[gentoo-user] Re: Daniel Robbins' come back ?

[James]

Mick <michaelkintzios <at> gmail.com> writes:


> >  The problem is, and is not, legal papers.
> > Because, IMO, legal papers are the visible part of an Iceberg. Could
> > someone tell me what *really* is the crisis ? If people did not do what
> > they were supposed to do : what should they have done ?

Excellent point. I ask the question. Exactly what is Daniel proposing
that has everyone so opposed to his return. Don't give generalized
bullshit answers, BE PRECISE.....


The current lack of mature, focused leadership, by folks that are
technically and financially successful is apparent if one just reads this
list over a period of time. I say this as a mature Engineer with 
a Master's Degree in Computer Science. I make a good living out of
my garage, and I've owned and sold several business for a nice
profit, over the years......

(pisssst, I'm willing to coach the 'young punks' that make gentoo the wonderful
distro it is, if they are willing to listen to my ideas. Let the community
vote and decide. FUNDING is not a problem. FOCUS is the problem with Gentoo
IMHO. Gentoo has issues with FUNDING, because of how it presents itself.
Not having a clean, well oiled installation semantic is like meeting someone
for the first time with green, rotten teeth and bad breathe that would
stop a train. First impressions only happen once. The installation
process is the first meeting (impression) for gentoo.......



> I am equally agnostic of Gentoo management politics, albeit grateful that
> people volunteer their time and effort to keep it going.  From the little
> exposure that I have had to it all it seems to me that Alan's views ring
> depressingly true.  I read Daniel's blog and cannot disagree with what he
> suggests - it makes common sense that users views and desires should
> determine Gentoo's direction, but I have not read between the lines to see
> how might his proposals lead to directions that I would not readily agree
> with.


This is such a simple issue to deal with. Before you (the gentoo community
agree to let him be in charge, you put a group of other folks on the board
of directors (elders). Allowing anyone to be president (in charge of the daily
activities) and CEO, (the long range strategic focus) is a bad idea.  It's
called a balance of power, and that is fundamental to any successful
organization.


> "I very much want to find a way to turn the Gentoo Linux project into a
> profitable enterprise. My main motivation in wanting to do this is so I can
> stop living from paycheck to paycheck and focus my professional efforts
> exclusively on Gentoo Linux development. Many of our developers would like to
> do the same thing"

The daily (tribal) leaders should be accountable to the elders, when the elders
say they need to be accountable. (PERIOD). It's just like parenting
or running a corporation. Hopefully, as the organization matures, becomes
accomplished and  significant progress is achieved (natural things in the
coarse of becoming successful) the interaction between the elders (Board of
Directors and the tribal (fiefdom/team) leaders become less and less.
As time progresses, elders retire (to successful start up companies and the
tribal leaders migrate to the BOD or directly to successful startup companies
centric to gentoo.......


> (I am not critisizing this statement of his; after all I would
> very much like to
> find myself a sustainable way of being able to do what I like - without
> having to spend the biggest part of my day in my current job.)

How about listening to those who have done this already?

I could self fund a gentoo startup, tonight, with the right group
of focused individuals..... (see my previous postings on 
building a gentoo meta package for ecommerce....... as just one 
example. Or the camera to embedded gentoo device in another thread.
If you want a degree from a university, you have to do it the way
of those (with degrees) that run the university. If you want money
in your pockets (as an entrepreneur) then you have to listen to
those entrepreneurs willing to share there success with you.


> Giving a free hand to any single person is not safe in my humble view,
> especially if that person is employed by Microsoft - I will find hard to rest
> assured that there will be no conflict of interest.


I thinks the revelation that he has left MS and abandoned several 
other ventures means he has also 'matured' to the point of 
looking for a fresh start with at least modest success.

> On the other hand it
> seems that Gentoo desperately needs *mature* leadership, which can fulfill
> some rather significant responsibilities.


No, surely you are pulling my leg here.....?

This is rather simple. Anyone with strong to elite skills send me your resume
and tell me what kind of business you'd like to own. I'll surf through
the desires and ideas and pick one (or use one I like) and fund the
startup and give the key persons stock in a company you help start....

On the otherhand I've posted serveral times about the entrepreneurial
endeavor and few on the list seem interested. If you are not interested
then you are doomed to be a 'wage-slave' the rest of your life. 

Anyone with balls and elite skills? (ps, you and even keep your
pathetic day job).


> From what I read the current
> Gentoo administration and management setup does not seem to be able
> to behave with the professionalism required to achieve that.



This is far simpler. A group of a few can form an idea, get funding (me)
agree on a legal document (so you have proof that I'm  not out to cheat
anyone, including myself) and a viable product idea (done this lots of times)
build a product (my wife's company does this for dozens of companies)
and take it to market.

 
> This makes me anxious for the future of Gentoo.

You and many on this list are anxious, because you have not been financially
successful as an entrepreneur. Once you get your first successful startup
under your belt, life becomes much sweeter.

Don't be a pussy! Be a man!, Be bold and take a few chances....
A successful startup (company) group from the loins of gentoo
is exactly what this distro needs to get it's priorities 'in focus'.


I read one poster that blasted Ciaran McCreesh....
Also recently, I read a thread where he created an alternative
to portage, and that many respected techies on this list actually
use his replacement for portage. The poster that blasted Ciaran, misses
a simple point. (Machiavellian aside). You have break some eggs to
create an omlette. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niccol%C3%B2_Machiavelli

My wife is a very successful computer engineer (hundreds of products).
She is vile and very rough on EEs that design hardware. Only the
most competent hardware designers can work with her. Their eggos are
often bruised when their selection of uP/DSP/processor is not 
robust for the product they envision...... Get over it!
The planet is ruled by those with mental fortitude (PERIOD).
Most of her customers come from referrals or from semiconductor
representatives directly.

You don't like this, take it up with the author of the universe
(whomever you believe that is).....

Gentoo needs leadership that is accountable to the user community
but also bound to a set of bylaws that we agree with. Keeping the
distro free is paramount, but, creating avenues for financial success
for products and services centric to gentoo is a necessary
requisite too, IMHO.


James

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