Credit, Leadership and Vision [Was: Sorry State]

[Jeff Waugh <jdub perkypants org>]

<quote who="Havoc Pennington">

> Jeff, you're right that Steve Jobs style "big press release" is
> incompatible with community development (though I don't think it's a moral
> issue perhaps, I think it's legitimate to make the tradeoff as long as one
> is willing to eat the consequences).

Hmm, so that wasn't a point that I was trying to make, and oddly enough, I
also disagree! ;-) I definitely think there is room for the contributing
companies to make sure they get credit for their contributions. Even with
"in community" development (as opposed to "by community" development, thanks
to Alan for an important clarification), I think it's doable and valuable.

> But the larger problem right now is what I described above, the lack of
> direction; if the community had that, they would just steamroll over the
> cosmetics coming in from the Linux distributions.

We are without coherent leadership. You emphasised having a vision/agenda in
your email, where I tend to emphasise leadership or structure, to aid in the
creation of that agenda.

Is this a chicken / egg problem that we have to solve?

- Jeff

-- 
FOSDEM 2006: Brussels, Belgium                    http://www.fosdem.org/2006
 
    Markets are what you sell bubbly health drinks, fluorescent blow up
                furniture and mobile phone ring melodies to.