[IAEP] squeak/etoys accepted as free software... (was Re: Sugar on Ubuntu - Summary

[Jonas Smedegaard]

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On Fri, Nov 07, 2008 at 01:47:16PM -0800, Alan Kay wrote:
>So the only misconception I saw in the last few exchanges was part of a 
>lot of correct conclusions by Holger. The misconception was: "it's 
>because the impossibility to bootstrap etoys."
>
>Etoys can be easily bootstrapped over and over (and Squeak can be 
>bootstrapped over and over) but it is done using the tools and UIs and 
>sources supplied in Squeak

I understand from above that the term "bootstrapping" has a broader 
meaning.

I believe that Debian ftpmasters mean that it is not possible to 
bootstrap using classic Linux/Unix/Posix tools.

(I do not intend to be exact above - I am only a modest hacker, not 
educated in the exact terms here!)


>some people think their way is the only way and that any other way just 
>has to be wrong and inferior.

I believe Debian ftpmasters do not consider the Squeak approach to 
source and bootstrapping wrong or inferior. On the contrary, Debian can 
be seen as "inferior" in the sense that it can only properly deal with 
one approach to handling source and bootstrapping.

For Debian to dare take responsibility for maintaining stuff like Squeak 
in "main", I believe it is not enough to convince the ftpmasters that 
the world is not flat. Debian need people skilled in dealing with "a 
round world", so that if issues occur - like security flaws reveiled 
which might need quick action and perhaps even discretely from a small 
group - those people in charge are _able_ to deal with the issues, and 
understand if their fixes are reliable.


Kind regards,

  - Jonas


- -- 
* Jonas Smedegaard - idealist og Internet-arkitekt
* Tlf.: +45 40843136  Website: http://dr.jones.dk/

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