[CentOS] Air Conditioning - ON!

[Digimer]

On 02/21/2011 01:21 PM, John Hinton wrote:
> All,
> 
> (and please do not turn this into the next long thread)
> 
> We have a small team which volunteers their time to create the CentOS 
> releases. They are pounded right now with getting that done... it is as 
> simple as that. Each of us 'chose' to use CentOS and with that choice 
> comes nothing more.
> 
> Why are we complaining? To me, it is all very self-centered. Basically 
> we're all complaining because we 'want' something. And yes, I'm on edge 
> wanting something as well... but that is life with RedHat in general.
> 
> Some of the suggestions made:
> 
> 1. Send money. OK, so using a very loose or reapplied definition of a 
> word... we want to 'prostitute' the CentOS team. In other words, if we 
> send money we have the 'right' to gripe and press for rapid releases? 
> Demand services?
> 
> 2. Add more staff. As a small business owner, the very last thing you 
> want to do is add more staff when you are in a slammed state. It takes 
> all of the 'productive' workers time to train the new staff and output 
> slows to a crawl.
> 
> 3. Make any other number of 'helpful' suggestions. Well, I think by now 
> the CentOS team knows better than us how this needs to be done based on 
> infrastructure and team members. And even if they aren't doing it right, 
> we don't get to make demands that it be done differently as this is how 
> they have decided to do it. Remember, you chose CentOS based on how they 
> operate. You can go away if you like.
> 
> 4. Bringing up other distros that are ahead of CentOS. This just an 
> attempt at indirect pressure on the CentOS team to get a competition 
> going. Only the team gets to choose their competition. CentOS 'rates' 
> how it rates and that is up to the CentOS team and their decisions. Some 
> cheerleading might be welcomed, as long as it doesn't become an "I cheer 
> for you therefore you owe me".
> 
> 5. MOST IMPORTANT---- discussing this right now is the wrong time. The 
> CentOS team needs to be focused on the builds. They need to 'feel good'. 
> They do not need these distractions, complaints, suggestions, pressures 
> and generally negative comments at this moment in time. If it really 
> bothers you, save it for later and bring it up when things are back to 
> normal loads. Perhaps some good will come out of it, but not now. I know 
> that most mean well, but look inside of yourself and the rush is about 
> something you want... and YOU chose a FREE distro, which just so happens 
> to convert to the paid version very easily.
> 
> 6,7,8,9 and 10 (fill in your own but keep them to yourself)
> 
> If I were a member of the CentOS team right now, I'd likely be looking 
> at the door. I positively would be needing to step back and take some 
> time to myself to try to cool off and feel positive about what I'm 
> doing. To me and from what I have heard from the CentOS team, very 
> little of what is being said on the list is helping but instead is 
> counterproductive at the moment. Obviously the team is 'reading' the 
> list and 'obviously' some of us have pushed them further at a very high 
> stress time, than they have ever been pushed before.
> 
> You may also note that upstream was also 'very late' with these new 
> releases. Could it be we are discovering why? (please don't try to 
> answer that)
> 
> Please please please... ease up, give them the time they need. Make 
> notes for future conversations, but quit distracting them and making 
> them feel bad. Or, write your scathing reply to a thread... get really 
> down angry and in the dirt... then when you're done, just delete it.
> 
> CentOS team,
> 
> I do have just one suggestion (and I have no rights to ask this). It 
> seems that the list goes quiet and waits for a while and then explodes a 
> few days/weeks/months later with this banter. If you would consider a 
> public release to this list, perhaps once per week during major releases 
> with just some tidbit of how things are going, perhaps these threads 
> wouldn't explode. With that would be the need for it to be an 
> announcement or something that does not allow it to become a drawn out 
> thread with hoards of perceived 'helpful' suggestions. I can't blame you 
> for not doing this prior, as I'm sure it will fuel fires such as the one 
> raging at the moment. Is there a way this could be done with a 
> 'no-reply' setting or something?
> 
> With Much Appreciation,
> John Hinton

It took me this long to catch the joke in the subject. :)

I'll pipe in to say "thanks!" for the CentOS team's work. I wish I was
in a position to assist myself. However, and I know this came up before,
if the CentOS team could setup a proper parent company (a not for profit
would be sufficient) then donations from corporate entities would be
much easier.

I understand that difficulties of hiring new blood, but certainly more
(powerful) development machines and the like might help. :)

-- 
Digimer
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