OLPC: Open Organized Transparent

[John R.Hogerhuis]

Denver Gingerich <denver <at> ossguy.com> writes:


> I've never seen one of these "holier than thou" e-mails you mention.
> It certainly doesn't seem to be like any of the staff I've
> communicated with to do such a thing.
> 

Sorry, but this impression on users (and I share it too) is inevitable.
The problem is not having an open mailing list. The problem is
backchannels of communication.

My opinion is, if it doesn't happen on the list, or in a logged IRC
session, then it didn't happen.

Oh "we had a hallway meeting" or "we had a little conference and anyone
that happens to be around can come" is Not OK if you really want to be a
community-driven, open project.

Without naming names, though I was excited to help at first, that kind
of insider-outsider issue made me lose interest as a direct contributor
fairly early. I felt, if they are going to run this like they're a
proprietary company where they excercise full control, why should I
bother? In the end my opinion won't really matter, so why waste my
breath?

Of course all projects have a leader. But the arguments need to happen
in public, stay in public, and the decision needs to be made and come
down in public from a trusted individual as though there were no other
backchannels. Even if a background conversation happened, I don't want
to hear about it.

-- John.