Page History

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• Roadmaps are aligned with a company’s product release cycle, while community proposals are sidelined.
• All major decisions are drafted in the company's Slack and then “announced” on the mailing list.
• Marketing materials present the Apache project as if it were owned by a vendor’s product line.

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Mentors Role  

Mentors play a critical part in guiding podlings toward neutrality. They should:  -

• Watch for signs of single vendor dominance and raise concerns early.  

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• Encourage podlings to rotate roles such as release manager or PPMC chair nominations.  

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• Remind communities that all substantive decisions must be made on ASF lists, not in private company channels.  

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• Help identify and invite outside contributors, lowering barriers to entry.  

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• Provide feedback to the IPMC when a podling shows progress, or risks stagnation, on neutrality.  

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Practicing Vendor Neutrality

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In some regions, contributors may feel pressure to prioritize their employer’s direction. Podlings should encourage people to share their own views independently, and reassure them that the ASF values individual merit and voice over company alignment. Projects should also remember that contributors participate for different reasons, : some as part of their job, while others join in their free time, and both perspectives are essential.

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Vendor dominance is a common source of tension: , as one company may want to drive steer the project in a direction that others resist. Neutrality helps avoid this by requiring open consensus: decisions are made on-list, with all voices heard, rather than dictated by corporate priorities.

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