Poettering Fallout, GamingOnLinux Shake-up, and Replacing Xfce
There was so much news today I hardly know where to start. All the reactions to Poettering's Google+ post probably dominated the headlines today, followed closely by the resignation of GamingOnLinux as Editor in Chief. In other news, Bryan Lunduke shares his thoughts on Cinnamon and Matt Hartley says it's time to replace Xfce. There are a couple of KDE tidbits as well as news that another German city is ditching Windows for Linux.
Today's top story has to be the reaction to systemd creator Lennart Poettering's Google+ post in which he said, "The Open Source community is quite a sick place to be in." He said that because of all the hate directed personally at him since the wide-spread adoption of his SysVinit replacement systemd. He claims to actually have received death threats. Reactions ranged from opinions to advice. Michael Hall, Canonical Community Coordinator, said the community is wonderful, he's wonderful, and all of us are wonderful before heading into his advice for getting along in the world. Basically he said treat others as you would like to be treated, not the way they treat you.
Bruce Byfield added his thoughts saying, "Poettering is perfectly right -- an abusive element does exist within free software." He says he's suffered at the hands of those nameless faceless elements including "sexual innuendo to threats of assault and death." However, Byfield reminds readers that:
The complaints coming from Poettering amount to a new definition of chutzpah. Poettering, you may remember, is fond of sweeping critiques of huge bases of code, and of releasing half-finished replacements like PulseAudio, systemd, and Avahi that are radical departures from what they replace. He is a person as much known for expecting other people to tidy up after him as for his innovations. For many people, this high-handed behavior makes Poettering an example of the same abusive behavior that he denounces -- and his critique more than slightly problematic.
Byfield said there's a difference between "non-productive negativity" and a "lack of civility," although both need "to be dealt with." KDE's Aaron Seigo agrees with Byfield in that Poettering himself has exhibited the very behaviors he's condemning now, however, no one should be threatened or even spoken to "verbally horrible." He then discusses the various "paths" in which "communities" do or try to operate and the downsides to each. Seigo says the only "healthy path" is one where the focus is solely on "technology creation."
In another case of incivility in the neighborhood has forced GamingOnLinux's founder, owner, and editor-in-chief to resign. He says he'll still administer the site behind the scenes, but won't be posting anymore. GamingOnLinux started out rather small, but it quickly became the go-to site for cool Linux gaming news and reviews. It sounds like jealously had a lot to do with the abuse hurled at Liam Dawe, owner GamingOnLinux, but his exit post said the cast and crew of LinuxGameCast began leaving some of the ugliest comments ever read in the history of the Internet on his site. I suppose he felt resigning was his only recourse. However, GamingOnLinux will continue as a "community-oriented website" to which folks from the community can contribute content to help keep it going. The Linux community lost a valuable resource in Dawe.
In other news:
* The Linux Desktop-a-week review: Cinnamon
* KDE’s Plasma used in Hobbit movies
* Third Release of KDE Frameworks Brings a Multitude of Fixes
* German City Gummersbach Drops Windows XP and Gets SUSE with a MATE Desktop