Re: GNU Classpath 0.14 released

[Chris Pickett]

Stephen Crawley wrote:
> Etienne,
>
> Please take this discussion off the classpath mailing lists.

I respectfully disagree with this request.  There are clearly issues
between the SableVM hackers and other Classpath-using VM authors and
Classpath contributors, and everybody knows that there have been for
some time now.  Nobody genuinely *wants* there to be issues, and
ignoring them isn't going to make them go away.

I think that some clear, honest, fair, balanced, and open communication
will help to straighten out a number of problems.  Even if there remain
licensing / copyright-assignment disagreements afterwards (licenses and
contribution policies are unlikely to change), I think it's worth
clarifying everything so that we all know where each other stand.

For example, we learned from this exchange that Mark and others do not
consider themselves in direct competition with SableVM, and we also
learned both Tom and Etienne think it would be fair to mention SableVM
in the release announcement (perhaps along with all other
Classpath-using VM's).  What matters to one person may be completely
insignificant to another, but I think there's a good reason to
respectfully listen to each other's needs, desires, opinions, and
misconceptions, and try to accomodate, understand, and politely correct
them as best as possible.

Just because SableVM maintains its own distribution of Classpath and
does not contribute direct changes back anymore does not necessitate
black sheep status (and note that this is no strong allegation on my 
part).  Similarly, just because the majority of Classpath hackers may 
not have SableVM's interests as their number one priority does not mean 
SableVM hackers should interpret this as meaning that the
rest of Classpath is "out to get" SableVM.

Please.  You're all mature and intelligent people, and there is no need
for this kind of bad air.  Most of all, it just wastes people's energy
and emotion, when what we really want is to encourage the growth of a
healthy and diverse Free Java community and large set of Classpath-using 
VM's in this world.  This requires time, dedication, motivation, and 
concentration, and it's difficult to keep the levels of these things up 
if people are harboring resentment.  Just sort it out.  Nicely. :)

Chris