Re: SPI Workshop/Brainstorming Session at Debconf

On Thu, Jul 24, 2003 at 08:12:20PM -0500, Ean Schuessler wrote:
> > You make the whole thing sound really... wrong. I don't know how else to
> > describe this attitude. We can evacuate purcel from Brainfood if you like,
> > too. The only reason nobody suggested it before was because it wastes so
> > little bandwidth it's not even remotely touching the limits of your T1.
> > (FYI there are many places that would be happy to give us lots more bandwidth,
> > and places with a much higher threshold of when money is mentioned.)
>
> I have little doubt that MSU, ISC, HP or any number of donors with much
> greater capacity than I have are available to help. But they would, as I
> do, offer help purely because of SPI's association with Debian.

I disagree with such oversimplification. There are plenty of free software
projects out there that manage without Debian's explicit involvement. In
particular there are SPI-sponsored projects that manage without Debian's
explicit involvement.

SPI has long evolved beyond the point where it needs Debian to handhold it
to get anything done. (Cynics might say that it still isn't getting anything
done, but at least it's not getting it done on its own ;)

> > But even if graydon being a Debian developer was the only reason for SPI to
> > originally host Berlin (now Fresco), I don't see how this could be construed
> > as something that needs the whole project's backing in any way (regardless
> > of what you speculate courts will think). Fresco needs some resources, and
> > it's SPI that's lending them a hand, not Debian. If it was Debian, it would
> > be done on a .debian.org machine.
>
> Again, please, just because a resource isn't labeled *.debian.org
> doesn't mean that functionally it isn't a debian resource.

Silly word plays. It's not handled by the Debian Project. It serves a
purpose that's beneficial to Debian just like any other SPI-sponsored
project, but it's simply not handled by the Debian Project, on purpose!

> Fresco is a bad example because it doesn't pose much risk or draw much
> power. Here is the kind of scenerio that needs to be contemplated:

Perhaps it would be wiser to contemplate something that is actually
happenning (or even has a chance of happenning). SPI has never sponsored a
FS project that had pending legal issues and I doubt it ever will --
besides, people simply won't offer it to us because they know we can't,
shouldn't and won't handle it.

> All of this could be painted as mad ravings, but I suggest you take a
> look at the current legal climate out there. I don't think I'm off base.

I know the whole story, but rather than fixing the breakage we are
preventing it from ever happenning simply by sponsoring projects that
aren't done in a manner that's openly defying a law (how ever inane
the law may be).

The matter of founding new entities to handle each supported project's
donations can be handled in a less intrusive way than renaming the whole
kit and caboodle to "Debian Foundation".

--
2. That which causes joy or happiness.