Sunday, March 31, 2013

Debian: A SpeedBump on the Road to Innovation

by Dietrich Schmitz

I've watched the progress of Linux over quite some time and can't help but conclude that development in the Debian community has become dogmatic, stodgy, and held back for no other reason than pure politics and control issues.

There is nothing creative or innovative about that.  The Debian priesthood make their proclamations, anoint new members and continue to exert control of the pace of development with no interest in changing their software release management policy speed knob, currently set to: slow.  Slow as in 'sloth' slow.

As Debian prefers to resist change, change besets them.  You see, change is occurring on Internet time all around them in fact.  That's fast for those who watch trends in application development like me.  And the constant that is ever-present that Debian cannot ignore is that change will continue in overdrive while the Debian community sit on their collective hands satisfied by not doing what needs to be done.

Innovating on Internet time doesn't mean one has to lose control, nor does it mean that one will lose stability at the risk of frequent change.  It means that the pulse is being followed and striking while the iron is hot is imperative to reach profitability and bring product to market when and where it's needed--today and now.

So, life goes on, with or without Debian.  They have made their bed and sleep in it.  The need to politic continues unabated and the camp has their wagons drawn into a circle as if to prepare for attack.

It is fractious, unnecessary, and drives a wedge into the process of community sharing.  Sharing of ideas, sharing of resources is divided along political lines.  It is divisive and leads to internal turmoil all avoidable but the control must continue.  And it does.

Debian leadership will continue to apply their full will with impunity and seek comfort in their ability to exert only control, not innovation, not creativity, not sharing--just pragmatic politics--and continue to recede into irrelevance.  Happy Easter.

-- Dietrich
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