James Duncan Davidson wrote: > > However, also along the way, I've done a lot of thinking > about what it means to take code open source -- what it > means, and why people should do it. If, as you and others > have said or implied, when somebody open sources code they > should just walk away from it and never care about it > again -- then what's the motive? Why should anybody do > that? How on earth can we talk corporations into open > sourcing their code if we plan on shutting them completely > out?
The question isn't whether the originator should walk away. But what should happen if the originator *does* walk away, and then wishes to start calling the shots again? Originally, you were quite active. Then Stefano, myself, and Arnout joined in. Then people started dropping off. For a lengthy period of time, it was just me. Then a new wave came in, primarily Stefan and Connor. Since then Peter Donald has become quite active. James, you may not have realized it, but you were away for quite a long time. An equally valid question is: what say in the future of ant do the keepers of the flame for all this time have? How can we build a community if any participant other than the originator is told that their work can be taken away from them at any time? A concrete example to help prove the point. A non-Apache member, a mere committer at the time, proposed a new code base for Tomcat. Through his hard work, and the approval of his fellow committers, that code base is now Tomcat 4.0. I for one would be very upset if the original owner of the Tomcat base were to suddenly to reawaken and to try to establish a new direction. Excerpts from http://www.x180.net/Mutterings/Apache/rules.html: 1) Any committer has the right to go start a revolution. The committer, and the group of people who he/she has a attracted are free to take any approaches they want too free of interference. 2) When a revolution is ready for prime time, the committer proposes a merge to the -dev list. At that time, the overall community evaluates whether or not the code is ready to become part of, or to potentially replace the, trunk. IMHO, each of the proposals currently in place in the Ant hierarchy have equal standing. - Sam Ruby P.S. If I have missed anybody in my broad brush outline of the development over the last year or so, I appologize.
