[CentOS] [Found] CentOS is dead, long live CentOS

[Johnny Hughes]

On 09/16/2009 10:38 AM, Benjamin Franz wrote:
> R P Herrold wrote:
>> On Mon, 14 Sep 2009, William Warren wrote:
>>
>>   
>>> right now they don't HAVE to disclose as they do not have 
>>> any kind of US based npo that would force them to do so. 
>>> We can inquire all we want to but they don't have to answer 
>>> anything.
>>>     
>>
>> 'they' who run a non profit under US law of which I am aware 
>> have no general obligation to give the time of day to anyoue 
>> -- Feel free to ask at the local Elk's lodge about their back 
>> room poker party profits, and I am pretty sure you'll get a 
>> tossed out on your ear
>>   
> 
> [...]
> 
> This isn't about law anyway: It's about trust.
> 
> For CentOS to continue to be a success, trust has to be maintained. 
> Without trust, resources and community will disappear.
> 
> I like CentOS. It meets my needs just about perfectly with its balance 
> of stability and features (not to mention price ;) ). Don't take this as 
> criticism of what has been a hugely successful enterprise. There are 
> many people like myself who will be willing to donate more 
> time/money/equipment/resources once a better level of transparency has 
> been achieved. I am confident that it will be. The CentOS team seems to 
> be working hard on it and I expect that it will just be a matter of 
> time. I trust them, and I am grateful to them for the work they have 
> done and continue to do.
> 
> But, it is unhelpful when egos get in the way of communication.  Lashing 
> out at people who want to know what steps towards transparency are being 
> taken just alienates the community. The FOSS community is well known for 
> its tendency to eat its young. Try not to give in to the impulse, no 
> matter how irritating, or even ungrateful, the questions can seem.
> 
> ;)
> 
I STILL do not understand why anyone would care what CentOS does with
money donated by people who used the product and wanted to donate.

If we were having wild beer parties every week ... as long as the
packages are built, compared, signed, and released on time, what
difference does it make?

If you don't trust the organization, then how in the world do you use
it's software.

If you do trust the software, then what difference does it make how
money is spent or saved?

You trust us enough to use our software for free ... but not enough to
donate?  Then so be it ... that is what open source is all about.

But open source is NOT about the users running the company.  It is about
software freedom.


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