Universe Contributors Application for Nick Ellery (nellery)

[Emmet Hikory]

Nick Ellery wrote:
> My name is Nick Ellery.  Please consider this as my application to
> become a Universe Contributor.

    I'm not sure I understand the value of this request.  Nick has been
an Ubuntu Member for some time (since June if my records are to be
trusted).  His contributions to development are clearly of interest, and
his recent patches seem to have proceeded with minimal correction
required by sponsors.  As a result, I vote -1 on this application, for
sheer pointlessness.  I see no benefit that Nick would gain by joining
this team, and would like to discourage applications to this team by
existing Ubuntu Members, as they have already demonstrated sustained and
significant contribution to Ubuntu: it's silly to reinvestigate them.

    Separately, if someone wants to start a discussion about whether
MOTU Council should simply approve any requests to join this team from
existing Ubuntu Members without review or voting, I could be convinced
that rather than dismissing this type of application, the correct
response is to simply add the applicant as a member, and have done with it.

Nick,
    Based on my limited review of your activity as part of this
application, I do encourage you to contact those who have spoken for
you, and discuss whether they would renew their support for an
application to MOTU.  You've quite a lot of uploads, and recent ones
both look clean, and seem to include some significant technical work.
I've not worked closely enough with you personally, and do typically
recommend applicants have gone through a full cycle with Ubuntu to be
sure they understand both the various limitations imposed by each of the
freezes, and the prevailing attitudes when no freezes are in effect:
you'd need to discuss whether your familiarity from Ubuntu work prior to
your first upload would suffice for this or other factors with those
supporting your application.