Re: Question about -dev thread "Introduction of app-alternatives/coreutils"

On 3/24/26 10:54 AM, Jay Faulkner wrote:
>
>
> On 3/24/26 8:50 AM, Dale wrote:
>> I noticed that too.  It was like, 'I want to do a news item but I 
>> can't be bothered to just announce this to a LOT of people on the 
>> forum and - user mailing list and then also have to deal with all the 
>> feedback'. Thing is, if it was done that way, the feedback would 
>> likely have helped him prepare for what happened on -dev.  He would 
>> have been a lot more prepared and likely understand that changing the 
>> default package was not a good path and found a path that does work.  
>> It's not like there are no devs on the forums or this mailing list.  
>> It's not like none of them are willing to help either.  They there 
>> and they would help if they can.
>
> Doing the stuff is hard. I wouldn't read too much into the exchanges 
> on gentoo-dev. There's an expression: you don't always want to see how 
> the sausage is made. That mailing list discussion mirrors discussions 
> I've had in lots of venues -- other mailing lists, conference 
> hallways, meetings in corporations designing non-OSS software. It's 
> hard to thread the needle and it requires a lot of frank feedback to 
> get there.
>
> I don't know moltonel outside of this thread; but I've been impressed 
> with the attention to detail and graciousness with which they've 
> handled the feedback.
>
> I'm 100% serious: this is a sign of a functional, healthy community. 
> Problems start happening when people disagree but are too exhausted to 
> express it or help try to find the point where everyone is happy.
>
> -Jay Faulkner
>


Actually, -dev is a lot better than it used to be.  It used to be that 
if you posted on there, you need to be ready for several knock out 
punches.  Even well known and popular devs could expect it. Yes, they 
nitpick things but as you say, that is how it is supposed to be when 
trying to get as close to perfect as you can.  I've even noticed a typo 
or something on occasion and posted for a correction.  Rare but I've 
done it.  20 years ago, it was a different place.

While this doesn't seem to have worked out, the process pointed out the 
problems.  Now if they can fix the problems and try again, maybe it will 
have a better path and work a lot easier, especially for those not 
wanting to switch.  I suspect moltonel will be back tho. Gentoo is a 
distro that if you can get a package in and it work, then others will 
also pick it up.  I suspect that was the point, part of it at least, of 
coming to Gentoo.  Gentoo is good at finding compile problems, bugs and 
such.

BTW, I live close to where hot dogs, bologna and such was made. Closed 
now.  I know how that is made.  The only thing that came out of that 
place unused, the backbone.  It was shipped elsewhere for dog food.  
Nothing went to waste.  Oh, potted meat too.

Dale

:-)  :-)