[LUAU] s/hosef.ics.hawaii.edu/mirrors.hosef.org/g

[Jimen Ching]

On Tue, 19 Dec 2006, Vince Hoang wrote:
> On Mon, Dec 18, 2006 at 11:52:20PM -1000, Jimen Ching wrote:
>> I think if you subscribe to this list for a while, the ratio
>> of bickering to technical discussion should go down. ;-)
>
> I certainly welcome more bickering/debates on technical merits,
> but the non-technical ones are a complete eye-sore. We are all
> not going to agree on whether or not HOSEF == LUAU. Move it to
> a blog where it belongs. k thx.

I took some time to think carefully about this issue and I would like to 
respectfully disagree.

I'm sure a lot of members are wondering why I bother with all this.  It 
wasn't that long ago that something like this happened before.  So, why 
the big deal?  Well, I would like to explain, and if the LUAU members 
could bear with me.

And Vince, the following is directed at the LUAU list as a whole and not 
you personally.  Even though I'm using your qoute; I'm only using it to 
make a point.

Concerning this qoute: "... the non-technical ones are a complete 
eye-sore."  I know the following will sound like a lecture, and I know a 
lot of you already know about FOSS and the ideas behind it.  But I think 
we sometimes need reminding of what this concept is all about.  I know I 
sometimes forget myself...

Free and open source software is about creation of source code and the 
sharing of this source code.  Projects like the current HD's for mirroring 
are very important to this idea.  Sharing of source code is just as 
important as the creation of this source code.  This is why we sometimes 
have to stop coding and look at some of the issues that impede us from 
sharing, such as software patents, DRM, and other political issues.  With 
the SCO vs. IBM case still pending, I'm sure many of us are aware of the 
dangers that affect our software freedoms.  These non-technical topics are 
just as important to FOSS as administering a server or writing the next 
great application.

Take Eben Moglen for example.  I doubt he has participated in that many 
technical software discussions.  But if he wanted to discuss legal issues 
about FOSS on this list; should we tell him such a thread would be an 
eye-sore, because it's non-technical?  I hope not.

But, this only says that political issues matter to FOSS and should be 
relevant to the LUAU mailing list.  Why all the bickering about what is 
and is not LUAU?  Why is that so important?  Why should it be discussed in 
this mailing list?

Well, that's another point I want to make concerning the qoute above. 
Which is--not only should LUAU be open to all topics of Linux and FOSS, it 
should be open to all organizations as well.  Then what is the problem you 
ask?  The problem is this; if we allow the creator of HOSEF to say "LUAU 
is HOSEF", then the members who don't want to be associated with HOSEF are 
forced to do so.  This opens the door to allow any one from any 
organization to say "LUAU is my organization", because a few members are 
also part of my organization.  These statements are not fair to one group 
or the other.  The only fair solution is to reject such statements when 
they are made.  This will allow each LUAU member to decide for themself 
which organizations deserve their support.  I strongly believe in this 
idea.  I hope there are others who do as well.

This issue may not seem important now.  But I'm thinking into the future. 
I hope that other members will start their own organizations, and I truly 
hope the LUAU community will be there to support these new organizations 
as it did for HOSEF.

I know the above statements will make me sound like I dispise HOSEF or 
think lowly of its creator.  This couldn't be further from the truth.  I 
truly believe HOSEF is performing a great service for the Hawaii 
community.  But...I also believe that LUAU should be a platform for other 
organizations to spring up.  I'm glad that Scott chose LUAU as the 
community to base his HOSEF organization.  I hope there are many more 
Scott's out there that will use LUAU as a launch pad for great things. 
This is why we need to make sure the LUAU community stay true to itself 
and support everyone, and every organization, who is interested in Linux 
and FOSS.

If you've read all the way to this sentence, I thank you for giving me 
your time and reading my opinions.  I hope some of you believe as I do 
about this issue.  And I hope a few will voice their opinions in support. 
Because if we hope to help support the creation of new organizations, we 
need to prevent such opinions from being suppressed by telling them to go 
discuss it in their own blogs.  LUAU should be the right place for such 
opinions and discussions.  You support not only benefits Linux and FOSS, 
but Hawaii as well.

Thanks again...

--jc
-- 
Jimen Ching (WH6BRR)      jching at flex.com     wh6brr at uhm.ampr.org