Mozillians/Vouching

(Note: This document describes features that will be built in Mozillians.org, but are not built yet. For more information about the features, see https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mozillians/Vouching and https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mozillians/API-Access )

FAQ

How do I get vouched?

Contribute! Once you have contributed significantly to any of Mozilla's projects, ask the people you are working with to vouch you on Mozillians.org. They will either do so, or will encourage you to make a few more contributions first.

What does "being vouched" mean?

Being vouched means you have been accepted as a contributing member of the Mozilla community and may be given access to data and information that Mozilla only shares with its trusted community. As a vouched Mozillian, you have access to:

• View all profiles and join groups
• Access special video content on Air Mozilla
• Join the Mozilla Exchange Yammer network
• Use other Mozilla apps as a vouched user

Someone asked me to vouch for them. Should I vouch for them?

Only vouch for contributors who have make significant contributions to one of Mozilla's projects. If you cannot verify their contributions and do not know the person, ask them to have someone they have worked with vouch for them instead.

Are there different levels of vouched Mozillians?

Any Mozillian who has one vouch can search and view profiles in the directory. Any Mozillian who has at least three vouches can vouch other Mozillians.

Who can see the information I add to my profile?

It depends.

1. Most fields on your profile have "per-field" privacy settings. You can set a field to "public", which means anyone on the internet can search for and view those fields (and therefore also can view your username). Also, "public" profile fields are shared through the Mozillians.org API with any vouched Mozillian who requests a "vouched" API key.
2. You can also set a field to "Mozillians" which means any vouched Mozillian can view it. Also, certain reviewed applications have been given elevated access to the API in order to help Mozilla's platforms interoperate. These reviewed applications can read fields through the API that you have marked for "Mozillians" only.
3. Mozillians.org is maintained by employees of Mozilla, including engineers, system administrators and database administrators. These people have access to the raw data of your profile in a variety of formats, but they only encounter it while doing their jobs.

Elsewhere

Tracking bug: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=926644

FAQ (to be linked from the released feature): https://mozillians.etherpad.mozilla.org/API-vouch-FAQ-2014-05-19

Background

Question: How do we make vouching more meaningful so it demonstrates someone's involvement with Mozilla and helps members of Mozillians.org understand who they're sharing their information with?

This is the second iteration of a proposal to improve how people sign up for Mozillians.org. The original context about authorization and proposal give more information.

How vouching currently works

• A public user can create a profile and that person's account is unvouched
• Unvouched users can only browse public profiles and do not see profiles shown only to Mozillians
• Vouched users are able to view all profiles on the site
• Any user can be vouched by another vouched user
• Paid staff are automatically vouched if they have a mozilla.org/.com email address
• If a person receives an email invitation from a vouched user, that person becomes vouched when they create an account

New proposal

• Vouch descriptions. Vouchers are required to give a short descripton of how the vouchee contributes to Mozilla. These descriptions are displayed on both the voucher and the vouchee's profile and are only visible to Mozillians, not shown publicly.
• Multiple vouches. A user can be vouched more than one time.
• Network of trust for vouching privilige. You must be vouched by three people in order to have the ability to vouch for other people. Once you are vouched by three people, you receive the "can_vouch" flag.
• Planned second phase that allows for automated vouching through the API.
• Visibility of profiles remains the same. Vouched users are able to view all profiles on the site.
• UI improvements include detailed language explaining who can see my information and how the network will grow.

Upgrade path

• All contributors who attended Summit 2013 will get 3 vouches.
• All existing staff will get 1 vouch.
• Following this change, old-style vouches will grant "Mozillians"-level access for 60 days longer.
• If a user with an old-style vouch fails to get a new-style vouch, that user will be changed to "Unvouched" after 60 days.
• We'll email reminders about the need to supplement vouches with comments several times during the 60-day window.
• Unvouched accounts will remain unvouched
• Employees will continue to receive one vouch upon hire, with message "Hired by Mozilla on DATE"