Re: news 2010-04

[Arne Babenhauserheide]

Hi, 

Am Montag, 3. Mai 2010, 02:23:17 schrieb olafBuddenhagen@gmx.net:
> > It is surely very valuable work that Sergio is doing (Go!, Go!, Go!),
> > but we previously agreed to only list items that have already (and
> > recently) been published as patches (or equivalent) -- such that
> > others can use / reproduce / verify it.
> 
> Not sure such a strict policy is really useful?
> 
> In my understanding the major point of the regular news is showing
> people that things are moving in the Hurd world -- which doesn't always
> have to be manifested in patches I'd say...

The reason for that is that the Hurd has a reputation for never getting 
finished, and that reputation is what hurts it most when it comes to adoption 
(and developer influx) — at least from my understanding. Did you ever hear an 
ironic phrase like “It will be released when the Hurd is finished”? 

The news are a direct push at fixing that problem: “This is what the Hurd 
developers accomplished last month” ⇒ ‘A month of the Hurd’. 

It’s not just about showing that things are moving, but about showing that 
things are being accomplished. 

And to maximize the impact of these news, every news item must be verifiable 
by every reader as not being vaporware. So the next time someone says “the 
Hurd will never be finished” people can just point to the news as solid 
evidence (that can’t debate away) which shows that the premonition is false (I 
already saw that happening once). 

That’s also why I often put in stuff like “this gets us a huge step towards …”: 
showing that the big picture is moving, too. 

In short: The month of the Hurd isn’t just a newsfeed. It is a take at fixing 
the public image of the Hurd. 

Best wishes, 
Arne

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