Glanz
April 15th, 2005, 02:13 PM
Branden Robinson has won the 2005 Debian Project Leader (DPL) election (http://lists.debian.org/debian-vote/2005/04/msg00028.html).
The following is an excerpt from a recent Linux-Mag interview (http://www.linux-mag.com/content/view/1870/2107/).
Ubuntu is a mixed blessing, but one with a net positive. It has helped raise Debian's profile in a mostly positive way (that it has thrown the unpredictability of Debian's release cycle into stark relief is not their fault); it has served to excite people and attract them to the GNU/Linux system, winning over some adherents from proprietary OSes; it has attracted some of Debian's more impatient users without losing them to Fedora, which keeps them in the Debian family while also satisfying them while we work to get our release taken care of; and it has provided gainful, rewarding employment to many Debian developers -- it has helped give people jobs where they get paid to pursue their passions.
The downside is that Ubuntu has prompted some people to come to doubt Debian's "relevance". As a consumer of Debian's OS with a derivative product, I think Canonical could do more to emphasize just how much of a service Debian does provide. If Debian were to vanish tomorrow, Canonical would be in a bit of a bind. They would have a great foundation to work from, but even with their relatively high staffing levels for a going Debian-based concern (I refer here to engineers and QA folks directly working on the Ubuntu distribution), but I have doubts that they could sustain it in the long term without Debian continuing to serve as this massive engine. Those who complain about the stagnation of Debian's stable release in contrast to Ubuntu's would do well to remember that Debian's *unstable* distribution is the wellspring of Ubuntu's stable one.
Finally, while I hope I'm misinterpreting this, I have seen comments from some Canonical employees that seem to regard Debian as more of an obstacle than a partner. If that's accurate, I don't think it's a healthy attitude -- a significant part of what makes Debian the success that it is, is its independence from corporate direction. Asking Debian developers to eat whatever Canonical feeds them is wrongheaded; as Canonical enjoys the freedom to deviate from stock Debian package where and as necessary, so too must Debian developers retain their independence.
To Canonical, and to Ubuntu's volunteers, I say, "thank you for helping keep Debian great!" From them, as from any Debian derivative, I ask that they work as our partners. Be an advocate for your ideas -- please don't simply throw them over a wall and expect Debian to treat them as Mosaic tablets. Each organization must start from the premise that the other team consists of fundamentally ration people -- and rational people tend to eschew appeals to authority, preferring logical premises instead.
I reiterate that this is a relatively minor problem. For the most part, I see high levels of cooperation, much friendliness and mutual respect, and good code flowing both ways. I think there are few challenges posed by Ubuntu that Debian can't meet a with a Sarge release and a refactored release process.
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Nota bene: In the interview, he also states: "Secondly, I want to capitalize on Debian's continuing position as the most significant GNU/Linux distribution to be unfettered by corporate entanglements. That position enables us in many ways to serve as a conscience for the community, and I'd like to put that into stronger relief during my tenure."
I can accept that as literary license, but not in reality. He did say "...in many ways", which does qualify the semantical charge of the overall statement. The fact is, I personally do not accept someone else or an organization acting as a conscience for me. My conscience is not a democracy, nor is it part of what is left of the Debian Social Contract, nor is it concerned with the "Communist Manifesto" or the Holy Bible. My conscience is a dictatorship and I am the dictator.
anarchism (http://packages.debian.org/testing/doc/anarchism) (11.1-1)An exhaustive exploration of Anarchist theory and practice
The Anarchist FAQ is an excellent source of information regarding Anarchist (libertarian socialist) theory and practice. It covers all major topics, from the basics of Anarchism to very specific discussions of politics, social organization, and economics.
The following is an excerpt from a recent Linux-Mag interview (http://www.linux-mag.com/content/view/1870/2107/).
Ubuntu is a mixed blessing, but one with a net positive. It has helped raise Debian's profile in a mostly positive way (that it has thrown the unpredictability of Debian's release cycle into stark relief is not their fault); it has served to excite people and attract them to the GNU/Linux system, winning over some adherents from proprietary OSes; it has attracted some of Debian's more impatient users without losing them to Fedora, which keeps them in the Debian family while also satisfying them while we work to get our release taken care of; and it has provided gainful, rewarding employment to many Debian developers -- it has helped give people jobs where they get paid to pursue their passions.
The downside is that Ubuntu has prompted some people to come to doubt Debian's "relevance". As a consumer of Debian's OS with a derivative product, I think Canonical could do more to emphasize just how much of a service Debian does provide. If Debian were to vanish tomorrow, Canonical would be in a bit of a bind. They would have a great foundation to work from, but even with their relatively high staffing levels for a going Debian-based concern (I refer here to engineers and QA folks directly working on the Ubuntu distribution), but I have doubts that they could sustain it in the long term without Debian continuing to serve as this massive engine. Those who complain about the stagnation of Debian's stable release in contrast to Ubuntu's would do well to remember that Debian's *unstable* distribution is the wellspring of Ubuntu's stable one.
Finally, while I hope I'm misinterpreting this, I have seen comments from some Canonical employees that seem to regard Debian as more of an obstacle than a partner. If that's accurate, I don't think it's a healthy attitude -- a significant part of what makes Debian the success that it is, is its independence from corporate direction. Asking Debian developers to eat whatever Canonical feeds them is wrongheaded; as Canonical enjoys the freedom to deviate from stock Debian package where and as necessary, so too must Debian developers retain their independence.
To Canonical, and to Ubuntu's volunteers, I say, "thank you for helping keep Debian great!" From them, as from any Debian derivative, I ask that they work as our partners. Be an advocate for your ideas -- please don't simply throw them over a wall and expect Debian to treat them as Mosaic tablets. Each organization must start from the premise that the other team consists of fundamentally ration people -- and rational people tend to eschew appeals to authority, preferring logical premises instead.
I reiterate that this is a relatively minor problem. For the most part, I see high levels of cooperation, much friendliness and mutual respect, and good code flowing both ways. I think there are few challenges posed by Ubuntu that Debian can't meet a with a Sarge release and a refactored release process.
=========================================
Nota bene: In the interview, he also states: "Secondly, I want to capitalize on Debian's continuing position as the most significant GNU/Linux distribution to be unfettered by corporate entanglements. That position enables us in many ways to serve as a conscience for the community, and I'd like to put that into stronger relief during my tenure."
I can accept that as literary license, but not in reality. He did say "...in many ways", which does qualify the semantical charge of the overall statement. The fact is, I personally do not accept someone else or an organization acting as a conscience for me. My conscience is not a democracy, nor is it part of what is left of the Debian Social Contract, nor is it concerned with the "Communist Manifesto" or the Holy Bible. My conscience is a dictatorship and I am the dictator.
anarchism (http://packages.debian.org/testing/doc/anarchism) (11.1-1)An exhaustive exploration of Anarchist theory and practice
The Anarchist FAQ is an excellent source of information regarding Anarchist (libertarian socialist) theory and practice. It covers all major topics, from the basics of Anarchism to very specific discussions of politics, social organization, and economics.