Re: long term goals of debian membership
> galt@inconnu.isu.edu (John Galt) wrote:
>
> > You still don't get it, do you? There is no deserve, there is only do
> > or do not.
>
> So what is wrong with asking potential developers to "do" before we let
> them in? Nobody is preventing them from working on Debian now; the
> software is FREE after all. We do not own it, and anyone is allowed to
> play with it, fix it, and suggest improvements.
but being able to use dupload costs a lot ... of time.
> > I agree, if they don't do, shitcan them: but then you'd best have a
> > replacement ready to go.
>
> If they don't do, then they don't get in. It's as simple as that.
> Nevertheless, I would like the term "Debian developer" to refer to
> someone who has actually DONE something for Debian.
>
> > The thing you don't get is no matter how tough you make the screening,
> > circumstances change. People get new jobs that require them to
> > sacrifice volunteer work for paid work, people lose interest,
> > any number of things. ATM, they post a quick intent to orphan
> > and packages stay orphaned for three years in some cases because
> > there's nobody to adopt them. I'd hope you're on -qa, because every
> > additional barrier to entry makes -qa's job that much bigger.
>
> Yes. The problem is many in the screaming hordes at our gates trying
> to get in do not take the time to adopt these packages, work on them,
> love them, feed them, and fix them. You do not need to have the label
> "Debian developer" to work on orphaned packages. All you need to do is
> fix bugs. I know, it's how I got my start. IMHO, it is the perfect
> preparation for the life of a developer.
What if they don't want them? For instance, what's the point of someone
whose machines are all console-only (I've been there) taking up a window
manager? What if you never use that package? Then the quality goes _DOWN_.
> When you have something significant to contribute, then we'll let you
> in. If you don't have the patience to deal with that, then what kind of
> developer will you make when userland starts slinging bug reports your
> way?
Now let's turn this back around straight at you using that argument I just
said. What if you don't care about the app, but you adopted it because some
tightarse changed the rules so you _had to_. L^HUser bug reports come
flooding in. You don't give a shit; you haven't used the app in 4 years, and
when you did (for .5 seconds) it seemed to work OK ...
*LART LART LART*
> Don't forget that Debian has a reputation to uphold. Whenever one of
> our developers answers a bug report (or more importantly, DOESN'T answer
> a bug report), it is a direct reflection on us as a group. Certainly,
> allowing someone who has done nothing for us and whom we don't even know
> to represent us is not a wise idea. (We have enough trouble with the
> problems caused by our productive members. ... *grin*)
Based on this, virtually no-one would ever get hired. What if people start
picking up on -devel and taking that as the official line? It's just as
plausible as if they started reading bug reports. If the media/whoever want
an official line, there's press releases and official contacts. However, the
likelihood of them reading _bug reports_ (of all things), is _MUCH_ lower
than them reading -devel, where they'd see all these people who seem to be
speaking for Debian. You see?
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