Re: [gentoo-dev] Is Gentoo dying?

[Jacob Godserv <jacobgodserv@gmail.com>]

On Sat, Apr 3, 2010 at 05:38, Petteri Räty <betelgeuse@gentoo.org> wrote:
> My perception from the outside is also that it's sometimes hard to offer
> help. So if we now that we are busy then let's try to embrace others
> doing the work.

This is also what I have observed. I think Gentoo needs appear to be
much more focused on how to let people contribute, rather than how to
filter/monitor contributions. There's too much discussion about how
something is bad and why it shouldn't happen in the documentation and
mailing list, and too little about what can be done to make sure the
contribution, idea, or user(s) get included.

One specific example I can give is the developer status itself. Gentoo
developers are responsible for everything, including maintenance. This
is not a bad thing, if it's part of a greater developer ecosystem. All
successful projects I've observed survive on half of the work, at
least, being done by volunteers, and the developers are there to
simply review the work before it is applied.

As far as I can tell, creating an inviting atmosphere, in which the
developers listen and react to the community, is essential to the
continued survival of Gentoo.

Yea, this one of those long-term things that sounds awesome in theory
but is hard to do right. However, I think the sooner ideas like these
are discussed and possibly implemented, the sooner we don't have
threads like these in the mailing list. I am encouraged that Gentoo
developers are considering how to regroup themselves.

-- 
    Jacob

    "For then there will be great distress, unequaled
    from the beginning of the world until now — and never
    to be equaled again. If those days had not been cut
    short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the
    elect those days will be shortened."

    Are you ready?