-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE----- Hash: SHA1 > ---CUT HERE----------------------------------------------------- > > 1. Rank the following possible functions of Debian Project Leader in > order from most important to least important by placing a digit > between the brackets to the left of the item. Use "1" as the most > important item(s), with larger integers reflecting less important > items. You can give two items the same number to reflect a tie. > Leave blank items you consider unimportant or not appropriate for > the role of DPL. > > [ 5 ] attending trade shows and conferences > [ 2 ] resolving disputes internal to the Project > [ 4 ] representing Debian to trade associations, businesses and NGOs > (non-governmental organizations) > [ 3 ] drafting and implementing internal procedures for the Project > that aren't already well-defined > [ 1 ] appointing delegates per the Constitution > [ ] fixing bugs in packages that no one else will fix > [ 6 ] cash fundraising > [ ] acquiring donations of bandwidth, equipment, and hosting > [ ] mentoring other developers > > Comments:
> 2. Rank the following past and present DPLs in order of greatest > effectiveness to least effectiveness (use "1" for the most effective > leader(s)). You need not have been a Debian Developer during the > term a Leader to express an opinion here (though knowing who they > are and what they did as DPL definitely helps). You can give two > people the same number to reflect a tie. Leave blank people about > whom you feel you cannot form an opinion. > > [ 2 ] Bdale Garbee > [ 2 ] Ben Collins > [ ] Bruce Perens > [ ] Ian Jackson > [ ] Ian Murdock > [ 1 ] Wichert Akkerman > > Comments (why did you rank these people as you did?): > > 3. True or false: the New Maintainer system is still broken. True > Comments: We're still having flames about the brokenness of the New Maintainer System. So I think it's still broken. It might just be a backlog or bad communication about changes to the better. I havn't really read the discussions. > 4. True or false: we should place more emphasis on architectures that > have a lot of users. False. > Comments: I believe Debian has techncal gains from having to support as much architectures as posible. We might want to review the idea about releasing all architectures at the same time though. > 5. True or false: release management in this Project is a big problem. False > Comments: I would like to see shorter release cycles with no infrastructual changes in Debian. > 6. True or false: there are too many inactive developers. False > Comments: The only problem with truly inactive developers is if we fails to meet some quorum---but this is more a problem with the constitution (IMHO). [ Another problem would be if inactive developers used their developership to become contributing members in SPI---but this is not our (Debian's) problem. ] Quite another problem is that there might be to many people discussing problems but to less solving problems. I don't think this is solvable by revoking developerships. > 7. True, false, or not applicable: the Debian Project Leader should see > to it that inactive developers are placed on notice that they will > be dropped from the Project, and then if they do not become active, > "expire" them from our ranks. N/A > Comments: > > 8. True or false: the concept of "one maintainer per package" is > outmoded, and packages should be maintained as more of a group or > communal process. True (I guess) > Comments: I think there are a lot of packages where it wouldn't make sense but otherwise true. > 9. True or false: the Debian Policy Manual and Bug Tracking System > should be used together as a "stick" with which to compel > uncooperative maintainers to change the way they maintain their > packages. I have no idea. > Comments: > 10. True or false: the Debian Project is biased against people who do > not speak English fluently. True > Comments: A project where almost all communication is based on a single language would be biased against those not speaking/writing this language fluently. But I thinks a cure whould be worse than the disease. > 11. True, false, or not applicable: there is not a lot that we can do > about the Debian Project being biased against people who do not > speak English fluently. True > Comments: > > 12. Should the DPL attempt to build consensus among a small group of > experts or among the whole project before taking a major action, or > should he go it alone? Mark one. > > [ ] build consensus among a small group > [ X ] build consensus among the whole Project > [ ] take unilateral action > > 13. Rank the following possible traits of Debian Project Leader as > assets (with an "A") or liabilities (with an "L") between the > brackets to the left of the item. Leave blank items you consider as > having no bearing on the role of DPL. > > [ A ] a high level of visibility as a "regular developer" on > internal Project mailing lists > [ A ] a high level of visibility as Project leader on internal > Project