[LAD] Releasing source code is not enough, I think...

[Fred Gleason]

On Jan 21, 2014, at 08:06 24, R. Mattes <rm at mh-freiburg.de> wrote:

> I think most posters so far totally underestimate the part of the distribution.

Indeed yes...

I am in a somewhat unusual position in that, in addition to being the primary developer for an upstream project (Rivendell), I am also the Rivendell downstream maintainer for one particular platform (RedHat / CentOS / ScientificLinux).  This experience has taught me greatly to appreciate downstream maintainers in general — the complex task they perform (essentially that of ‘impedance matching’ an upstream project into the unique environment and ecosystem of a given distro) is one that is crucial for the success of any FOSS project.  As such, they deserve every bit as much respect as those who primarily work at the upstream level.  The experience has also been very helpful in teaching me to understand and work with the issues that arise with the other downstream maintainers for Rivendell.

I suspect that the OP is largely oblivious to the very existence of this 'upstream/downstream' division of labor — it is, after all, pretty much unique to the FOSS world.

Cheers!


|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Frederick F. Gleason, Jr. |               Chief Developer               |
|                           |               Paravel Systems               |
|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| True leadership is the art of changing a group from what it is to what  |
| it ought to be.                                                         |
|                                      -- Virginia Allan                  |
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