Originally published on: https://frictionlessdata.io/blog/2023/11/15/frictionless-specs-update/

We are very pleased to announce that thanks to the generous support of NLnet we have kickstarted the Frictionless specifications update.

After a first discussion with the community in the last call, we are setting up a working group to help us with the v2 release.

Taking into account the group’s concerns about the shortness of the initial timeline we proposed, we were able to work out an extension of the initial time frame until mid-2024. We are now aiming at releasing the v2 of the Frictionless specs by June 2024.

Goal

Our overarching goal is to make the Frictionless specs, namely the Data Package, Data Resource, File Dialect, and Table Schema standards, a finished product, establishing a sustainable mechanism for future maintenance extension.

The modular approach will of course still be the cornerstone of the Frictionless specs v2, and we won’t introduce any breaking changes.

Additional deliverables:

• Together with the working group, we will start a reference collection of data types we want the v2 to support in a GitHub issue.
• We will work with leading data publishing portals, namely CKAN and Zenodo, to provide native Data Package export integration.
• The Frictionless core team at OKFN, will work on a new small Python library, a metadata mapper, with the objective of making it simpler to create standard extensions, and being able to use it in the data publishing systems integrations (Zenodo/CKAN/etc).
• A new website and new documentation will be published, with improved technical language and better accessibility.

Roadmap

The project roadmap will be mainly guided by the list of issues submitted by the community throughout the years, and collected here.

Social Aspect

We will hold monthly update calls for the working group, which are of course not compulsory, and which will be open to the broader community too. In parallel we will work asynchronously with the working group, using a review model for any changes in the specifications themselves.

Decision-making

For every GitHub issue on the specs submitted by the community throughout the years, the Frictionless core team or any working group member will propose a recommended action to the working group. The action proposed will be accepted if consensus with the working group is reached, meaning we have arrived at a decision, or at least a compromise, that everyone can live with.

The working group will be invited to share their view in a devoted GitHub issue. If a broader conversation is needed, the proposal discussion can be elevated to the monthly call for deliberation. The working group will be given a reasonable amount of time to review the proposed action.

Consensus is reached and the issue is closed if at least ⅔ of the working group members participate in the discussion and express their favourable opinion. In case of serious and explicitly stated concerns, working group members who are core library investors (at the moment: OKFN, INBO, Datopian) may veto a proposed action.

The community manager at OKFN will reach out to working group members who did not participate in the discussion to make sure their opinion is also captured. We want to ensure that reminders of your participation are handled with care. You can expect a gentle and considerate approach, such as receiving an email once every two weeks highlighting any issues where your vote is pending. Our goal is to keep you informed without causing any unnecessary inconvenience, so you can feel confident and at ease with the process

Decision-making on the technical maintenance of the specs will be centralised by OKFN.

Diversity

Leveraging diversity is an opportunity that we must embrace for the benefits it brings. Extensive research consistently demonstrates that diverse participation leads to better outcomes and more resilient technologies — diverse communities are unequivocally stronger communities.

We acknowledge the need for greater diversity in our community, and we understand that fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion requires substantial effort. We cannot underestimate the challenges before us. Confronting the deep-rooted and centuries-old racist components of our system is a huge challenge, and we understand that achieving racial equity is a continual journey with no predefined endpoint.

Our mission is to build equity within our community, fostering inclusion and amplifying diversity across all aspects of the Frictionless project. For our specs update, we are proactively encouraging every member of the community involved in the working group to identify and invite candidates interested in contributing to the update work, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the diversity of our group.

We welcome contributors from diverse backgrounds, recognising that individuals with varied experiences bring forth new and innovative ideas that help create an inclusive and welcoming ecosystem. Our goal is to create an inclusive and friendly environment based on mutual respect and exchange, ensuring that no one feels isolated, and everyone is motivated to actively contribute to the project’s development.

Acknowledging the ethical imperative, we understand that recruiting individuals into a community historically designed to exclude them is neither ethical nor effective without adequate support. We therefore prioritise transparency with new community members, providing a contributor’s guide, a published roadmap, and comprehensive documentation to ensure clarity and support throughout their engagement. Our Code of Conduct applies to all activities linked to the Frictionless Data project, and it is enforced by our community manager. As part of this project, we will make it a priority to enhance the accessibility of our documentation and website, aiming to make them as inclusive as possible.

We welcome any other suggestions that would help us enhance diversity, equity, and inclusion in our work. Please let us know if you have a good idea to share!

Funding

This project is funded through NGI0 Entrust, a fund established by NLnet with financial support from the European Commission’s Next Generation Internet program. Learn more at the NLnet project page.