Re: Should I sign up for New Maintainer even though I don't have an advodcate?
[This is probably going to sound hypocritical coming from a DD, or
excessively harsh, but try and stick with me]
On Fri, 4 Apr 2003, B. Douglas Hilton wrote:
> I would really like to be a contributing member of Debian,
> but it is the chicken and egg thing. I can't help until I
> become a member, and until I become a member I'm not that
> enthusiastic.
Why can't you help until you become a developer? There are plenty of bug
reports which could do with patches or commentary (yes, this bug exists, no,
I can't reproduce this one). Take a package or two and really help out the
maintainer. Then, after they've taken a number of patches from you and
you've gotten to know them a bit via e-mail or IRC conversations, hit them
up for advocacy.
The advocate step is meant to be where someone already in the project says
"I would be proud to have this person with me in the project". If you
haven't shown enough effort that an existing DD thinks "I'd like it if that
person was a DD", then there's no real demonstration that you'd make a
decent DD.
> Now I am finally out of school, have the time and money to
> be a good developer, and it is nearly impossible to join
> a 100% volunteer effort? You shame me.
The steps to join debian are there for (IMO) the following reasons (in no
particular order):
* Keep out those who merely think @debian.org is a cool e-mail address
(welcome to MIA maintainer land).
* Keep out possibly malicious people (remember, every DD has root on your
box).
* Keep out those who do not have the technical/social ability to maintain a
package to the standards required for the Debian project.
* Keep out those who do not truly understand the purpose of Debian; that is,
to create kick-ass free software.
You may think that the ability criteria hasn't been well upheld, considering
some of the detritus that is/has been in the archive...
I think what you're suffering from is a bit of item 1 - the issue of
dedication. Although bestowing a debian.org e-mail address is not supposed
to be like a knighthood, it is pretty much required that you show some
devotion to the maintenance of what's already here before getting the keys
to the upload queue.
I notice, for instance, that you've never submitted a bug report (at least
under the e-mail address you're using now). Unless you've recently switched
addresses, that suggests that you never filed an ITP for xdrum - so you've
violated the debian process already - not a good move, since it shows a lack
of knowledge of and/or respect for the way debian works. You've also never
contributed in any meaningful way to any bug report currently active *or*
currently archived (for bdhilton@charter.net, anyway - checking on
doug.hilton@engineer.com would take another 45 minutes).
In short, you appear to be inactive in what is, IMO, one of the most
important parts of software development - QA (in it's broadest sense).
Finding bugs, fixing bugs, confirming bugs - bugs, bugs, bugs! Making a
package installable in Debian is a pretty simple task (relatively). Keeping
it shiny and polished so you don't have faeces flying everywhere when users
go to use your program - that's hard work. And it's not glamourous work, or
particularly attractive to the babes <g>. But it is incredibly important,
and, in my opinion, one of the easiest ways for a DD to judge whether
someone is committed to the project, or just out for the glamour of being in
the project.
> Anyways, my silly XDrum package is here, just waiting for
> an advocate / mentor / sponsor.
The sponsorship system needs help. I try, but it's not a simple effort,
analysing someone's packages to ensure they're quality (it's basically a
complete code review). Have you searched through the archive looking for
packages of a complementary nature to yours, and asking the maintainers of
those packages whether they'd mind sponsoring them?
If you can find a regular sponsor, then yes, you'll be in good stead to find
an advocate. Otherwise, you'll just have to find another DD who feels you'd
be an asset to Debian. Fixing their bugs for them is always a good start.
You appear to have a presence on the debian-arm list - perhaps someone who
is familiar with your (presumably) good work in that area could adovcate for
you.
Basically, rocking up somewhere and saying "will anyone advocate for me?"
will, in all likelihood, get you less than nowhere. Asking a specific DD
"will you advocate for me, here are the reasons I think you qualify..." is
likely to get a much better response.
> So should I "check the box" even though I do not have an
> advocate?
No. Doing that would be lying. Dishonesty is not a good start to your DD
"career". It's just possible, too, that your previous attempt has not
earned you goodwill - hence a slight reticence on the part of DDs to
advocate for you.
> I'm into Debian/Linux and Debian/Hurd, but lack of membership
> severely dampens my enthusiasm. I have X86, Arm, and HPPA machines
> and think I could be a great benefit to Debian.
If your enthusiasm is so badly dented by not having a debian.org e-mail
address, then I don't think, honestly, that you're in the right mindset to
be a DD. That may sound harsh (I'm not keen on even typing it) but if you
need that much encouragement, you probably aren't dedicated enough. As you
said yourself, this is a volunteer project - you get no motivation other
than what you bring yourself, and the occasional "thanks. Debian rocks!"
e-mails from users (which are a great boost, I must admit). But saying
"I'll be motivated after I'm a DD" won't get anyone on your side. Sorry.
- Matt
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