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