PEP 732: The Python Documentation Editorial Board

peps/pep-0732.rst

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+PEP: 732
+Title: The Python Documentation Editorial Board
+Author: Joanna Jablonski
+Sponsor: Mariatta Wijaya
+Status: Draft
+Type: Process
+Topic: Governance
+Content-Type: text/x-rst
+Created: 14-Oct-2023
+
+
+Abstract
+========
+
+This PEP:
+
+* Establishes the Python Documentation Editorial Board
+* Proposes how the editorial board will work
+
+Motivation
+==========
+
+The Steering Council approved the creation of a 
+`Documentation Working Group <https://github.com/python/docs-community/blame/main/docs/workgroup/workgroup_charter.rst>`_
+in March 2021.
+
+The purpose of the Python documentation is to serve the 
+present and future end users of Python. As such, the core 
+development community and the greater Python documentation 
+contributors work together to achieve this:
+
+.. image:: pep-0732/docs-pep-concentric.drawio.svg
+
+
+Specification
+=============
+
+Mandate
+-------
+
+The editorial board will:
+
+* Ensure processes are in place to maintain and improve the quality of Python's documentation
+* Foster Python documentation as a community resource to serve the current and future users
+* Act in alignment with the `Python Software Foundation mission <https://www.python.org/psf/mission/#:~:text=The%20mission%20of%20the%20Python,donation%20or%20becoming%20a%20member.>`_, which is to advance the Python programming language, and to support and facilitate the growth of a diverse and international community of Python programmers
+* Ensure that contributing to documentation is accessible, inclusive, and sustainable
+* Establish appropriate decision-making processes for documentation content
+* Seek to achieve consensus among contributors prior to making decisions
+* Be the final arbiter for documentation content decisions
+
+Responsiblities
+---------------
+
+The board has authority to make decisions about Python’s 
+documentation, as scoped below. For example, it can:
+
+* Set big-picture strategy for Python’s documentation
+* Set the intended structure for documentation
+* Make style and editorial decisions for both writing and design
+* Handle documentation governance (for example, delegation of decision-making to subject-matter experts, resolution of disagreements, decisions.)
+
+Scope
+-----
+
+The Editorial board oversees the content and strategy for the following:
+
+.. list-table::
+   :widths: 50 50
+   :header-rows: 1
+
+   * - In scope
+     - Not in scope
+   * - CPython documentation (docs.python.org)
+     - Code comments in CPython codebase
+   * - CPython devguide (devguide.python.org)
+     - CPython docstrings
+   * - Translations of CPython docs
+     - PEPs (peps.python.org)
+   * -
+     - PyPA documentation
+   * - 
+     - www.python.org
+
+Composition
+~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The Python Documentation Editorial Board is composed of five members.
+
+Editorial Board Members
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+The initial Editorial Board members are:
+
+* Mariatta Wijaya
+* Ned Batchelder
+* Joanna Jablonski
+* Guido van Rossum
+* Carol Willing
+
+Editorial Board Member Qualifications
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Editorial board members should have:
+
+* A good grasp of the philosophy of the Python project
+* A background in Python education and developer-facing documentation
+* A solid track record of being constructive and helpful
+* A history of making significant contributions to Python
+* A willingness to dedicate time to improving Python's docs
+
+Members of the Editorial Board should have experience in education, 
+communication, technical writing, Python’s documentation, accessibility, 
+translation, or community management.
+
+Term
+~~~~
+
+Editorial Board members serve for an indefinite term, though it is 
+generally expected that there will be changes in Editorial Board 
+composition each year. Editorial Board members will confirm annually 
+whether they wish to continue as a board member. Members may resign 
+at any time.
+
+If a board member drops out of touch and cannot be contacted for a 
+month or longer, then the rest of the board may vote to replace them.
+
+Changes to the Editorial Board's Size
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+
+Annually after each major Python release, the Editorial Board will 
+review whether the board's size should change. This provides 
+flexibility if the needs of the documentation community change 
+over time. A simple majority is needed to make a decision to 
+increase the board's size where quorum is 80% of the current board.
+
+As the sponsoring organization of the Documentation Editorial 
+Board, the Steering Council may change the number of members of 
+the Board at any time, including appointing new members or 
+dismissing existing members. 
+
+Vacancies
+~~~~~~~~~
+
+If a vacancy exists on the board for any reason, the Documentation 
+Editorial Board will publicly announce a call for prospective 
+board members. Prospective board members would submit a brief 
+document stating qualifications and their motivation to serve. 
+The sitting members of the Editorial Board will select new board 
+members by a simple majority where quorum is 80% of the current board.
+
+Amendments
+==========
+
+This PEP serves as a charter for the Docs Editorial Board. Changes 
+to its operation can be made either through a new PEP or through 
+a change to this PEP. In either case, the change would be decided 
+upon by the Steering Council after discussion in the community.
+
+Copyright
+=========
+
+This document has been placed in the public domain or under the 
+CC0-1.0-Universal license, whichever is more permissive.