Sign-offs

[erikbosch]

See https://github.com/COVESA/vehicle_signal_specification/issues/591

Do we really see it as necessary to have real name in e-mail address as specified in https://www.covesa.global/contribute?

(See also question in https://github.com/COVESA/vehicle_signal_specification/issues/591)

I can see some reasons why it NOT shall be needed:

• Not all organizations and individuals have e-mail addresses of the type
• Other organizations like Eclipse do not any longer require it (see https://www.eclipse.org/lists/eclipse.org-committers/msg01291.html, but they on the other hand check that you (your Github id) actually have signed an ECA)
• Even before it seems that Eclipse did not require a special style for the e-mail address, just that it corresponded to whatever address used in the author field of the commit.
• Even if you have a different address like mr_big@hotmail.com your real name should/could be included in the authorsection of the commit.
• And it is easily spoofable.

I have two possible proposals.

The easy one

Keep the sign-off requirement, but just state that it shall correspond to your email in the author field

The complex/expensive one

Do like Eclipse. Require that people create a COVESA account where they need to state their Github Id and state/sign that all contributions to COVESA will follow the contribution guidelines. Then - for each Pull Request verify that the Github used creating the PR has a corresponding COVESA account with signed contribution agreement.

[erikbosch]

Fixed, contribution doc updated