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On Mon, Jul 19, 2004 at 07:20:24PM +0100 or thereabouts, Ciaran McCreesh wrote: |
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> * The ability to arbitrarily suspend or remove developers (without |
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> providing notice or reason to the people who actually work with the |
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> developer in question). |
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I don't think expecting advance notice is reasonable, but I personally |
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would agree that at least a vague reason is appropriate. (i.e. "He was rude |
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to a user") |
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> * The ability to decide to change the mentor for a new developer without |
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> even bothering to tell the original mentor, let alone providing a reason |
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> to the people involved. |
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As I discussed with you on IRC, this was a miscommunication. |
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> * The ability to impose arbitrary restrictions upon what developers are |
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> and are not allowed to say on IRC and the mailing lists. |
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I have seen this and I strongly disagreed with it then and now. I don't |
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believe it is *ever* appropriate for devrel to censor devs, whether it be |
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temporarily or permanently. As long as it is done professionally and |
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courteously, devs should be able to express themselves freely imo. |
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> I'm sure devrel aren't actively out to set themselves up as the new |
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> spanish inquisition. However, it seems I'm not the only one that's |
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> noticed them moving from a "helping developers" role to "policing |
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> developers" instead, and I'd like to know what devrel's stance on this |
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> is. |
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Honestly, it's not devrel's place to decide what their role in the project |
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is. That responsibility belongs to the developers themselves. If folks |
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believe devrel is overstepping their bounds, then let's discuss it and work |
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at re-defining those bounds. After reading the etiquette section of the |
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handbook this morning, I certainly felt like devrel (of which I am a |
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member) had gone a bit far. |
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Please keep in mind, though, that "devrel" isn't a faceless body. It's |
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made up of fellow volunteers who are trying to do their best. They're |
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allowed to make mistakes just like the rest of us are. Venting your |
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frustrations may make you feel better, but I'm not sure it really does much |
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to solve the actual problem at hand. Bring ideas and suggestions to the |
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table, but please leave the barbs and venom at home. |
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--kurt |
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