mailing lists > [ A ] a high level of visibility in Debian-related IRC channels > [ L ] a preference for reading prepared statements over extemporaneous > presentations at public gatherings > [ L ] a preference for brokering agreement behind the scenes between > conflicting parties > [ A ] a preference for brokering agreement in public between > conflicting parties > [ ] long, flowing hair > [ ] a beard > [ A ] a sense of humor > > (Those without the last item need not mark the last three.) > > Comments: > 14. True or false: the Debian Project Leader should attend as many trade > shows and conferences as possible for him or her. True (but not neccesary with his DPL hat on) > Comments: Visibility as a regular member of the community is important, attending conferences is part of this. But having the possibility to attend many conferences isn't important. This isn't really clear? > 15. True, false, or not applicable: Debian Project funds should be > spent on getting the Debian Project Leader to as many trade shows > and conferences as possible when corporate sponsorship is > unavailable. False > Comments: > > 16. True or false: the Technical Committee is operating as intended > under the Constitution. Have no idea. > Comments: > > 17. True or false: a simple majority of voting Debian Developers should > be sufficient to modify the Debian Free Software Guidelines. False > Comments: > > 18. True or false: a simple majority of voting Debian Developers should > be sufficient to modify the Debian Social Contract. False > Comments: > > 19. Should decisions about DFSG-compliance be made on the debian-legal > list, or should we have a more formalized body for making such > decisions? Should be based on consensus on debian-legal. > Comments: But we might have some more formalized body preserving the decisions made on debian-legal. > 20. True or false: under the current Constitution as written, a simple > majority of voting Debian Developers is sufficient to modify the > Debian Social Contract and Free Software Guidelines. True > Comments: I'm not sure about this, but I guess it falls under the 5 power of the developers mentioned in article 4.1 of the constitution. It doesn't explicitely say that simple majority is sufficient though, but I would guess it is so because of the explicit exceptions where simple majority isn't sufficient. I'm very unsure about this. > 21. Mark the statements below that accurately (if not precisely) reflect > your opinions with an "X" between the brackets. Note that these > statements are wide-ranging in nature. If you have insufficient > context upon which to ground an affirmative answer, leave it blank. > Where I consider it important to determine what the respondents to > this questionnaire *don't* believe or agree with, I have supplied a > contrapositive statement. Feel free to elaborate on your answers in > the comments section. > > [ ] The DPL should not waste his time on arguments about the > Constitution, Social Contract, or DFSG. > [ X ] The DPL is always perceived as the DPL, even when he or she is > not sending mails from "[EMAIL PROTECTED]" or providing > evidence of his or her leader status elsewhere in mail > messages he or she sends. > [ ] The person elected to the office of DPL has a special > responsibility to keep his or her mouth shut on potentially > inflammatory issues, except when acting explicitly as DPL. > [ X ] The Debian Project will only get as good a DPL as it deserves. > [ X ] Everything in Debian main should be treated as software under > the DFSG, even if it isn't software by some definitions. > [ ] We let too much stuff that violates the spirit of the DFSG > into main. > [ ] The debian-legal list is infested with a bunch of nitpicky > nitwits who give the Project a bad name and keep Debian from > being as good as it could be by rejecting software from main > for no good reason. > [ X ] A good Debian Developer doesn't necessarily make for a good > Project Leader. > [ ] Debian should toss the DFSG and adopt the Open Source > Definition (OSD) instead. > [ ] Debian should delegate license interpretation to the Open > Source Initiative (OSI) [maintainers of the OSD]. > [ ] Debian should stop distributing the non-free section. > [ ] Debian should keep the non-free section even if it dwindles to > the point where there is nothing interesting in it, in the > event that important new non-free software appears that our > users might want. > [ X ] Our twin priorities of "our users" and "Free Software" are > sometimes in conflict with each other. > [ ] The primary purpose of the Debian Project should be to supply > a high-quality operating system to as many people as possible. > [ ] The primary purpose of the Debian Project should be to supply > a high-quality, Free operating system to whoever is interested > in it. > [ ] The Debian Project is an insufficiently welcoming environment > to female geeks and computer professionals. > [ ] The DPL should step in to mediate disagreements between Debian > Developers and upstream