The debian-private mailing list leak, part 1. Volunteers have complained about Blackmail. Lynchings. Character assassination. Defamation. Cyberbullying. Volunteers who gave many years of their lives are picked out at random for cruel social experiments. The former DPL's girlfriend Molly de Blanc is given volunteers to experiment on for her crazy talks. These volunteers never consented to be used like lab rats. We don't either. debian-private can no longer be a safe space for the cabal. Let these monsters have nowhere to hide. Volunteers are not disposable. We stand with the victims.
[Date Prev][Date Next][Thread Prev][Thread Next][Date Index][Thread Index]

Debian's New Goal

It is my opinion that the new objective is not a good one...

1) OS Distributions (like the operating systems themselves) can be a very
personal thing.  Many people will fight to stay with what they have even
though everyone else has abandoned it.  Thus, I think you will have
tremendous problems trying to convert everyone over to "Base".  I think
you're more likely to get flamed than to get support.

2) Describing Debian as a "Base System" makes it sound incomplete and unable
to stand on it's own.  Because of that, new users are likely to avoid it like
the plague.  Debian's user base will slowly fade.

3) Package developers will start writing for other distributions.  Debian
won't be installed on their machines (since it is only a base system) and
any fact about Debian being in there somewhere will be unconsidered when
they show their efforts to the world.  The base will get smaller and smaller.

4) End vendors cannot win.  By using the same base system as others,
they lose all differentiation.  Packages can move seemlessly between all
distributions (based on Debian, that is).  Any work they put in will
go unrecognized as it just flows around.  They become nothing but a
middle man putting a wrapper around what others have made.


People do work on Linux for various reasons:
 - they make money selling CDs
 - they enjoy making/supporting a product that others use
 - they want to show off their abilities
 - they want to do something better than it has been done before.

It doesn't matter which of the above (or any combination) reasons a
distributor has, basing their work on others severely limits their
personal rewards.  Thus they will avoid doing so.


If what you really want is to provide a base, then you need to deal with
the other distribution makers directly.  Telling users in a public
announcement is pointless and will do nothing but hurt you.

In addition, I think users of any distribution but Debian would find that
release notice extremely arrogant.  To play the devil's advocate:  "Just
who the hell do you think you are to assume that your system is the best
and we should all start using it?"


I think the best way to proceed is much as you have been (though at a
faster pace).  Make a solid and full distribution.  Encourage specialty
distributions to derive from Debian.  Talk with other distributors and
try to merge where possible.  The primary focus, though, needs to be
a complete and solid distribution that stands on its own.


That's gotta be at least $.09...

                                        Brian
                               ( bcwhite@verisim.com )

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    In theory, theory and practice are the same.  In practice, they're not.