Kevin Smith for Council 2014

I'm Kevin Smith, I've been serving on Council for eight years, and I'm reapplying for a ninth. I've chaired the Council for the last six sessions.

My approach to Council is unlikely to change significantly if I serve this year:
 * I tend to turn up to all the meetings.
 * I tend to read the XEPs fairly thoroughly before voting on them.
 * I tend to challenge and propose alternatives when I don't believe a XEP's ready.
 * I tend to let XEPs through when they solve a problem the community wants solved.
 * I tend to change my mind when there are compelling arguments.

History in XMPP

 * Started using in 2001.
 * Started writing code for Psi in 2002.
 * Joined the JSF/XSF members sometime later.
 * Project lead for Psi from 2004 until 2009.
 * Contributed a couple of early patches to SleekXMPP (Python library)
 * Wrote most of SleekBot (Chat bot using SleekXMPP)
 * Wrote SleekMigrate script (extract XEP-0227 export data from a server that doesn't support it)
 * In 2006 I participated in the Summer of Code program as a student
 * In 2007, 2009, 2010, 2012 as a mentor
 * In 2010, 2011, 2012 as an org admin.
 * Develop the Swift client with Remko.
 * Work for Isode, on the M-Link server and associated tools.
 * I'm one third of the writing team that brought you XMPP: The Definitive Guide, via O'Reilly.
 * Wrote MaybeLater, a web-based TODO app using XMPP for the datastore.
 * Wrote the Stroke XMPP library for Java (a port of Swiften to pure Java).
 * My name's on a number of XEPs.
 * I've served on Council for the 2006/2007/2008/2009/2010/2011/2012/2013/2014 period, chair for the 2008-2014 sessions and would like to serve for 2014/2015 if I can be useful.

Suitability
Reasons I can helpfully contribute:
 * I have a lot of experience of XMPP through Psi, Sleek, Swift, M-Link, jabber.org admin, Council etc.
 * I have experience doing 'new stuff' and thinking ideas through, from a PhD and a couple of R&D-related jobs.
 * I can read and write XMPP 'stuff' (re: book).
 * I still have new things to say about XMPP.
 * I'm one of the jabber.org admins, so I've seen quite a lot of server use, both from users and abusers, and from the server P.o.V. (I've run at least five different server softwares in production and more in testing environments).
 * I have (hopefully) interesting perspectives of different types of real-world deployments through my day job.

Films
No, those weren't me. Don't let that stop you voting for me, though, if you liked them.

Contact
xmpp:kevin@doomsong.co.uk