Re: Proposed change to Debian constitution
Edward Brocklesby <ejb@klamath.dhis.org> writes:
> [1 <text/plain; us-ascii (7bit)>]
> Hi,
>
> The attached document details a modification written by Zephaniah E. Hull
> and I, which I am proposing as an amendment to the Debian Constitution.
> This hopefully solves one or two problems we have identified in Debian,
> namely closed teams (new-maintainer, ftp maint etc.), stagnation of these
> teams, and the current issue of new maintainer being closed.
>
> Please offer sensible, well considered, useful comments. Replies from
> rude, abrasive people (you know who you are) will be ignored.
>
> Diolch, Edward.
> [2 Debian constitution changes <text/plain; us-ascii (7bit)>]
> [...]
>
> 3. The Project Leader's Delegate(s) may decide not to admit any new
> Developers (close the New Maintainer process), until the next
> release of debian, provided Developers are in favour of this
> by a 3:1 majority. New Maintainer may be reopened either when the
> Developers agree to do so by a 3:1 majority, or the next version
> of Debian has been released. New maintainer may be closed for longer
> than this time only if a General Resolution is passed.
What are the reasons for ever not letting new maintainers in?
I saw some objections:
1. New maintainer mean new packages mean new bugs, which is why no new
maintainer should be allowed in during a freeze.
New maintainer might upload new packages, which go to unstable and can
NEVER go to frozen or stable without good reason. Therefore new
maintainer can NEVER introduce new bugs to frozen/stable by
debianizing new packages.
2. New maintainer could break existing packages and during freeze that
could result in a broken release.
If anyone just tampers with an existing package the maintainer will
surely scream enough to get any new (or old) maintainer back in
line. If a new (or old) maintainer misbehavious he doesn´t follows the
debian way and should be removed, but giving jugment in advance (by
not allowing anyone in) isn´t right. The chance that something nasty
happens is too small to justify the punishment to any new maintainer
and to the debian and free software community. If you realy thing
thats a problem, forbid NMU´s by new maintainers.
If you have any good reason why not to let people become maintainer at
any time, please state them.
In my eyes new maintainer mean more hands to do the work and people
who are new to the project will probably spend far more time than old
maintainers, which makes up for their lack of experience (if they lack
that). Becomming a maintainer isn´t that easy, so people appling will
do good work for some time before becoming tired. They will work late
hours and spend a lot more time than old maintainers do. New
maintainers are offering their spare time to work for debian and all
they get to hear is that too much work is to be done, come back in 3
month when the release is out, if they get an answere at all. (Thats
what I got when I first wanted to become maintainer a long time
ago). Its not right, not fair and not good for Debian.
May the Source be with you.
Goswin
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