Re: Bug#192553: ITP: debianarchist -- info and tools for subversion within the Debian domain.
John Belmonte <jvb@prairienet.org> writes:
> Lukas Geyer wrote:
> > If the author really thinks that the DFSG are so seriously flawed as
> > to be meaningless, the right place to discuss this are the Debian
> > mailing lists.
>
> I think your opinion, that DFSG issues should be discussed on Debian
> lists, is a reasonable one. However, you might consider that there
> are often several ways to do something. Let's say, for example, it is
> determining how well a given vessel holds water. You could have
> endless theoretical debate about strength of the material, soundness
> of structure, etc. Or you could simply take a few well-aimed stabs at
> it with a sharp object.
[ First an apology: I thought you were also the upstream author of
debiananarchist, an apparently unfounded assumption. ]
I agree that there are usually different ways to express
dissatisfaction with the state of some group/society/whatever, but
please do not come with far-fetched examples like water in a
vessel. If you resort to "subversive" means to discuss problems in the
DFSG and in this case the ttf-bitstream-vera license and its inclusion
in main, this implies that you think the "right" mechanisms (i.e. the
mailing lists) are ineffectual. Anarchists think that capitalist
society is inherently flawed, so they do not use the "right"
mechanisms like elections to express their opinions. If you think of
Debian the way that anarchists think of capitalist societies, I wonder
why you want to get that package into Debian and become a maintainer
(except maybe to embarrass or "subvert" Debian itself). However, I do
not see you or "debiananarchist" discussing the ttf-bitstream-vera
license or the DFSG in the list archives. If I am missing something, I
will be glad for pointers.
> The views expressed by the author of the document in question-- and
> from my understanding there will be more items in the series, perhaps
> not even related to the DFSG-- are certainly debatable. On the other
> hand, it's hard to argue about the content of a one page script. Very
> plainly: here is a script, study it, run it, take a few more actions,
> here are the consequences. Is this what you thought Debian and/or
> free software was? You may have one answer to that question, and I
> may have another. It is for each person to decide on his own.
Your ITP did not even mention that there was criticism of the DFSG and
the inclusion of ttf-bitstream-vera in main. Don't you think you
should make this point more openly to the people involved in Debian?
Lukas
--
Give a man an answer, and he's satisfied today. Teach him to program,
and he will be frustrated for the rest of his life.
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