[CentOS] CentOS Project Infrastructure

Fri Aug 7 17:36:33 UTC 2009
Les Mikesell <lesmikesell at gmail.com>

Johnny Hughes wrote:
>
>>>> There - I feel so much better getting that lot off my chest :)
>>> There are always other distros if you don't like this one ...
>> Exactly the *wrong* response. I wonder if responses similar to this
>> loses potential users or loses existing customers. Personally, it
>> disgusts me.
> 
> It is not *wrong* ... any more than your response is *wrong*.
> 
> Your opinion is for you and my opinion is for me.
> 
> And the GREAT thing about open source is, there is always another
> project if you don't like the current one.
> 
> My point is, the CentOS team has put in an unbelievable amount of time
> and effort to build this distribution.  We will continue to do so.  If
> you like it use it. If you don't like it, don't use it.

*sigh*... Don't take this as a complaint about the quality of the 
project, just the PR vibes here. You aren't giving people the warm 
fuzzies about the project's ability to survive when you make it come 
across as having a stranglehold of control.  If we wanted a one man show 
we'd probably be using whitebox.  Things happen - people need backups. 
We'd feel better if you shared your contingency plans.

> If someone has a major problem with the distro, then they should find
> one that they don't have a major problem with.  I don't want hard
> feelings or anyone to be upset, but if we are not meeting your
> expectations then you might be able to find another that does.  I do not
> think you will ... but trying is certainly better than being upset.

"Meeting expectations" is at least partly a matter of setting the 
expectations realistically.  If we wanted to hear 'it ships when it's 
ready', we'd probably be running debian.  That's not what we've been led 
to expect from Centos nor, I think, what you want people to expect.  I 
no longer run 4.x so the delays there don't affect me, but in general 
I'd give about equal weight to having timely security updates as to 
never having mistakes in the repository - failure of either can have 
equally disastrous results.  While I don't personally have many qualms 
about your ability to continue the best balance possible, I don't think 
you are saying the right things to inspire public confidence.

-- 
   Les Mikesell
    lesmikesell at gmail.com