Re: Reordering etc/NEWS

[David Kastrup <dak@gnu.org>]

Eli Zaretskii <eliz@gnu.org> writes:

>> From: Richard Stallman <rms@gnu.org>
>> CC: rgm@gnu.org, emacs-devel@gnu.org
>> Date: Mon, 07 May 2007 12:50:26 -0400
>> 
>>     We know that.  But, while waiting for this issue to be
>>     resolved, there's no need to install changes that do not fix
>>     very grave bugs.
>> 
>> That is what I think, and that is why the only nontrivial changes I
>> have installed were to fix grave bugs.
>
> It should be clear by now that we have very different ideas about
> what is a grave bug.  Perhaps if you took a few minutes to explain
> your criteria, much of the argument could be avoided.

If you compare the above statements you'll find that Richard, in
contrast to you, refers to "nontrivial changes".  So the difference
might not just lie with judging what are grave bugs, but also with
judging what are "trivial changes" and whether it is a good idea to do
them shortly before a release.

>> Furthemore, I take offense at the insult which is implied by saying
>> this to me as if you thought I needed to be taught this by you.
>
> There was no insult and therefore no reason to take offense.  It's
> just a simple difference of judgment about what is a grave bug.
>
> OTOH, you have no more right to teach me manners than I have to
> teach you what is a sound release procedure.  While the latter is a
> technical issue that is on-topic in this forum, the former is not
> (unless I behave in an uncivilized manner, which I don't think is
> the case).

To be fair here: Richard does not teach manners here, but rather tells
us how he reacts to the kind of criticism encountered on the list.
Since his reaction is not indifferent, it is perfectly relevant to the
release and his willingness to answer any question about the release
process and the SCM versioning, and is thus on-topic.

That I don't like it one bit (and suspect I am not alone in that) does
not change its relevance.

>> I have been insulted and abused many times here lately.  I did not
>> respond to most of these insults, but I did take offense.
>
> Same here.

Lots of people have invested lots of time and energy into a common
goal and made it progress.  So the prevailing sentiment on this list
should be gratitude and respect towards one another.

It is getting difficult to remember this.

-- 
David Kastrup, Kriemhildstr. 15, 44793 Bochum