On Sun, Dec 28, 2008 at 09:55:36PM -0800, Thomas Bushnell BSG wrote: > I wish we could have in the world of GNU/Linux one, just one, > please--just one--distribution which really took free software as of > cardinal importance. Debian has promised to be that, while living up to > the promise only in fits and starts. That's ok with me. But I'm afraid > that if we stopped the promise, and simply decided it would be our goal, > the folks who are against the promise will be against the goal, and will > see this as permission to simply *never* work toward the goal, and to > obstruct others who do. I do not believe for a second that there is anyone in the Debian project who would *oppose* working toward a goal of free software. However, I also believe that pragmatism is a necessary requirement for a project as large as Debian. I am not in the camp of those who think that getting Debian to be completely and utterly free software should be our one and only goal, and that all the rest is unimportant; therefore, I did also vote for a pragmatist option during this vote. But I will now solemny pledge that if you can ever convince me (by pointing to BTS logs, or mailinglist threads, or some such) that one of our developers is actively *obstructing* the replacement of non-free software by free software, I will immediately second a vote to expel them from the project. Freedom may not be the primary goal for this project in my personal opinion, it still is a goal that I find extremely important, and those who oppose it have no place in the Project, ever. Personally, I think that aj's proposed text actually makes it much more clear that the social contract is not a statement of fact, but rather is a promise and a goal. I do not think we should forget about the goal; but I do think that if currently there is an idea for a perfect option (which as of yet is vapourware) and an imperfect option that already exists, we should go with imperfection. [...] > In my opinion, developers who are unwilling to abide by the Social > Contract in their Debian work should resign. But they don't, and this > is what has me afraid. I agree with you on that one, and I think you'll find that many developers do. I also think you'll find that it would be easy to get such developers kicked from the project. -- <Lo-lan-do> Home is where you have to wash the dishes. -- #debian-devel, Freenode, 2004-09-22
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