Re: Invitation

On Mon, Mar 24, 2003 at 05:11:53PM -0000, Rob Taylor wrote:
>>  >
>>  > CVS access seems only to be granted to core team members, and
>> that is why I
>>  > consider the idea of opening that group up to new members to
>> be significant.
>>  > If CVS access were granted to non-core-team-members, that would change.
>>
>> I do see an issue with timely application of patches.
>> Do you feel you need commit access to be able to do
>> your work properly?
>>
>
>Here we have the core of the issue - i've posted off to xfree86-patches at
>least a couple of bug-fixes, and they seem to have been completely ignored
>(I posted them nearly a year ago, so dont tell me its because no-one has got
>round to them yet). The net result- i maintain my own local patches for the
>project i work on, and if anyone hits aforementioned bugs, i can only hope
>they find my postings from the time..

I don't recall if you discussed the issue on any of the public mailing lists
(at that time, "xpert" would have been the relevant list).  On April 30 2002
you submitted a fix for multiple touchscreens under xinerama.  I did look
at it.  From the wording in your submission, I was expecting a
followup after you'd done some further investigations.  It looks
like that was a misunderstanding on my part.  I'm confident that
our new bugzilla will help in minimising this type of miscommunication.

>I know the XFree86 code base pretty well, have bug fixed it and written
>video and input drivers for it, and have development interests, but theres
>no way i'm going to do any more work than is *absolutely necessary* for the
>product i maintain at the moment as no code i write has any way of makeing
>out to the rest of the users and developers out there. There's a big brick
>wall and I've not been able to get though it. For example, i'd love to get
>XRandR working with Xinerama, but all querys i make as to what the issues
>are, and who to liase with are met with complete silence.

I can't explain to you why those initiating the call for changes
(Keith and Jim) didn't respond to your questions about their RandR
work and how to make it work with Xinerama.  But then again, they
don't have it fully integrated with XFree86 yet (after how long?),
and that was with a core team position, commit access, and a very
free hand for three years.  I guess this is kindof a sore point to
me because I am very disappointed that there was more effort put
into publicising RandR than in implementing and integrating it.
I've learnt a big lesson though on how this approach pays off when
it comes to public perception.

>> Also I don't understand the 'membership' issue here. Can't anyone
>> just consider herself/himself as part of a group without formal
>> membership?
>>
>
>How can someone consider themselves part of a group if the heart of that
>group completely ignores their existance???

Maybe you need to push a little harder.  My first submissions to the
Linux kernel were totally ignored, so I pushed a little harder.  That
seemed to do the trick.

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