Re: Small teams and other platform positions...
On Friday 25 March 2005 5:49 pm, Jaldhar H. Vyas wrote:
> We already have a two class society. (But TINC...yet)
http://tinc.debian.net/
> >. Create several "key gatherings" a year and only a "professional
> > Debianer" will be able to keep up.
>
> This is already the case even with (or probably because of) electronic
> communication.
I disagree. The bulk of work in Debian is not done by employees of
professional Debian service companies that regularly attend required events.
> Instead we should recognize and formalize the reality of these two
> classes. Being a "second class citizen" DD ought not to be a stigma but a
> simple recognition of how much one is actually able to contribute.
See above.
> It should be easy for people to jump into Debian for a few months and jump
> out. Maybe they could do it repeatedly if they felt like it. The
> structure to do this would involve both electronic and real life bits.
Agreed. Seems like a different topic of discussion.
> Face-to-face meetings provide higher bandwidth for discussions and people
> are less likely to flame or mistrust those have actually talked to and
> socialized with. (And reducing flames would in itself do wonders for
> Debian efficiency.)
I agree that there are advantages. I also think face-to-face meetings should
be held for social purposes. I assert that core Debian "business processes"
should always center around cooperative electronic mechanisms that are
publicly archived for reasons of accessibility, transparency, repeatability
and "fairness". Mailing lists have a flame problem, the incoming queue does
not. The fact that mailinglists have flames does not undermine the argument
that electronic systems can be more efficient than expensive physical
meetings.
There is also no guarantee that people will be nice at face-to-face meetings.
There is even the possibility that some motivated party (ie. Unabomber++)
might take it on themselves to blow a DebConf to kingdom come.
> Well I happen to believe constant low-intensity warfare between small,
> mutually suspicious tribes is the optimum environment for liberty but
> that's another discussion.
Sounds more like a recipe for being mugged repeatedly by street gangs and
hiding fearfully in your house. Might even throw a nice raping in there for
good measure. I hear that's popular with lawless warlord types.
--
Ean Schuessler, CTO
ean@brainfood.com
214-720-0700 x 315
Brainfood, Inc.
http://www.brainfood.com
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