developers, as recently happened with > MPlayer. > [ ] The Debian Project should work with SPI or some other > organization to try and see that its needs and goals are > respected, or at least not meddled with, by governments. > [ X ] Debian Developers are substantially better at critical > thinking and logical reasoning than the general populace. > [ X ] The migration of murphy from qmail to postfix was a good > thing. > [ ] The migration of murphy from qmail to postfix was important. > [ ] Being elected Debian Project Leader is primarily a reward for > good work. > [ ] The Debian Machine Usage Policy (DMUP) needs to be revised. > [ ] Revising the DMUP is important. > [ X ] Voters in the Debian Project have a responsibility to make > themselves well-informed about the issues before casting a > ballot. > [ X ] There should be no one in the Project with > extra-constitutional power; that is, Debian keyring > maintenance, archive administration, system administration, > and so forth should all be formally delegated positions by the > DPL. > [ X ] Making the Debian keyring maintainer, archive administrators, > and system administrators DPL delegates has creates a > potentially dangerous situation for which there is no analogue > under the current situation. > [ ] The DPL has more important things to worry about than who's > delegated to do what. > [ X ] People who capitalize the phrase "Free Software" are annoying. > [ ] The Free Software Foundation is run by a bunch of crazy hippie > communists, and Debian is being taken over by more of the same. > [ ] The Open Source Initiative is run by a bunch of Christian > fundamentalist right-wing gun nuts, and Debian is being taken > over by more of the same. > [ X ] I deeply resent whimsy intruding into this questionnaire. > [ ] A person who lost the DPL election twice shouldn't think about > running again. > [ ] No one who lost the DPL election was ever subsequently elected > DPL. > [ ] No one who lost the DPL election twice was ever subsequently > elected DPL. > [ ] Bdale Garbee is unbeatable. > [ ] Bdale Garbee has disappointed me. > [ X ] We should elect a DPL based on his or her platform and > contributions to the project, not based on personality issues. > [ ] A DPL candidate shouldn't make promises in his or her > platform. > [ X ] We should elect a DPL who reflects who we want to be, even if > they don't reflect who we are. > [ X ] DPL elections are essentially popularity contests. > [ X ] There is nothing we can do about the above statement; it's the > nature of the beast. > [ ] Circulating this questionnaire proves that you're unfit to be > Project Leader. > [ X ] Circulating this questionnaire demonstrates leadership. > [ X ] Circulating this questionnaire is a cynical attempt to > manipulate the electorate. > [ ] Debian Developers should publicly and prominently campaign for > the person they'd prefer to see as Project Leader. > [ ] Debian Developers should keep their DPL preferences to > themselves. > [ ] DPL campaigns have increasingly come to adopt traits of > conventional politics. > [ ] I find previous statement true and not a cause for concern. > [ X ] The DPL can barely wipe his nose without consensus. (The DPL > is essentially a figurehead without much real power.) > [ ] Debian's effort at a constitutional system of governance > has been a failure. > [ X ] The Debian Constitution and the apparatuses instituted by it > are basically instruments of last resort, called into play > when our traditional methods of operation fail. > [ ] We'd be better off with a few hundred fewer Developers. > [ ] We'd be better off with more Developers. > [ ] Debian distributes too many packages; we should narrow our > focus. > [ ] Branden Robinson is a non-free flame burning bigot. > [ X ] Branden Robinson is prejudiced against the French. > [ X ] Branden Robinson is prejudiced against the American > government. > [ ] Branden Robinson doesn't know when not to make jokes. > [ ] Branden Robinson has a lousy sense of humor. > [ X ] Branden Robinson's sense of humor is not important, no matter > how good or bad it is. > [ ] Branden Robinson has gotten better at not flaming people over > the years. > [ ] I haven't really paid attention to whether or not Branden > Robinson has gotten better at not flaming people over the > years, but it doesn't really matter because I'm not going to > vote for him anyway, even though I'll claim that I won't vote > for him because he flames people. > [ ] Branden Robinson wrote a questionnaire that was way the hell > too long. > [ X ] The number of occurrences of the string "Branden Robinson" in > this questionnaire proves that he's an egomaniac. > [ X ] An egomaniac can make a good DPL. > [ ] We already *have* an egomaniac for a DPL. > > Comments: > > ---CUT HERE----------------------------------------------------- -----BEGIN PGP SIGNATURE----- Version: GnuPG v1.2.1 (GNU/Linux) iD8DBQE+PtOPobE/LCyLGVoRAvTzAKCBtlnG/WWMyocZ3CKxPfgtFHWY/wCgk1AA Ro+5RCYNk0W3YUXs3SEfkJs= =q18d -----END PGP SIGNATURE-----