Position statement for Craig Small

Hi, my name is Craig Small, ircname of seeS and I have decided to nominate for a board member of the SPI. For some time I have thought I could contribute more to Free Software and/or Debian but not by writing more software or packaging more packages.

I don't really have a major position on SPI other than it does what it does fine. I'm not here to "shake things up" or put SPI on another tangent, but I do believe it is important it has a full and active board and people nominating to the board help that.

Free Software

I have been an active member of the Free Software community for many years. My first piece of Free Software (axdigi) was written in 1994 and I have contributed many other pieces software over the time and probably forgotten a few.

Currently I am upstream for procps and psmisc which are some of the more common tools you'll find on a GNU/Linux system as well as a few other not so well known packages. In the past I have contributed Linux kernel drivers, the hamradio utilities, a mp3 library sorter and a network management system.

I understand the principles of Free Software and why having such a thing is important that not only people use, but that it exists. While I was not a major contributor I did contribute some discussion around the DFSG when it was being developed within Debian. I also quizzed a bunch of Debian developers on the aspects of Free Software as part of the Debian New Maintainer process which means you get to go over those aspects a lot (and get some wonderful different views of them from the applicants!)

Debian

I have been a Debian developer for many years; if you consider the first changelog timestamp to be the time I started (we didn't have a formal process back then) then I have been contributing to Debian for just over 19 years or since mid 1997. As well as a developer I have been part of the webmaster team, the "new" new maintainer process including building the original nm.debian.org and an application manager.

SPI

I am a contributing member since 19 Aug 2001. In fact I built the (as then) SPI membership engine. I'm actually applicant #1. While I have not been as active in SPI I do follow the minutes and other items the board sends out.

I see SPI Inc as one of those important but auxiliary things for Free Software. It's existence means the projects under it do not need to reinvent the wheel to provide the framework for their organisation.

In closing, I'm sure whoever else you get will be a fine set of applicants too. Vote for me, or vote for them; its all good!