Discussing issues

["Ronnie Sahlberg" <ronnie_sahlberg@ozemail.com.au>]

>From a lurker, ignore if you wish.

Imo forks are sometimes useful, it allows disparate interest groups to focus
on their
areas of interest. It can also create dynamics when separate policies/goals
create different solutions
that are exchanged between both sister projects.

Forks can also be less than useful if there is not sufficient resources in
both paths to keep
both sister projects alive.

It is a risk and people be/feel hurt. That is the nature of the fork.

nuff rant:

How to proceed:
In a fork, especially for a project with few active participants, maybe not
sufficient numbers enough
to keep both sisters alive I think it should be planned how to handle the
immediate future and also how the
issue should be remembered later on.

I think there can be only three possible outcomes:
1, both projects die due to lack of resources. everyone lose.
2, both projects survive, resolve the issues when time dims the memories of
conflict.
both projects prosper by exchange of ideas. everyone wins. unlikely outcome.
3, one project due to unimportant reason thrives while the other die.
here is the tricky bit.   How to plan for the possibility of one project
dying.
it is not like X have excess resources already and can sacrifice some
resources.

Point 3, in all forks there is a possibility that only one fork will
survive.
Even if blood is running hot when the fork is created, do remember that
there may be a time
when one fork may die. What will you do with the developers abandoned by the
dead fork?
Keep them alienated forever or invite them back?
If this happens, do make sure that there are bridges that have not been
burnt so that surviving
contributors from the failed fork will feel and will be welcome to
contribute to the surviving fork.


It is how the issue is handled right now, what tones are used, that will
decide in the future whether the
people picking a side will be allowed to merge back or will be paria
forever.


_______________________________________________
Forum mailing list
Forum@XFree86.Org
http://XFree86.Org/mailman/listinfo/forum