Re: Kawa future and governance

[Duncan Mak <duncanmak@gmail.com>]

I'm definitely interested in contributing where I can!

On Mon, Nov 9, 2020 at 12:13 PM Per Bothner <per@bothner.com> wrote:

> As you have probably noticed, there has been less Kawa development the last
> few years, and I have been less active.  I make sure it will work with
> newer Java release, fix occasional bugs, and make minor improvements,
> but it's been a while since I've added a new non-trivial feature or API.
> Most of my "hacking time" these days is spent on DomTerm (
> https://domterm.org).
> I'm also less involved with the Scheme community, and I've expressed
> dissatisfaction with how SRFI and R7RS-large is evolving, with
> too many large large APIs that I fear will see little use.
>
> I am happy to continue in this "maintenance mode" as long as needed,
> but fresh blood would be welcome.  So far Kawa has is mostly the result
> of my vision, opinions, and prejudices, which I think has resulted in
> a coherent, efficient, and powerful language - but it is limited what
> I can understand and implement.  It is great what others have contributed
> to Kawa, but we need to encourage and enable more contributions  I have
> not been as open as I should have to other ideas and impulses, wanting
> to full understand and implement the "right" solution, even when I have
> lacked time, knowledge, and energy to do so.
>
> Not sure where to go next.  It would be good to have a small group
> who can check in updates and make releases without me.  Right now the
> Kawa "bus factor" is basically one, which is not a good situation.
> I can see my role becoming a Benevolent Dictator For Life (like van
> Rossum's role in Python), but ideally getting less dictatorial as others
> gain experience.
>
> One task that could help and that does not require comprehensive
> understanding
> of the code is Release Manager(s).  Not that it takes a lot of time and
> effort
> to make a release (especially since I don't do it very often), but it is
> one
> of multiple tasks that should not depend on me being able to do it.
>
> Next year Kawa will be 25 years old.  It is the oldest continuously-active
> compiler-based non-Java language on the JVM, which is quite an achievement.
> But I am not getting any younger, and it needs fresh blood and energy.
>
> Thoughts?  Volunteers?
> --
>         --Per Bothner
> per@bothner.com   http://per.bothner.com/
>


-- 
Duncan.