On Sun, 22 Mar 2009, Gabriel Dos Reis wrote: > >> So, are you now suggesting that technical decisions where not the > >> sole domain of GCC developers? That contradicts the conventional > >> understanding we have taken on the issue in the past. > > > > Then you had the wrong understanding. > > Well, maybe you have the wrong understanding. In the past, > on many occasions, we have acted on the premise that > FSF does not have to interfere with technical decisions made > GCC developers. And you certainly never came hard asserting > the opposite.
My view is inbetween. I don't believe that the FSF must never interfere with technical decisions, but neither do I believe it is completely free to do so. I believe that the GCC Development Mission Statement binds both the developers and the FSF equally, as part of the basis for the GCC/EGCS reunification, so the FSF can only interfere with technical decisions where doing so is in accordance with the Mission Statement. It could, for example, rule that a particular change cannot be accepted because of a risk of patent infringement (legal issues being reserved to the FSF), or resolve a technical dispute in a way consistent with the principle that "Patches will be considered equally based on their technical merits." and the other "Open Development Environment" principles (and if the SC acts as agent of the FSF this is effectively what happens if a technical dispute is referred to the SC). -- Joseph S. Myers jos...@codesourcery.com
