some closure on the xorg updates issue

[Max Spevack]

On Fri, 11 Aug 2006, Toshio Kuratomi wrote:

>> I think this is a loaded way of framing the decision. It's nothing to 
>> do with a "desire not to make concessions to proprietary software 
>> vendors".

I disagree.  Fedora very strongly has a desire not to make concessions to 
proprietary software vendors.  If we cared to make those concessions, we'd 
ship all the mp3 stuff, and never have another flame from people saying 
"where's my mp3".

But we *actively choose* not to support patent-encumbered and/or 
proprietary software.

>> This decision places the convenience of users of non-proprietary 
>> hardware and software lower than the convenience of people that bought 
>> hardware that (everyone should know) is not and cannot be supported by 
>> a Free operating system.

I suppose to an extent, but I strongly oppose framing the discussion as 
purely black and white.  There are a million ways to frame the "two sides" 
and you can choose whatever wording you want to promote your agenda.

As I tried to say in my initial email summarizing the Board's decision, 
there is a balance of issues and priorities here.  Making a decision that 
is completely to one side or the other -- and *in this instance only* 
placing a 100% weight on ideology and a 0% weight on potential user 
breakage -- that seemed like a poor choice.

Like I said, the Board was split.  It was not a unanimous decision.  And 
to be clear, it was not *my* decision either.  The Board made the 
decision.  I was part of that process, but it was made as a group.

So regardless of whether or not you agree with the decision, at least this 
was an example of the Fedora governance structure working the way that it 
is supposed to.

--Max

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Max Spevack
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