On Thu, 13 Sep 2007 18:27:15 +0100, Neil Williams <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> said:
> On Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:36:28 +0930 > "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > wrote: >> - i >> dont expect you to leave the ground when a user says 'jump'. but if >> the only user whos allowed to say jump is a DD, then therse a >> problem. > Users have ways of requesting that things get done in Debian - the > BTS, the mailing lists and IRC but users cannot dictate how those > things are actually achieved. If the DD agrees, fine - if not, the DD > makes the call. > Only other DD's can stipulate *how* things actually get done and not > just because only DD's can actually change Policy. > There's no problem with that. > Users can ask but DD's are not obliged to act on the suggestion in the > way that the user requests. A suggestion from a fellow DD carries more > weight but even then, unless there is a stipulation in Policy, a > suggestion from a DD is still a suggestion. Equally, DD's who appear > to ignore users would eventually find that other DD's find a solution > to the problem(s) raised by the user(s) via an NMU, co-maintenance, > etc. If I may ad a rider to this: consider what kinds of things we vote upon: we try not to vote on technical issues, since voting is a poor means of making technical decisions. Most votes are about governance issues for Debian, or on internal policies and procedures; and this is not really something people outside the organization get to have a say in. Most countries do not give franchise to just anyone, unless a certain degree of commitment, and affirmation of belonging happen first. Consider the votes held in the last couple of year: 1 General Resolution: Why the GNU Free Documentation License is not suitable for Debian main 2 Debian Project Leader Elections 2006 3 Constitutional Amendment General Resolution: Handling assets for the project 4 General Resolution: Position statement clarifying DFSG #2 5 General Resolution: Recall the project leader 6 General Resolution: Re-affirm support to the Debian Project Leader 7 General Resolution: Handling source-less firmware in the Linux kernel 8 Debian Project Leader Elections 2007 9 General Resolution: Altering package upload rules 10 General Resolution: Endorse the concept of Debian Maintainers Votes #2 and #8 are about electing the project leader; the titular head of the project, and one who can make decisions which may impact every developer; the public face of the project, etc. I am not sure very many people would see the benefit of letting users say who leads the project. Votes #5 and #6 also belong to the category of the project leader. Votes #3 changes a foundation document in Debian; I think that people who have not affirmed their commitment to Debian ought not to get a say anyway. Vote #1, #4, and #7 are about clarifying bits of a foundation document (the DFSG), and related issues. Again, not something that the end user needs to have a say in. Vote #9 and #10 are about internal procedures of the Debian project, I am not sure I see the argument for opening the decision process to the wide world. manoj in a meeting, bored -- Try to have as good a life as you can under the circumstances. Manoj Srivastava <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> <http://www.debian.org/~srivasta/> 1024D/BF24424C print 4966 F272 D093 B493 410B 924B 21BA DABB BF24 424C -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact [EMAIL PROTECTED]