Re: [libreplanet-discuss] Community feedback is needed on whether Libreboot should apply to re-join GNU

[Michael Pagan]

Michael Dorrington <michael.dorrington@member.fsf.org> writes:
> Hi Leah
>
> On the libreboot website, which I quoted in my previous email, you say:
> "I hope that I can prove to you all that I do wish to make amends for
> the damage".  Amends, not apologies.  The Collaborative International
> Dictionary of English says amends means: "Compensation for a loss or
> injury; recompense; reparation.".  Manchester Free Software is part of
> the Free Software community and all you have for the damage you did us
> is "sorry".
>
> I leave it to list members to decide how reformed you are.

Hello, Michael:

You shouldn't be so quick to judge someone; exercise some patience.

You are right with your definition, but I don't think this is the best
approach.  You've already made your point very clear and more than once
(i.e. we can all read quoted messages), so why stoke the fire?

When someone misses a meeting it sends the wrong message to those who
would attend such a meeting, especially if it's an unexplained absence.
I wouldn't say that missing a meeting will damage a community (no matter
how prominent the speaker is) -- I believe we are stronger than this.
Why exaggerate?

Anyway, that specific meeting was not canceled even though she did not
attend.  A wise man once said, "The show must go on!"  If I may quote
you: "Unfortunately, Leah Rowe has cancelled.  The meeting will still go
ahead tomorrow (Tuesday) at 7pm and on the same topic."  Not the end of
the world, now was it?

This may be easy to forget sometimes, but most of us do not get
paid to write free software, or to attend meetings, or to push forward a
worthy cause that provides us with freedom.  We are volunteers, and we
have no obligation to create free software or to support software
freedom: We simply do it, because we /want/ to do it.  Very few,
however, will be so passionate as to make a career about providing
people with actual, practical solutions with free software products, as
Leah and other volunteers have done.

In my opinion, her unprofessional episode is trivial and forgettable (I
don't like to dwell on trivial things) in comparison to all the good
work that she has done.  Yes, it was not all done by a single person,
but did she not create Libreboot?  Did she not lead this project?
Although it has gone astray for a bit, we now have more control over
Libreboot than before... hence, this project may /never/ go astray
again.  Give respect where respect is due, Mike; an apology was made,
free software support and development is being made, and I'm sure amends
are soon to follow.

Reformation does not happen overnight; changing a new leaf takes time;
however, I do see some promising signs (do not ask me to regurgitate
said signs for you in this era of the search engine) that show that she,
her project, and those contributing to it are indeed moving in the right
direction.

Instead of complaining about /the damages/ that were done, how about
suggesting what should be done moving forward (not to put you on the
spot, but this would've been a much better reply IMO)?  Let's be
proactive here, not shortsighted!  When we criticize each other, it
should be to make our community stronger -- not weaker (i.e. think
before replying).  If you want to make a point: Do it once, and then be
done with it.  If we forget your point over time: Provide us a link that
references your point (we are hackers: we know how to click things, and
we hate repetition), and only post more information if it is /relevant/
rather than /ranting/ (e.g. don't accuse, this is more of a ramble than
a rant).

We are on the "Community feedback is needed" thread, which is why I
decided to chime in here.  If this wasn't relevant, I would not have
said a word.


Respectfully
-- 
Michael Pagan (pegzmasta) [71B46D72]
B942 AD12 82B1 6D14 27A0  86AE 119E 451E 71B4 6D72
Free Software Hacker, <https://savannah.nongnu.org/users/pegzmasta>

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