Dave Cridland Application 2010

= Dave Cridland = = Reapplication, January, 2010 =

Mandatory Information
Yes, it's that time of the year again. First off, the obligatory bits:

My Jid
I have two - [xmpp:dwd@dave.cridland.net dwd@dave.cridland.net] I use for personal things (including any XSF or IETF involvement), and [xmpp:dave.cridland@isode.com dave.cridland@isode.com] I use for work.

My Email Address
Again, two. [mailto:dave@cridland.net dave@cridland.net] is the personal one (and the one I use on all XSF and IETF lists *except* the IETF SecDir one), and [mailto:dave.cridland@isode.com dave.cridland@isode.com] is the work one, which also goes as my authorship address on RFCs and XEPs.

Affiliation
I work for Isode Ltd, a smallish company based on Hampton, which works on Open Standard Messaging and Directory services, including both OSI and Internet. Isode Ltd encourages my IETF and XSF activities, and provides funding for them, but does not tell me what to say or do - my participation is solely on a personal basis. I do list authorships under my work contact details, and Isode Ltd therefore hold the copyright on IETF work (and will assign it for XSF work as required).

For the record, I have also provided input into two XMPP clients, Gajim - which I use generally, and rather like, and have put a couple of minor patches in - and Swift.im, which I very occasionally use, and have provided a logo for, but no code.

XMPP Related Activity

 * I've served on the XMPP Council for the past 2 and a bit sessions.
 * I'm the XMPP Team Lead at Isode Ltd, and so talk to customers (and non-customers) about XMPP quite a bit.
 * I've done bits and bobs of protocol design, most especially I did bits of XEP-0198 and XEP-0237.
 * I've done small bits of code for Gajim.
 * I was the Technical Reviewer for both XMPP: The Definitive Guide (Peter Saint-Andre, Kevin Smith, and Remko Tronçon), and Professional XMPP Programming (Jack The Moffitt).

Why the XSF?
Because I believe, passionately, that anyone should be able to write code with freely available tools and specifications, allowing them to become a "first class" citizen of the internet, able to communicate and participate with a global community of their choosing.

The IETF, of course, provides a solid bedrock of specifications, here, but lacks the engaged and vibrant developer community that - I think - makes the XSF a very special place indeed.

I have $some RFCs, with more coming, and I'm certainly proud of those, but - contrary to what some have been saying recently - I think the XSF is a fine bunch of people, and is doing excellent work in producing needed specifications and technology, and providing an encouraging environment for developers old and new to become involved with XMPP, and its future, and I for one am proud to be part of this, and hope to remain so for many years to come.

So, I'll happily reapply, hoping to continue working with a great bunch of highly talented people, and hoping that more will be joining in this most excellent of global conversations.

And yes, describing you all as a great bunch of talented people is a pathetic attempt to get your vote.

-- Dave Cridland, Isode Ltd, xmpp:dwd@dave.cridland.net