Proposal: sunset the backports pockets

[Erich Eickmeyer]

Hi Robie,

On Monday, July 19, 2021 10:56:39 AM PDT Robie Basak wrote:
> Hi Erich,
> 
> On Mon, Jul 19, 2021 at 10:18:36AM -0700, Erich Eickmeyer wrote:
> > TL;DR: Don't sunset the backports, but reform the process.
> 
> Ubuntu is a meritocracy. We invite anybody, from any company, to
> participate in any aspect of the project.
> 
> I would be happy to see the backports process stay, with reform that
> actually works. Like you, I would prefer that, so in that sense, I
> completely agree with you.
> 
> However, somebody needs to drive that reform. Nobody has. The last time
> the topic of reform came up, nobody apart from me bothered to respond to
> the thread.
> 
> There are many people making many suggestions in this thread now, but
> still so far, nobody has volunteered. I don't think that anybody has
> disagreed that the current situation is actively damaging to our
> community.
> 
> *Given that* nobody is stepping up to reform the process, I think that
> sunsetting the process is the least worst option. It might be a
> difficult, unwelcome decision, but it is one that needs to be made.
> 
> I appreciate the points you're making. However, unless you (or somebody
> else qualified) are actively volunteering to step in and drive the
> reform, I cannot give your position much weight. Because how can I,
> knowing that nobody volunteering means that the current harmful
> situation will continue? To me, when you say you want reform, I hear
> that the status quo will continue because nobody will step up to drive
> that reform, and for me that is unacceptable.
> 
> Please don't block an improvement by requesting work that nobody is
> volunteering to do.

When was the last time this was brought up? I don't remember seeing anything 
on any public mailing lists, discourse, the fridge, Planet Ubuntu, or even 
Ubuntu Weekly News about this. This tells me that it was never brought-up 
publicly, aka no call for volunteers. If that's the case, then that's the 
failure, not people like me saying it's a bad idea.

I would 100% volunteer if it aligned with my day job, which it might, but I 
cannot make any promises at this time. It also aligns with my position as a 
flavor lead since Ubuntu Studio currently maintains its own backports 
repository via a PPA, which is not an ideal situation, but it kindof works and 
it beats jumping through hoops to get anything into the official backports repo.

What I'm saying is that you might be posting to these mailing lists, but 
that's not *public enough* to get the attention this needs to drum-up qualified 
volunteers. Not everybody who is qualified is subscribed to these lists.

So, yes, I will block a so-called "improvement" when it comes down to quitting 
vs exhausting all other options, because, in my opinion, quitting is not an 
option.
-- 
Erich Eickmeyer
Project Leader - Ubuntu Studio
Member - Ubuntu Community Council
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