Re: [debian-devel] mICQ roundup

[Rüdiger Kuhlmann <debian-list-Z03BQH65YjkN@ruediger-kuhlmann.de>]

Hi!

>--[Marc Haber]--<mh+debian-devel@zugschlus.de>
> On Sat, 15 Feb 2003 22:36:02 +0100, Rüdiger Kuhlmann
> <debian-list-Z03BQH65YjkN@ruediger-kuhlmann.de> wrote:

> > Does Debian improve the reputation of mICQ by shipping a version with an
> > extremely annyoing bug that could trivially be fixed, and refusing to
> > fix it several times?
> You are complaining about our release process, which is well
> documented. The release process says: Once it's frozen, we only add
> bug fixes. And once it's stable, we only add security fixes.

Debian 3.0r0 shipped Mozilla 1.0.0. Debian 3.0r1 ships Mozilla 1.0.1. Your
statement is simply wrong. Mozilla 1.0.1 doesn't have only bug fixes. When
the DoS was fixed, why wasn't the bug fixed in the same go?

> > Does Debian improve my reputation as an OSS software author by removing
> > my name from the copyright file? Does Debian improve its own reputation
> > by shipping a version of mICQ that because of the last point isn't even
> > legal to distribute, though Debian is so extremely retinent about free
> > vs non-free?
> You might have points here. So don't mix these things up.

Fine.

> >Think about it. And think about the update procedures in stable.
> We won't do that. The stable release process is fairly OK. It is
> responsible for Debian's reputation of being slightly outdated, but
> rock stable to use in production environments. When we light-heartedly
> start accepting new software versions, we might risk that reputation.

Please. I did not request Debian to ship a newer version of mICQ. Not at
all. I requested two changes: a fix to a text file, and a trivial patch
(sending a different packet for keep-alive) that is used in all later
versions and thus correct. None of them touches its stability at all. My
requests aren't unreasonable at all.

> >I could have sent a message to debian-devel, that's true. Would anyone
> >have listened to an unknown wannabe developer on it?
> Yes. When I was not yet a maintainer, people listened to me. I don't
> think this has changed.

Seeing some of those uninformed posts in the thread, some doubt remains.

> > Some maintainer needed a lesson to start listening, and he got it. It
> > unfortunately was required.
> IMO the price you made all of us pay to make some maintainer listening
> is way too high.

Well, that's your opinion.

Yours, Rüdiger.

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