Samir Saidani wrote:
> Stef, actually there is power because you have the power to stop us if
> we want to include something directly on the core, but I never stop
> you when you want to include something. 
This is true - the current system gives more options to some people

>So if there is real no
> interest in power, give it up. Just continue to work as you like to
> do, but do not stop the others, collaboration is sufficient. Power
> introduces only a fragmentation between us.
This is false - we've tried to find a model for "merely collaborative" 
maintenance of the image, and we haven't succeeded yet, partly because 
of tools issues.

In particular, we have identified the following problems that the 
current MC does not solve:
1. Speed when loading/merging big chunks of code
2. Allowing controlled bootstrapping processes
3. Workable visibility in the presence of many packages

We use various hacks to work around these, and these hacks force us into 
centrality.
1. We publish images to allow most people to avoid loading updates. This 
is currently manual, so few people do it. An automatic solution would 
remove this centralizing tendency.
2. We manage controlled bootstrap processes by serializing loads using 
the ScriptLoader. But the ScriptLoader is not very good at helping 
coordination, so it again centralizes.
3. People don't want to look at hundreds of repositories, they want to 
quickly see what's new with the packages that interest them. The current 
repository browser doesn't really support that.

More tools or more work on existing tools can definitely help solve 
these. I understand MC2 will address at least the speed issue, so if you 
want to help, check it out and work with Colin.

A general this is that it seems that people want there to be some "fall 
back" person to look at the bugs that don't fit any existing team. You 
can disagree or think that people should do it themselves if they want 
it done (I might agree), but that's the way it seems to be.

And lastly, one this that is necessary is some symmetry breaking element 
that makes sure that big changes don't happen all at once.

I completely agree that we should work on these until there are no 
barriers to collaboration, and nothing more than collaboration is 
needed, but we cant "just collaborate" now.

Daniel