Re: Re: A Call For Open Governance Of X Development (Egbert Eich)

Thanks for the support mate!  Keep it up!

David

On Fri, Mar 21, 2003 at 03:53:49PM -0600, Frank LaMonica wrote:

>FL-> XFree86 has evolved into a project with a much broader scope, so it is 
>logical to explore new ways to manage it if the current method is threatened. 
>This discussion was precipitated by current XFree86 management, and by 
>disgruntled developers who have "worked their butt off", but now feel they don't 
>have the voice they feel they deserve.
>
>My comments suggest just one possible way to manage diverse opinions in a way 
>that allows all parties to feel their voice is at least being heard.  Achieving 
>that *might* help to prevent a fork that would affect many, many people in an 
>extremely negative way.
>
>Successful organizations recognize the fact that it takes many people with many 
>different skill sets to maintain a viable organization.  There are some 
>excellent developers who also possess strong managerial skills.  Ideally, they 
>are the type of person who would lead technical organizations.  unfortunately, 
>there are many more great developers who not only lack managerial skills, but 
>who don't even recognize the value that good management brings to an 
>organization.  Technical people who start organizations that grow to global 
>proportions almost always relinquish managerial control to experienced managers 
>when the organization reaches a point where professional management is needed. 
>This has happened in so many successful large organizations, that it is almost 
>the expected evolution of a startup company.  Xfree86 has grown to global 
>proportions, and it needs to seriously consider whether or not its management is 
>best suited to continue into the future.  Only they have the power to make the 
>changes, and I sincerely hope they will thoughtfully consider ALL options.
>
>
>> How would this person feel if soemone happened to be elected 
>> to take over the leadership who has not written a single line 
>> of code for the project, but for example happens to be working 
>> for a "System integrator and distributors packaging X technology 
>> in various forms"?
>> Do you expect any serious developer would continue to work on
>> this project?
>FL-> If the elected person were qualified to manage the organization, there is 
>absolutely no need for that person to have ever written a line of code for any 
>project.  Yes, I personally think it is very helpful for managers to also be 
>technologists, that is NOT a prerequisite for great management.  I trust that 
>the majority of people who would vote on a management team for XFree86 would 
>care enough about the outcome that they would not care one iota if the person 
>"paid his or her dues" as a developer.  Managing the organization should not be 
>a reward for past technical achievements, it is a responsibility given to 
>someone or some group of people, to ensure that the right people are given the 
>right jobs within the organization to keep it successful into the future.  It is 
>also the job of management to look beyond the technical issues themselves, and 
>try to direct the organization's efforts in a manner that will best serve its 
>constituency.  I agree with Keith that the XFree86 constituency is very large 
>and that it must all be heard.  Good management doesn't interfere with good 
>developers, it supports them.  It also, however, supports the larger community 
>that depends on the technology being developed.
>
>

-- 
David Dawes
Release Engineer/Architect                      The XFree86 Project
www.XFree86.org/~dawes