Proposal
It seems there is currently no formal process for adding or removing services to KDE's communication and collaboration infrastructure. I think it would be beneficial to define one. The process could include, for instance:
- When adding a new service: commitment to fulfill of some basic requirements, such as maintaining the service for a certain amount of time or monitoring its use so the service can be retired when no longer needed.
- When removing a service: require justification for its removal and a plan for archiving content for posterity.
- For both adding or removing a service, a process for community discussion and support/rejection.
The exact requirements can be discussed later. Importantly, the process does not have to be complicated or overly restrictive, only clear about what the expectations are and plans for fulfilling them.
This proposal may be relevant to the KDE goal Automate And Systematize Internal Processes.
Examples of such (semi-)formal processes at KDE include requesting an email alias or getting a developer account.
Although adding/removing services may not be a frequent issue at KDE, I think it could be beneficial to define one.
Why formalize a process for adding/removing services?
KDE's communication and collaboration infrastructure include many important services. New services are occasionally added, and others get retired. Without some upkeep and curation, over time this can lead to KDE's infrastructure becoming fractured, unmaintained, or unused, and historical information can get lost. Moreover, it is not clear if such decisions are always made collectively or individually.
A (semi-)formalized process may help mitigate this and keep KDE's organizational infrastructure useful and up-to-date for contributors. Furthermore, although 100% consensus with such a diverse group may be difficult or impossible, defining a formal process to add/remove services can make such decisions transparent and fair. Moreover, by clearly defining the process, it can also possibly be streamlined and simplified.