Re: on the irresponsibility of pursuing C language reform

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From: Alejandro Colomar <[email protected]>
To: "G. Branden Robinson" <[email protected]>
Cc: Sam James <[email protected]>, Joseph Myers <[email protected]>, 
	[email protected], Keith Bostic <[email protected]>, 
	Mark Harris <[email protected]>, Nevin Liber <[email protected]>, 
	JeanHeyd Meneide <[email protected]>, Christopher Bazley <[email protected]>, 
	"Serge E. Hallyn" <[email protected]>, Iker Pedrosa <[email protected]>, 
	"Evgeny Grin (Karlson2k)" <[email protected]>, Kees Cook <[email protected]>, [email protected], 
	[email protected], Douglas McIlroy <[email protected]>
Subject: Re: on the irresponsibility of pursuing C language reform
Message-ID: <am5fMCFsvAAaukym@devuan>
References: <[email protected]>
 <784288e704183a4297aeaa3d13af8edab18bc1ea.1785532392.git.alx@kernel.org>
 <[email protected]>
 <20260731215122.4p4aepsbgeoibx74@illithid>
 <[email protected]>
 <am3XeGZyi1Pvr77-@devuan>
 <[email protected]>
 <20260801201849.hzg6ufqxmwi2efzz@illithid>
 <am5Y5g4CltGIBwlE@devuan>
 <20260801205226.jta53rrxkglmpv6q@illithid>
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In-Reply-To: <20260801205226.jta53rrxkglmpv6q@illithid>

Hi Branden,

> Date: 2026-08-01 15:52:26-0500
> From: "G. Branden Robinson" <[email protected]>
>
> Hi Alex,
>=20
> At 2026-08-01T22:42:09+0200, Alejandro Colomar wrote:
> > That's public, and has been since the begining.  It's published in the
> > git repository:
>=20
> I knew it was there somewhere.  (I see now--prominently, even!)

:)

>=20
> > 	$ cat SPONSORS
> > 	Google               <https://opensource.google/>
> > 	Hudson River Trading <https://www.hudsonrivertrading.com/>
> > 	Meta                 <https://www.meta.com/>
>=20
> I don't think many occasions call for you to quote the file contents.

In every release, I do it.  For example, see the last one:

<https://lore.kernel.org/linux-man/aekjQuAEaq1ILKAa@devuan/>

	> From: Alejandro Colomar <[email protected]>
	> To: [email protected]
	> Cc: [email protected], [email protected]
	> Subject: man-pages-6.18 released
	> Date: Wed, 22 Apr 2026 22:04:52 +0200	[thread overview]
	> Message-ID: <aekjQuAEaq1ILKAa@devuan> (raw)
	>=20
	> Gidday!
	>=20
	> I'm proud to announce:
	>=20
	> 	man-pages-6.18 - manual pages for GNU+Linux
	>=20
	...
	>=20
	> Thanks to all the contributors to this release (in BCC)!
	> And thanks to our sponsors!
	>=20
	> 	$ sort --random-sort <SPONSORS;
	> 	Meta                 <https://www.meta.com/>
	> 	Hudson River Trading <https://www.hudsonrivertrading.com/>
	> 	Google               <https://opensource.google/>

Properly random-sorted, to avoid any preferences.  In the actual file,
they're sorted alphabetically.  I haven't even asked how much money each
of them pays to me, because I don't want to know.  I only get the total
amount through the Linux Foundation.  (But FWIW, I guess the three pay
the same.)

> In your position I would simply have the URL to this file handy for any
> occasion where someone takes a run at my transparency.

Yup.

> In fact I think your approach to disclosure is near-optimal.

I've been thinking that I should disclose the total amount in the commit
messages that update the file.

>  In my view
> it is strongly superior to slathering acknowledgements of your sponsors
> on all of your emails in your capacity as Linux man-pages maintainer,
> which would degrade software engineering into something like NASCAR.

I do in the releases, but since they only happen a few times a year,
I guess it's okay.

> (There I go, alienating yet another fan community...)
>=20
> Regards,
> Branden


Cheers,
Alex

--=20
<https://www.alejandro-colomar.es>

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