[LEDE-DEV] Actual community change and additional developers compared to OpenWrt

[James Feeney]

Hi - a few "armchair" comments from a complete outsider, repeating things that
you probably already know:

> There are large PRs (think the Mikrotik changes) which are unsuitable for
> inclusion as-is, yet too worthwhile to be left rotting.

One of my favorite lines from the first chapter of ESR's CatB:

"Linus Torvalds's style of development—release early and often, delegate
everything you can, be open to the point of promiscuity—came as a surprise."

Mostly my relationship to FOSS is writing bug reports - not here, yet - and
chiding my friends who might complain about code, but then not - at least -
write bug reports.  Certainly the single most important interaction with a
software project - or any kind of social activity - is the response I get from
attempting to participate.  This can range anywhere from the "slap in the face"
experienced when being completely ignored, to actually generating a real
incremental addition to the code base.  The best way to "turn people off" is to
ignore them.  And the best way to engage their interest is to respond in a way
that empowers them, that makes them feel that they are able to make a
contribution to something that matters.  Of course, everyone already knows that.

But still, "be open to the point of promiscuity".  "Promiscuously Open" to
accepting patches from "outsiders".  "Open" to accepting "structural" changes.
Imagine someone trying to "shoehorn" systemd into LEDE.  How would that feel?

I suspect that "developer time" and "developer workload" are not really the
issue, at the root of it, not really.  Making friends with strangers, and then
letting them muck-about in your "back yard".  That's not so easy.  It's not
"safe".  But developing those "stranger" relationships, taking the risk,
allowing change, and taking the time - that's really really important.

Easy for me to say - I'm just a spectator.  I don't have to deal with the
consequences.

So far, a brief glance at the mailing list, I see people asking questions and
people actually answering those questions.  The mailing list seems quite
responsive - very very good!  And there is introspection.  It looks healthy to me.

One comment about the web site, and the home page, since that is the LEDE "first
point of contact".  If someone could "personalize" that - say, once a month,
update a summary about - a few idle comments about - say, the mailing list
activity and changes to the code base.  Because now, at first glance, it looks
"static", like "dead", like "nothing is happening" - and that's not true.

Home page:	Last updated 2016-08-10 20:04:24
Meeting Logs:	Last modified 30-Mar-2016 09:57
LEDE Wiki:	Last addition ??? no idea

Hmm - let me also say this another way.  Everyone with an interest in FOSS knows
who Linus Torvalds is.  Who is the "leader" of the LEDE Project?

I cannot say.  I don't know.  And I am not invested in the answer.  I'm
perfectly comfortable with the idea that it could be anybody.  I simply do not
know "who the players are".  The LEDE Project is "not personal" - it's an
"abstraction", even though I run the software.  Not even Wikipedia can tell me,
though I did find a link there, to an article from TheRegister:  "Individuals in
the process include Jo-Philipp Wich, John Crispin, Daniel Golle, Felix Fietkau,
Hauke Mehrtens, Matthias Schiffer and Steven Barth."

Whoever you are, "mystery guys", take a risk, "expose" yourselves.  Make it
personal.  I might want to get to know you - not Biblically, but still.

Easy for me to say - I'm just a spectator.  But then, I might have to deal with
the consequences.

As it is, loading Linux on Embedded Devices is kind of 'mysterious' and 'scary'
if only because most people don't dare touch the manufacturer's boot loader
without access to a soldering iron and specialized programming hardware.  To say
nothing of cross-compiling, which seems to *require* a specialized chroot
environment, to actually work effectively, without "silent failures".

And, if you want a little - well, really a lot - more public recognition,
government support, and industry funding, I believe that you just need to learn
to say "IoT DDoS".  Pick up the gauntlet and shake it at people.

I appreciate what the LEDE community is doing, and intending to do.

James