Re: "Private Foundation-List" Petition for referendum

[Eustáquio Rangel <eustaquiorangel gmail com>]

2009/12/15 Stormy Peters <stormy peters gmail com>:
> Are there people on this list that are not GNOME Foundation members? If so,
> can you speak up? It would be good for everyone to know why you subscribe to
> foundation-list and the value you see in it.

Hi there.

I'm not a GNOME Foundation member but on the last few months I'm a
GNOME user and a foundation list subscriber and if I'm not wrong, I
donated some bucks as a GNOME friend/associate this year. Need to
confirm this.

Before using GNOME I was using XFCE and Slackware (on the past other
configurations too - I'm a GNU/Linux user for more than one decade),
but as I'm involved with some events, trainning and classes regarding
Free Software, I use Ubuntu with GNOME now on my desktop because I
really think that it can add real value to the public who doesn't know
GNU/Linux, so my personal choice for a distro/desktop environment was
really less important than what a first impression of a stable, easy
and cool solution like Ubuntu with GNOME provides to this kind of
public, so, I changed.

I think, as Gregory said, the transparency here is very healthy and
important. As a GNOME user and free software enthusiast, I like to
know what the foundation members think about the project behavior,
rules and future. I don't agree with a lot of opinions here, but who
agrees 100%, right? The foundation members are still discussing this
thread for long weeks. While the discussion can look pointless,
confuse or even overrated by some, I think it's an important subject
and the transparency as a public list give us ideas on how you guys
are dealing with a piece of software we use every day. That's
important for us, users, contributors and Free Software advocates.

I really have some opinions that are more on the, let me say,
"extremist" RMS field than on some of the "pragmatic" members (and
former members - specially) field, but as an user, I use this list to
know what you guys are thinking about GNOME, and never sent a
unsolicited email because I think here is really a place for
Foundation members. But as Stormy asked this time, here I am.

I don't know if there are very others *writing* here like me, but I
think if you guys are thinking on closing this list for people that
are not Foundation members, you could give us at least read only
access to it. For good or bad, on the IT Wire, Slashdot or Boycott
Novell websites with articles you guys like or not, the transparency
of the discussion here is really appreciated and adds a value that
cannot be refuted.

Best regards,