From owner-freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Fri Jan 11 17:36:38 2008 Return-Path: Delivered-To: freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Received: from mx1.freebsd.org (mx1.freebsd.org [IPv6:2001:4f8:fff6::34]) by hub.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id B763C16A46B; Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:36:38 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from linimon@lonesome.com) Received: from mail.soaustin.net (lefty.soaustin.net [66.135.55.46]) by mx1.freebsd.org (Postfix) with ESMTP id 8C99213C46E; Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:36:38 +0000 (UTC) (envelope-from linimon@lonesome.com) Received: by mail.soaustin.net (Postfix, from userid 502) id 27F1B8C132; Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:36:38 -0600 (CST) Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 11:36:38 -0600 To: Timo Schoeler Message-ID: <20080111173638.GA32066@soaustin.net> References: <47873B06.9010603@riscworks.net> <200801111058.m0BAwAMG001075@lurza.secnetix.de> <20080111140144.59498431.timo.schoeler@riscworks.net> <47876B39.3040703@FreeBSD.org> <20080111145128.abb76a0a.timo.schoeler@riscworks.net> <20080111150057.GA88016@owl.midgard.homeip.net> <20080111161756.0ad5956f.timo.schoeler@riscworks.net> MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Disposition: inline In-Reply-To: <20080111161756.0ad5956f.timo.schoeler@riscworks.net> User-Agent: Mutt/1.5.13 (2006-08-11) From: linimon@lonesome.com (Mark Linimon) X-Mailman-Approved-At: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:57:35 +0000 Cc: Kris Kennaway , freebsd-current@FreeBSD.ORG Subject: Re: FreeBSD's problems as seen by the BSDForen.de community X-BeenThere: freebsd-current@freebsd.org X-Mailman-Version: 2.1.5 Precedence: list List-Id: Discussions about the use of FreeBSD-current List-Unsubscribe: , List-Archive: List-Post: List-Help: List-Subscribe: , X-List-Received-Date: Fri, 11 Jan 2008 17:36:38 -0000 On Fri, Jan 11, 2008 at 04:17:56PM +0100, Timo Schoeler wrote: > I don't have priorities on what he's working on, but the > project/community has. And as he's part of this community -- he chose > being part of it -- he should do what is best for the community. Not > what is 2nd or 3rd best. Period. About once a year we see someone advocate this opinion. This is not the way FreeBSD works. No obligation is created by any commit. I am always pleased when people put their own priorities aside to work on things that are clearly bothering other users or developers, but to expect this to be the default is to completely misunderstand the way volunteering works. Sometimes I work on the stuff that I believe is most beneficial to the community. Sometimes I do this knowing I'll either get no support for it, or resitance from other people who think my priorities are wrong. I try not to let either get to me, and just concentrate on the work. And sometimes, especially if I get frustrated with that, I just hack for the hell of it, or go watch TV, or play online poker, or do crossword puzzles. They all pay the same :-) To summarize, FreeBSD isn't a democracy where the users get to vote on what the committers work on. It's a cooperative anarchy where a few people stick titles next to their names, which gives them the opportunity to advocate their own views on what the priorities ought to be ("portmgr would look people to look at foo"; "core would like people to think about bar"). Whether anyone agrees with any of us, or decides to take action based on that, is entirely up to them -- there is no "magic button" we can push to make them do so. mcl