Re: Conflicts between developers and policy
I'm not a debian developer, merely an interested lurker (I will almost
certainly become a developer sometime). Apologies if you think I'm speaking
out of turn.
--On Mon, Apr 27, 1998 2:47 pm -0500 "Manoj Srivastava"
<srivasta@datasync.com> wrote:
> Hi,
>>>"Mark" == Mark Baker <mbaker@iee.org> writes:
>
> Mark> On Mon, Apr 27, 1998 at 01:49:33PM -0500, Manoj Srivastava
> Mark> wrote:
>
>>> I understand that one may want a little more leeway than say the
>>> policy documents are writ in stone (I personally prefer that), but
>>> to deny that and make no mention of any mechanism of enforcement of
>>> policy is disquieting.
>
> Mark> Ian didn't mention an enforcement policy, because that is
> Mark> already clearly mentioned in the constitution---the technical
> Mark> committee.
>
> Hmm. I think I like the idea of the policy documents being the
> law, and the technical committee like the justices, who lay down
> interpretations (which are referred to latter as and adjunct to prior
> law).
>
> I still find the wording confusing. "All that policy can say
> is whether something conforms to or does not conform to policy". And
> while we are picking nits, there is not statement anywhere that
> policy ought to (should) be followed (is that not an oxymoron?).
>
> I am not required to follow it, and yet it is authoritative to
> bug filers; I an see a lot of contention developing there. (and
> again, the tech committee is brought in.)
No contention at all. Developers are not required to follow policy. But,
reports are filed for policy deviations, thus putting pressure on to adapt
either policy or the developer ;) as necessary. The reports will remain
until someone closes them - so they are a reminder of all extant violations
(rather, all extant violations that bother people).
Indeed, if I (as a hypothetical developer) were to violate policy, I might
even, at the same time, file a bug report against myself, explaining why I
did it, and what changes to either the world at large or debian-policy would
fix it.
This system makes sense to me.
> I guess I mistrust an unknown set of powers-that-be rather
> more than a known quantity. [I am aware this is irrational].
In effect, in means that the first level of enforcement of policy is the
general Debian community. I think this is good. If things get out of hand,
then presumably the leader or the committee step in to give a definitive
answer.
> manoj
> who likes the quiet certitude of the ISO standards
Jules Bean
who likes the bright future of a communal democracy...
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| Jules aka | | Richmond, Surrey |
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