Re: [h2o-discuss] low profile

["Jon Garfunkel" <garf@look.boston.ma.us>]

Manolo Algaba wrote:
>But It seems clear to me that [Raymond] is trying to convert part of his
>*hacker status* into *Internet guru/big guy*.

Ok, I'll concede that some testimony on his role is relevant. I haven't read
the Cathedral/Bazaar paper close enough to comment on its merits. Its good,
though it is no "Silent Spring." I don't know what is, or what will be. I
remember the opening chapter to "Undocumented DOS" was quite damning to
Microsoft, but it didn't make front page news because no one's lives were at
stake.

>d) People who knows and care but GOT a PROFIT of this chaos.  Eric Raymond
>knows what's going on and he's got the best posible possition. He knows
that the
>real war ( helping and making things more usable ) would finish with the
victory of the
>Free software guys but that'd give no money to anybody. Instead of that,
he's
>switched to the other side: Let's make all this a bit commercial, and I'd
show you
>(big enterprises ) what's all this of free software, meanwhile some dollars
in
>conferences, books...

Ok, that's not fair. Eric Raymond is not a Franciscan. You're in a very
small fringe if you think that preaching that "code is free" demands that
the author choose an ascetic lifestyle and accepts no payment for anything.

>I use TeX,emacs and python,... and what I need is better/simple/more
>information to work and better software. I don't need stories
>about Cathedrals.

I'll agree in one sense: open-source software can speak for itself, at least
to its faithful users.

But addressing your general point: Eric Raymond believes his efforts are
well-spent in trying to preach to the unconverted. If he's not interested in
working with h2o, so it goes.

Jon