On 14:05 Fri 13 Mar     , Michael Higgins wrote:
> I believe, rather, that the issue is the 'community' appears more like 
> a 'cabal' when the discussions take place on #IRC and therefore aren't 
> available in public archives.

This is kind of like saying: "I don't read the Gentoo forums, so 
everything that happens on the forums is a cabal." When you specifically 
choose not to participate in an entire method of communication, it's 
your choice to leave yourself out. A cabal is totally different -- it 
doesn't give you that choice by never even telling you there is a place 
where discussions happen.

> Even if they are, an IRC log is a *terrible* way to document an issue.

I agree. So is a mailing-list archive that is also never summarized. 
It's not the location that makes it a problem, it's the volume of 
information and the lack of a summary of important decisions or long, 
important discussions.

> You all get more closely knit, perhaps, yet appear to do more *in 
> secret*. There is *no way* to find out what is going on, without 
> becoming part of the problem... by asking, or lurking, on IRC. This is 
> bad.

I can't agree with your assertion that IRC is secretive, is a problem or 
is bad. I think completely the opposite in all cases. Secretive would be 
a closed IRC network that we didn't tell non-developers about or didn't 
allow them to join.

-- 
Thanks,
Donnie

Donnie Berkholz
Developer, Gentoo Linux
Blog: http://dberkholz.wordpress.com