On Thu, Dec 03, 2009 at 04:48:37PM +0100, Frans Pop wrote: > Steve Langasek wrote: > > On Thu, Dec 03, 2009 at 02:11:41PM +0100, Frans Pop wrote: > > The question of whether someone is doing an adequate job of maintaining a > > package is a legitimate one. The identity of their employer is > > immaterial to an objective examination of this question.
> I think it *is* material in this instance: No, because it's no longer an objective measure of whether the maintenance of the package is adequate. Your definition of "adequate" maintenance is now based on how Debian is doing *compared to* Ubuntu, which is not a standard that would be used anywhere else! Python in Debian is currently in bad shape; on this, there is no disagreement whatsoever. But it's in bad shape by the measure that *it's not meeting the needs of our users*, not because of where it stands relative to Ubuntu. If you don't believe this is true, then why are we having this discussion about python, and not about: - the 6 patches to the pam package in Ubuntu that I haven't yet reviewed and pushed to Debian - each package ever uploaded to Ubuntu by a DD employed by Canonical that has not been ITPed for Debian - the fact that Debian is stuck with sysvinit as /sbin/init, whereas Ubuntu is running the event-based upstart which (modulo some growing pains) is simultaneously faster, more flexible, and more robust ? The difference between these is simple: one of these things - synchronizing the Debian package with new upstream releases when deemed appropriate - is a duty that one accepts responsibility for when agreeing to be maintainer of a package in Debian; the others are not. You may be *unhappy* about any or all of these other things, but no one is calling for anyone to be forced out as a maintainer as a result of them. So Ubuntu is not the issue here. And trying to make Ubuntu the issue is poisonous; it's shameful; and there's no way that Debian comes out ahead. When what should be a joyful experience of Free Software collaboration becomes a zero-sum battle for "loyalties", everyone loses. -- Steve Langasek Give me a lever long enough and a Free OS Debian Developer to set it on, and I can move the world. Ubuntu Developer http://www.debian.org/ slanga...@ubuntu.com vor...@debian.org -- To UNSUBSCRIBE, email to debian-devel-requ...@lists.debian.org with a subject of "unsubscribe". Trouble? Contact listmas...@lists.debian.org