blog about 25 years maintaingin gzip, et al

[web/gag.com] / bdale / blog / posts / Shifting_Emphasis.mdwn

diff --git a/bdale/blog/posts/Shifting_Emphasis.mdwn b/bdale/blog/posts/Shifting_Emphasis.mdwn
new file mode 100644 (file)
index 0000000..0e09182
--- /dev/null
+++ b/bdale/blog/posts/Shifting_Emphasis.mdwn
@@ -0,0 +1,42 @@
+[[!tag tags/debian]]
+I joined the
+[Debian](https://debian.org) project in late 1994, well before the first
+stable release was issued, and have been involved in various ways continuously
+ever since.  Over the years, I adopted a number of packages that are, or at
+least were at one time, fundamental to the distribution.
+
+But, not surprisingly, my interests have shifted over time.  In the more than
+quarter century I've contributed to Debian, I've adopted existing packages
+that needed attention, packaged new software I wanted to use that wasn't yet
+in Debian, offered packages up for others to adopt, and even sometimes
+requested the removal of packages that became obsolete or replaced by 
+something better.  That all felt completely healthy.
+
+But over the last couple weeks, I realized I'm still "responsible" for some
+packages I'd had for a very long time, that generally work well but over time
+have accumulated bugs in functionality I just don't use, and frankly haven't
+been able to find the motivation to chase down.  As one example, I just 
+noticed that I first uploaded the gzip package 25 years ago today, on 
+2 December 1995.  And while the package works fine for me and most other 
+folks, there are 30 outstanding bugs and 3 forwarded bugs that I just can't
+muster up any energy to address. 
+
+So, I just added gzip to a short list of packages I've offered up for 
+adoption recently.  I'm pleased that tar already has a new maintainer, and
+hope that both sudo and gzip will get more attention soon.
+
+It's not that I'm less interested in Debian.  I've just been busy recently 
+packaging up more software I use or want to use in designing high 
+power model
+rockets and the solid propellant motors I fly in them, and would rather spend
+the time I have available for Debian maintaining those packages and all their
+various build dependencies than continuing to be responsible for core 
+packages in the distribution that "work fine for me" but could use attention.
+
+I'm writing about this partly to mark the passing of more than a quarter 
+century as a package maintainer for Debian, partly to encourage other Debian
+package maintainers with the right skills and motivation to consider adopting
+some of the packages I'm giving up, and finally to encourage other long-time
+participants in Debian to spend a little time evaluating their own package
+lists in a similar way.
+