Re: Discussing issues

On Mon, 14 Apr 2003, Alan Cox wrote:

> So you have no problem with Keith just getting on with XKeith86 in
> fact ?

   Lets cut the crap here.  If people were just complaining about
process problems, then those things can be solved.  Keith is
calling for "community governace".  From my point of view that
looks like he, and moreso, Jim, are advocating removing direction
of XFree86 out of the hands of the people who have contributed the
most to it and into the hands of the people who rely the most on it.
I think this is unprecedented in the open source world, and from
my point of view (as a significant contributor) I find it 
immoral.  I can hardly understand why Keith and Jim, developers
themselves, would be advocating such a thing unless they were
certain that they would be at the head of this new governance.

  I've stated this to other people before, but perhaps not here, 
so I'll say it now.  I will not work for an X-server project
who's agenda is set by people who are merely vested interests.

   I do not speak for the XFree86 core when I say this, but in
my opinion I think if Keith wants this form of "governance"
he's going to have to start his own project. 

   Many people on this list have viewed resistence to Keith as
one of resistence to fixing broken things in XFree86's processes.
This is not the case.  The XFree86 project wants to fix problems
with the processes, but the overshadowing problem is one of 
Keith's absurd assertions about how the XFree86 project should
be run and this is preventing things from coming to a conclusion
because the perception is that even if we fix the processes,
Keith is still going to be making threats as long as he's not
in charge.

   So, Keith, I think you either need to get over your governance
philosophies or you're going to need to go away and do your own
thing.  

  Here's a hint to help you decide.  I've spoken to alot of people
about this stuff, and the impression I get is that the largest
contributors pretty much unanimously agree that they would not be able
to work in a project run the way you are advocating.  You may end
up with alot of "community" support, but you're going to have less
support from necessary developers than you realize.  I am dedicated
to making extreme efforts to solve process problems within the
XFree86 project.  I wish you were too.


			Mark.