Paul,
Actually, I've said a number of things that I would not be saying on
the list if we returned to the rules of discourse the project used in
years past. I think that would be for the best.
Think of it as an intelligence test. If someone isn't smart enough to
be able to communicate any idea without using disrespectful language or
obscentity, they are either:
1. Not smart enough to be on the Debian project.
or
2. Perhaps highly intelligent, but so lacking in interpersonal skills that
it is not possible to function effectively as a member of a team. I think
the _really_ intelligent people are capable of conquering this sort of
problem, though it may take them years to do it.
It hurts much more to lose the type 2 people than the type 1 ones.
We've shed a number of them. It's much worse if you keep them around,
because you tend to shake off other team members because of them.
It's interesting that Daniel Berenstein should be brought up in this context.
Daniel has done a lot of excellent work. My personal opinion is that he
would be much more effective if he had learned how to tolerate small
compromises in the stuff he doesn't really care about in order to get the
stuff he does care about accepted.
For me, the personal decision is clear. I don't want to work with the type
1 people or the type 2 people. If Debian became full of them, I'd take the
best of the team and continue the work elsewhere.
Thanks
Bruce
--
Can you get your operating system fixed when you need it?
Linux - the supportable operating system. http://www.debian.org/support.html
Bruce Perens K6BP [EMAIL PROTECTED] NEW PHONE NUMBER: 510-620-3502
