Re: Questions

[Eric Baudais <baudais kkpsi org>]

Ali-

I really don't see your control happening in GNOME.  Maybe it's
because I'm not dealing with maintainers everyday like some people
surely are.  However I feel GNOME gives many different people a chance
to contribute and to control projects.  I'd like to give some counter
examples.

The GNOME Documentation Project I see as being fairly transparent.
Just this past fall John Fleck the "GDP Fearless Leader" resigned to
pursue other challenges.  We had a discussion on the list and Shaun
McCance accepted the position.  Currently he is now the "GDP Fearless
Leader".  The forum was very public and anyone who does anything with
documentation is subscribed to the gnome-doc-list.  During the
lifetime of the GDP we've had 5 leaders of the project.  They are
Miguel, Dave Mason, Dan Mueth, John Fleck, and Shaun McCance.  The GDP
project is one of the oldest sub projects in GNOME starting around the
release of GNOME 0.1.  So since 1998 or 5 years we've had 5 leaders.
That is a good turnover rate for a head position.  

The GNOME Membership and Elections committee is also fairly
transparent.  Our mailing list of a read-only list which anyone can
subscribe to and read.  If you emailed elections gnome org you could
have a discussion with the membership committee.  Since its inception
during the first GUADEC in 2000 there have been 2 completely separate
committees and several people coming in and out of the committee.  The
first committee was Bart Decarum, Dan Mueth, Russell Steinthal, Glynn
Foster, and Mike Newman.  The second committee was Mike Newman,
Vincent Untz, Andy Tai, Ghee Teo, and Eric Baudais.  However Mike
Newman retired from the committee in 2002.  Right now the board is
supposed to be looking at new members for the membership committee.
They already have two very good candidates.

I believe these are two very strong counter examples showing the
diversity and frequency in which the leaders and committees from GNOME
are changing on a regular basis.  I am wondering how many people have
wanted to be on the release team who are already a maintainer of a
package.  I believe being a maintainer to be a minimum qualification
for the release team.  However there are many places in GNOME where
you don't have to be a maintiner or even a coder to contribute.

Eric Baudais

-- 
They give you illusion that has the appearance of truth.  I give you
truth in the pleasant disguise of illusion.
                                             --Tennessee Williams