Re: Time for compassion and the Init GR
Sam Hartman writes ("Time for compassion and the Init GR"):
> [stuff]
Thanks for putting all of that into words.
The future looks scary for Debian as a community, but for all of us,
even if we lose, this result should have some positive aspects. If
the vote provides a definitive conclusion, we can hopefully move on
from fighting over this issue.
Afterwards, the majority will have an opportunity to demonstrate to
the minority that the minority, the minority's ideas about software,
and that software itself, are still welcome - even those ideas are a
minority view within the project.
> What actions could other members of the project take to turn some of
> those feelings around without compromising their beliefs, changing their
> mind, or giving up on the values that are important to them? [...]
Personally, I promise to refrain from posting (as the case may be)
bitter or triumphant messages. If I need to commiserate or celebrate
with like-minded contributors, I'll do that outside of public
channels.
Together, I would like us all (majority and minority) to try to help
improve the mutual compatibility of competing technologies. IMO this
is critical. If we do this well we can hopefully avoid the more
frightening possible concrete outcomes, such as certain software being
thrown out of the archive.
If we do this work collectively and in good faith, we may be able to
minimise the negative social outcomes.
Personally I am trying to help improve our collaboration tools and
workflows, to make it easier for different people with divergent views
to collaborate.
Some of the debate has framed the dispute as an argument about who
will do some compatibility engineering. Insofar as that's the case, I
hope that the majority will be magnanimous in victory, and will think
it worth putting in some programming effort to try to help show the
losers that they're still welcome.
Programming is, after all, much more fun than fighting.
Ian.
Reply to: