Valuing non-code contributions -- was Re: systemd - so much energy wasted in quarreling

[Rob Owens <rowens@ptd.net>]

----- Original Message -----
> From: <____@debian.org>

> Debian also was always and will always stay technically defined by those
> volunteering to make it what it is. By extension, it is explicitly not
> defined by those not putting work (but only words) into it; unmaintained
> software and code paths are routinely removed when not enough volunteers
> keep the things working, and that's a good thing.

I don't mean to single out the poster of this comment, because it is something I've seen repeated by several Debian developers and some non-developers.  Other forms of it are "If you want that fixed, please submit a patch", or the response I got to bug 762116, "Code changes the world".

This type of comment says to me that my contributions to Debian are useless if they are not in the form of code.  Like many here, I am not a coder.  My words *are* my contribution.  They come in the form of bug reports.  They come in the form of technical discussion and (hopefully) clearly-stated needs/desires for certain functionality.  They come in the form of convincing others to try Debian and bringing more users into our ecosystem -- users who may contribute in the same ways I have, or maybe even submit patches.

So developers, I know you are volunteers.  I don't expect you to do my bidding.  But I think some of you could be more appreciative or accepting of non-code contributions.  The "code is everything" attitude comes off as elitist, and I don't think that is truly how you mean to be.  Code is certainly necessary, but it is not everything.  The non-coders want Debian to succeed, too, and their contributions may come in the form of discussion about the right thing, the useful thing, the way to provide flexibility, the way to guarantee freedom, etc.

The fact that Debian has a constitution and a social contract is evidence that Debian is more than just code.  So please consider that before dismissing the discussions/contributions/desires/opinions of the non-coders out there.

-Rob

PS:  A big "thank you" to all who have made positive contributions to Debian.