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

[William L. Maltby]

On Wed, 2009-09-16 at 12:27 -0500, Johnny Hughes wrote:
> 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.

I didn't raise the issue, but I can certainly understand people wanting
to donate to support the resources that support the effort, which *may*
include wild beer parties every night. But maybe some are interested in
knowing that most dollars are used as *they* had in mind when they sent
the donation.

To understand *that* attitude does not seem hard to me.

I understand your, but don't happen to agrre that it is *the* proper
view.

> <snip sig stuff>

-- 
Bill