Council elections every year.
 
 .. _process:
 
@@ -325,32 +320,28 @@ for two consecutive Council elections automatically removes a person from the li
 Electors, until they re-submit their intention to resume their participation to the Packaging Council in
 writing.
 
-In exceptional circumstances, it may be necessary to remove someone from the Electors against their will (for
-example: egregious and ongoing code of conduct violations). An Elector may be removed by a two-thirds majority
-vote by the Packaging Council (in practice: 4:1 for a Council with five members).
-
-If the relevant Elector is also on the Packaging Council, then they can participate in the vote. They are
-removed from the Packaging Council if the vote removes them as an Elector. The vacancy is filled as per the
-`normal process <vacancy>`_.
-
 Vote of no confidence
 ---------------------
 
-In exceptional circumstances, the Electors may remove a sitting Council member, or the entire Council, via a
-vote of no confidence.
+In exception circumstances, a vote of no confidence may be called to remove a sitting Packaging
+Council member, or the entire council.  The Python Steering Council may call such votes of no
+confidence, with no second being necessary.  Anyone may request such a vote of no confidence from
+the Steering Council, regardless of the requester's membership or affiliation, and the Steering
+Council has full discretion to call for the vote or not.
 
-A no-confidence vote is triggered when an Elector calls for one publicly on an appropriate public
-communication channel, and another Elector seconds the call within one week.
-
-The vote lasts for two weeks. Each Elector votes for or against. If at least two thirds of Electors express a
-lack of confidence, then the vote succeeds. Quorum for a vote of no confidence is 50% of Electors.
+The vote of no confidence lasts for two weeks. Each Elector votes for or against. If at least two
+thirds of Electors express a lack of confidence, then the vote succeeds. Quorum for a vote of no
+confidence is 50% of Electors.
 
 There are two forms of no-confidence votes: those targeting a single member, and those targeting the Council
 as a whole. The initial call for a no-confidence vote must specify which type is intended. If a single-member
 vote succeeds, then that member is removed from the Council and the resulting vacancy can be handled by the
 `normal process <vacancy>`_. If a whole-Council vote succeeds, the Council is dissolved and a new Council
 election is triggered immediately, using the rules for `whole Council <whole-council>`_ elections.
 
+If a no-confidence vote fails, another identical no-confidence vote (that is, of the same form, and
+against the same member for the first form) may not be raised for six months from the initial call.
+
 -----------------------
 Changing the governance
 -----------------------
@@ -387,10 +378,16 @@ serve.
 Elector eligibility
 -------------------
 
-Previous iterations of this PEP's draft proposed different membership rules for identifying the Packaging
-Council Electors.  After extensive discussion among stakeholders, and after seeking the widest possible
-feedback, the PEP authors agreed that aligning Packaging Council Electors with PSF Board voting membership was
-both the most equitable and most workable arrangement.
+Previous iterations of this PEP's draft proposed different membership rules for identifying the
+Packaging Council Electors.  After extensive discussion among stakeholders, and after seeking the
+widest possible feedback, the PEP authors agreed that aligning Packaging Council Electors with PSF
+Board voting membership was both the most workable arrangement and the most equitable approach to
+include all parts of the Python packaging community.
+
+PSF membership is used here because it is open to the broadest possible Python community. In
+particular, most people doing Python packaging work, do so in public, including contributing to both
+PyPA and non-PyPA projects, are likely to be eligible for PSF "Contributing Membership" based on
+that work, without paying any membership fee.
 
 -------------------------------
 Approval voting in the election