* Matt Zimmerman (mdz@ubuntu.com) wrote: > On Wed, Jan 18, 2006 at 12:34:33AM +0100, Florian Weimer wrote: > > FWIW, I think your implied assumption that all Debian derivatives should > > be treated the same is flawed. Ubuntu is just not like any other > > derivative, it's a significant operation on its own. Its commercial > > backer is apparently able to pay quite a few Debian developers, several of > > them among the core team. There is a significant user base, and so on. > > Like it or not, Ubuntu is a bit special. > > I can't accept this; if there is no principle here which should be applied > consistently, then it's entirely unfair to attack Ubuntu. Certainly, there > are things about Ubuntu which are unique, but none of them change the issues > at hand. Personally I think the principle *should* be applied consistently but as a volunteer and with generally not much time I'm not going to hunt down every Debian derivative out there, see what they do and complain at them if they're not doing it the right way. I doubt it'd have any effect in the majority of the cases anyway. Ubuntu, by trying to do the right thing (which many of us appreciate) and by asking the question of what *should* be done has put themselves in a position where if they don't do what 'should' be done, regardless of what others do, they're going to seem like bad guys. Also, I'm afraid, given Ubuntu's popularity and the impression (unfounded or not) that Ubuntu is taking resources away from Debian is going to mean Ubuntu will be held to a higher standard than other derivatives. I think many of us would like to see Ubuntu be the best derivative and always do the right thing and that's why there's more pressure on Ubuntu than other derivatives. > Seriously, it's entirely unreasonable to single out Ubuntu on this issue. Perhaps so, but then Ubuntu's just another derivative and not the derivative many of us would like to see it be, and I expect the derivative that Ubuntu itself would like to be from a PR standpoint. Thanks, Stephen
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