From owner-freebsd-hackers@FreeBSD.ORG Tue Jan 6 09:07:38 2004 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org Received: from mx1.FreeBSD.org (mx1.freebsd.org [216.136.204.125]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id DE14B16A4CE; Tue, 6 Jan 2004 09:07:38 -0800 (PST) Received: from smtp.omnis.com (smtp.omnis.com [216.239.128.26]) by mx1.FreeBSD.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 819B043D1F; Tue, 6 Jan 2004 09:07:37 -0800 (PST) (envelope-from wes@softweyr.com) Received: from softweyr.homeunix.net (66-91-236-204.san.rr.com [66.91.236.204]) by smtp-relay.omnis.com (Postfix) with ESMTP id C30855B6D1; Tue, 6 Jan 2004 09:07:34 -0800 (PST) From: Wes Peters Organization: Softweyr To: Brett Glass , "Munden, Randall J" , "Maxim Hermion" , Date: Tue, 6 Jan 2004 09:07:34 -0800 User-Agent: KMail/1.5.4 References: <79B4EAB03B5E4649A740A8C1452F60643523EE@y6001a.umb.corp.umb.com> <6.0.0.22.2.20040105121215.0465f8a0@localhost> In-Reply-To: <6.0.0.22.2.20040105121215.0465f8a0@localhost> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-Id: <200401060907.34459.wes@softweyr.com> cc: freebsd-chat@freebsd.org Subject: Re: Where is FreeBSD going? X-BeenThere: freebsd-hackers@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.1 Precedence: list List-Id: Technical Discussions relating to FreeBSD List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Tue, 06 Jan 2004 17:07:39 -0000 On Monday 05 January 2004 11:14 am, Brett Glass wrote: > I'd like to see a more open and inclusive form of governance for > FreeBSD. The current system of governance has, as its underlying > assumption, that the most prolific coders make the best leaders. > In my personal experience, this isn't a valid assumption. System > administrators and end users have a big stake in FreeBSD, and are > just as likely (perhaps more likely) to be good leaders for the > project. The current system of governance is open and inclusive of those who have demonstrated the talent, ability, and willingness to be contributors to FreeBSD. The current core team is made up of a mix of big-time coders like Peter and Warner, and small-time coders like myself (now slightly below middle of the pack on commits) and a variety of other skills. I strongly encourage all FreeBSD committers to continuously watch for people who might be good core team members. Watch for leadership, for a sense of fair play, and for the ability to steer FreeBSD, from both technical and organizational viewpoints. Look for someone with 'the big picture,' and a vision of where FreeBSD is headed that you share. Somebody whose viewpoint doesn't extend beyond the virtual memory system, for instance, may be critical to the success of a kernel, but that doesn't necessarily make them the best person to steer a complex product that brings 10,000 applications along with it. We don't appear to have anyone like that on core now, and I doubt we will in the future. Programmers, system administrators, end users, and anyone else who wants to contribute to FreeBSD are welcome to contribute in whatever way they can. Anyone can file a PR about any aspect of the system they find troubling, or delightful, or have a better way of doing. Strike up a relationship with a committer or two (or twenty), let your ability and willingness to work be known, and become a committer too. 400 or so of your peers have already done it. -- Where am I, and what am I doing in this handbasket? Wes Peters wes@softweyr.com