>> "LS" == Lyno Sullivan <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> writes:
LS> People interested in becoming a volunteer producer, in the free LS> software community, will more likely use the Debian distribution. LS> Debian will become the nexus of the volunteer based, development LS> community. Why should this be the case? Do you really believe people will work for the "free part" of a coorperate distribution, when they can already get Debian Developers if they want and be *part of* a wonderful free community? As someone pointed out, anyone is already free to sell the Debian Distribution, even Redhat. And they can use any part of Debian for Redhat and we can take any part of Redhat for Debian (as long as the specific license allows it). LS> One missing ingredient is a commercial operation that will be the LS> Redhat equivalent distributor of the Debian distribution. We do not need, nor do we want to be controlled by acooperation. LS> Another missing ingredient is the site that will provide the LS> Volunteer Registry, the Project Registry and the Volunteer/Project LS> Match facility. This distributor (with Registries) will become LS> the gentle onramp for wannabe free software volunteers. This paragraph contains an important thing. There a people who want to contribute, but don't know how. They are also peoploe who believe thy can't contribute because they can't code (there is more than coding in free software). There was such an initiative, but I don't find any URL, so it obviously wasn't very successful. If you want to persude this idea, I'd contact the freshmeat stuff about an extension of their service. I belive it will be quite easy to add an "Help wanted" to the appindex items (user interested in a particular programm are more eager to help) and to create a seperate "Help wanted" forum for the rest. Please keep me informed if you want to do this. LS> Anyone wanting to volunteer time, should join the Debian LS> community. Free software, documentation, databases, images, LS> poetry, literature, etc. will be developed and tested within the LS> Debian community. Software will flow from Debian to Redhat, for LS> commercial packaging and distribution. Again, there is no need for this. Anyone can use Free Software or parts of Debian. There is another thing you don't see. This may be because you are no Debian Developer: Debian is about freedom. I am Debian. My fellow developers are Debian. We are proud about Debian, as it is our work. This is a main driving force. We decide what we do and which direction Debian will take. Believe me, the majority of the Developers (including me) wouldn't want to do this kind of work as a "developing ground" for a commercial distribution. We don't need, and we don't want such a thing. This is not the spirit of Debian. Remeber what coorperations hold nearly 50% of Redhat. Not to mention, that we like dpkg over rpm, and there are other things were Debian and Redhat differ about the way of dooing things. But both, Debian and Redhat, are part of the LSB to form rules for a common base for Linux distributions. I don't have resentments about Redhat. They release their work under the GPL, and I heared they have good parties. Redhat and Debian are not competitors. And they are seperate entities with different goals. This should stay this way. Another thing you might hear: How can you make such recommendation, neither knowing Redhat's strategic business plans, nor knowing Debians insides or spirit as you aren't a developer. People will regard such a paper as arrogant. I wouldn't publish it. If you want to pursue the "Free Software Project needs help" thingy above, please do so. This will be a useful thing, I belive. And if you want to see Debian used more and by coorperations, please wait until tomorrow and then visit slashdot. Ciao, Martin - Debian Developer