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Good day everyone: |
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First, I would like to thank all of those who have participated in this conversation, and lambaste those who have decided to start a flame war. In order for *anything* to get figured out, it is the latter that need time to discuss all avenues rationally. |
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Now for my rebuttal: |
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Perhaps the most resistance that I have seen stems from the fear the I am proposing a bureaucracy to impose upon the Gentoo that we a all know and love. In a way, yes, I am proposing such a thing. |
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I will be the first to admit that I do not like big government, weighed down policies, and massive bureaucracy. So why would I propose something like this? |
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Over the past year that I have been developing for Gentoo Linux, I have seen a major change not only in our user base, but in development itself. The statistics that I have heard on our user base are shocking. When I started developing, there were about 25K or so users; at this point, there are over 250K. While my numbers may not be accurate, they surely portray the greatly heightened mindshare in Gentoo Linux. |
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Step back for a minute and recognize the ramifications of those numbers. The product that we baby and work on is used by over a _quarter of a million_ people. Over a _quarter of a million_ people rely on our QA procedure for stable packages, our security, our openness. No matter what your political philosophy, this fact should awe you. |
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So how can me still deliver the same quality product to all of these people? Organization, rules, and voting, to name a few. I referenced Debian because they have an exceptional model that is in place and working. Yes, I know that Debian is not bleeding edge and their releases take forever. Think though, have you ever heard a complaint about Debian's stability, not only in Debian Linux, but in their management as well? |
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With over 200 developers (correct me if I am wrong Kurt), Gentoo has started to come of age. Like any precocious teenager, Gentoo needs guidance. It is time to grow up and realize what exactly we are doing here, and realize that while utopian ideals are nice, they do not work, and do not apply to the real world. |
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Once again, I encourage you all to perpetuate this dialogue with open and intellectual posts. Flame bait and/ or flames do nothing but hinder the process of figuring out what needs to be done. |
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Regards, |
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//zhen |
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-- |
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John Davis |
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Gentoo Linux Developer |
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<http://www.gentoo.org/~zhen> |
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Knowledge can be more terrible than ignorance if you're powerless to change your world. |
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