Re: Call for vote: Impeachment of the president

[Ioannis Tambouras <ioannis@flinet.com>]

Dale Scheetz wrote:

> I agree, this is the only way that Anarchy or Democracy can function. We
> each must take responsibility for our contribution. You can't leave it up
> to your leaders to make your decisions for you.


 As a previous member of two other Internet projects, I wish to 
share my experiences with you. Managing projects via email is difficult, even 
the pros will brake down. Those two projects were managed mostly be
the best of managers: businessmen, admirals, generals, and union bosses. People 
of considerable experience with the management of millions of dollars and
millions of men. The form of government on the first project was a
dictatorship, clear lines of command, no votes, no leadership changes, with
great emphasis good manners between the members. With this system,
everyone was happy and the project achieved excellent results within a
year.

 The second project was to ride on the success of the first. It was meant to
be more prestigious and membership was extremely selective. Admission was
limited to the best and brightest of project_1, and persons more distinguished
distinguished in their field: soon we had the best PR men and even better
generals. The form of government was democratic and proved fatal: members 
would raise to the podium and argue about anything they liked to talk about,
everyone could vote on things. Anarchy soon followed, and even THE
BEST OF MANAGERS were helpless and could not govern. The situation
deteriorated, members were constantly resigning and their possision was filled
again with the next of the brightest from project_1. After few months, there
was nothing left more to destroy: no more project 2, and no more project 1.


 While reflecting on the various opinions expressed at times in this list, it
becomes obvious that most of those opinions (albeit contradicting) are 
inherently correct. But, they differ in in assumptions, in degrees of 
perfection, in focus, or in short vs. long term objectives. All opinions are 
fine, but we cannot afford to follow 200+ trains of thought. Let only one or 
three dictators govern, there is little need to tear our stomachs pulling 
Debian towards countless directions, yet without moving an inch, it is a 
million times better for all (managerial) decisions to arrive from the top. 
Let those who want to do debian management worry all about that. It is much 
preferable for computer experts to deal with computers, and management experts 
devote to managing.
  

  Democratic procedures never made any sense to me. Creating the BoD was a
mistake, that is were politics run high. It will soon become apparent
why our best and brightest who enter politics will later resign.
I urge you to refrain from institutionalizing either anarchy or democracy. 
It is doomed to fail, for I have seen it fail under the best of managers.
Let the managers govern as _they_ see fit, we will take the good with the bad. 





-- 
Ioannis Tambouras 
ioannis@flinet.com, West Palm Beach, Florida
Signed pgp-key on key server. 



-- 
Ioannis Tambouras 
ioannis@flinet.com, West Palm Beach, Florida
Signed pgp-key on key server.