Re: [fdn-ann] Re: GNOME MEDIA ADVISORY seems to be going beyond original plans

[linas linas org]

I find myself agreeing with Jim.  Changing content at the last minute is
bad form.  Some of the new points are potentially divisive and show
a lack of seriousness and organization on the part of the Gnome 
Foundation leadership.   You (we?) risk having a backlash from the 
more adult players who think to themselves 'they promised this,
but then said that, and then did something completely different'.
Sounds like a teenager with too many hormones: colorful, inspired, 
interesting to watch, but not who you're going to do business with.

--linas


It's been rumoured that Jim Gettys said:
> 
> Strong comments below...
> 			- Jim
> 
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: Maciej Stachowiak [mailto:mjs@eazel.com]
> > Sent: Tuesday, August 08, 2000 8:36 PM
> > To: Miguel de Icaza
> > Cc: Barbara Heffner; foundation-announcement@gnome.org;
> > emcshane@chenpr.com; msouza@chenpr.com; Marco.Boerries@Eng.Sun.COM
> > Subject: Re: [fdn-ann] GNOME MEDIA ADVISORY FOR REVIEW
> > 
> > 
> > Miguel de Icaza <miguel@helixcode.com> writes:
> > 
> > > Hello guys,
> > >
> > >    I just talked to Marco from Sun, and we would like to make the
> > > Foundation press release a lot more interesting than it is right now.
> > >
> > >    The current focus is to announce a GNOME foundation that will
> > > hopefully do something in the future, and say how excited we are about
> > > this and so on. 
> > >
> > >    Here is an outline of the proposal and it adds a lot more meet to
> > > the announcement:
> > >
> > > 	1. Main point of the announcement: Key Players join forces to
> > >            create GNOME Foundation and deliver next generation user
> > >            environment for PCs, Internet Devices and PDAs.
> > >
> > > 	2. GNOME Foundation adopts Open Office as its productivity
> > >            suite to be integrated together with GNOME Office.
> > 
> > This sounds like a much stronger statement than what we felt
> > comfortable with making before - I think we should still keep this
> > vague since we have not seen the code, etc etc.
> 
> I agree with Maciej: Gnome should NEVER adopt things sight unseen.  This
> is a terrible precedent to set.  This goes completely against the principle
> of (rough) consensus government: the people making Gnome have had NO chance
> to look this over and see if it is appropriate.
> 
> The most that should EVER happen is that an organization, be it the Gnome 
> Foundation or W3C, or whatever, is examining it to see if it might be 
> useful.  W3C has a process for formal submissions: the Gnome Foundation 
> needs a similar process.  In the W3C case, the process includes what 
> submittors can or cannot say to the press when making submissions.
> I recommend we do likewise FROM THE BEGINNING: this was a major headache
> in W3C until the process was established: companies played games in the
> press implying adoption, when at most it was a trial balloon.
> 
> It could also create major political headaches for other companies to 
> join the foundation: but I'm in fact much more concerned about precendent, 
> which I believe is a killer. (though it could certainly seriously affect 
> the current announcement; though I haven't raised the issue yet, it
> might affect Compaq's participation).
> 
> > 
> > > 	3. GNOME Foundation adopts Mozilla/Netscape
> > > 		Marco will work on getting a spokeperson from AOL for
> > > 		this.
> > 
> > Hmmm, I wonder if AOL or mozilla.org could be convinced to join the
> > GNOME Foundation then.
> 
> I have much less problem with Mozilla/Netscape: the code is out there,
> and it is clearly an open source project at this date.  But again,
> I wonder if there is rough consensus in the Gnome project about mozilla.
> That is for other's to judge, though.
> 
> But even leaving this aside, things are getting close to this announcement, 
> and I'm getting nervous about the scope changing: we don't want companies 
> to find at the last minute they must withdraw, and the resulting furor 
> that might result.  It is certainly making ME nervous.
> 
> Lets not let mission creep spoil this party....  We are stronger together
> than disunited.  We've got most of the industry on board, and that is 
> worth alot.
> 
> > 
> > > 	4. The companies involved in this announcement are going to
> > >            make GNOME better and devote programming resources to make
> > >            this happen.
> > >
> > > 		How each company involved in the announcement will
> > > 		help this.
> > >
> > > 	5. GNOME technologies are the platform of choice for internet
> > >            devices, embedded systems "dot com" devices, desktop
> > >            systems, SOHO etc.
> > 
> > This sounds like quite an exaggeration at this point, to say we are
> > the "platform of choice" for these things. Hopefully soon it won't be.
> > 
> >  - Maciej
> 
> I don't think hyperbole helps us here, so I again agree with Maciej.
> 				- Jim
> 
> --
> Jim Gettys
> Technology and Corporate Development
> Compaq Computer Corporation
> jg@pa.dec.com
> 
> 
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