Describe the issue

We currently have a CODEOWNERS file and __author__ at the top of individual python files to denote who has worked on and maintains bits of code. However, CODEOWNERS has functional limitations based on the listed users write access to the repository and over time (especially with the fork) the __author__ list has become outdated and unreliable for maintenance.

A while back in Slack I mentioned replacing the __author__ list at the top of the file with __maintainer__, the contents of which can change as needed and is a reliable source for who to contact if necessary regarding a file. I do not really see the loss of the __author__ list as major, as they can get very bloated and commit history (very easily available through GitHub) is a much better method for tracking contributions.

Suggest a potential alternative/fix

Replace cases of __author__ with blank __maintainer__ lists and begin to populate these over time.

Additional context

Currently, the CODEOWNERS file has broken entries as a result of its usage as a maintainer tracker. Keeping maintainers listed elsewhere will allow us to fix these and use the file for its intended purpose (sending out review requests for people who want/need them).