What could be done to improve the OM development process?

[Jeffery Davis]

I mistakenly sent this response via private email to Carsten when I 
meant to post it to the list.

-------- Original Message --------
Subject: 	Re: What could be done to improve the OM development process?
Date: 	Tue, 12 Aug 2008 20:58:41 -0400
From: 	Jeffery Davis <heavensblade23 at gmail.com>
To: 	Carsten Haitzler (The Rasterman) <raster at openmoko.org>
References: 	<48A2091A.4020808 at gmail.com> 
<20080813103037.1d3fbaf6.raster at openmoko.org>



> aaah - but this is what om wants! as per will's words (product management for
> OM): "Everyone should fork. Everyone should create their own distribution"
>
> ( quoted from:
>   From: onimas at gmail.com
>   To: "List for Openmoko community discussion" <community at lists.openmoko.org>
>   Subject: Re: Community contributions to core apps & features. (Was: Terminal
>   forASU) Date: Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:44:21 +0000
> )
>
> this is om's intention and desire.
>   

Explain to me the reasoning behind forking the software at this point.  
What does it accomplish, besides paying lip service
to choice?  I'm thinking of the Bible story of Solomon and the two 
mothers here.  What good is half a baby?  Wait until there's something
/worth/ forking.

Can anyone name a product that succeeded by encouraging everyone to fork 
immediately?  I can't think of any examples.  F/OSS gives you the 
/ability/ to fork, but that doesn't
mean it's always a good idea or a goal in and of itself.  In fact, I 
think the decision to fork is one that should be made with some 
gravity.  There's a whole world between the cathedral and
the bazaar.

> rock | om engineers | hard place. om design specifies what keyboard it wants.
> you are to fork and do your own thing if you don't like it.
>
>   

Forking over a keyboard is silly.  Almost as silly as not listening to 
the people that paid money for your product.