[kde-community] Proposal: KDE Manifesto wording revision

[Eike Hein]

On Tuesday 12 November 2013 02:43:39 Valorie Zimmerman wrote:
> This makes me so happy. I've been through various "by-law fights" in
> the past, which sometimes exhaust or even break apart groups. Instead,
> I see us really grappling with our shared values, strengths and
> weaknesses, and putting them together in a really clear, evolving
> document.
>
> My compliments to everyone for fighting fair, holding out for your
> values, and seeing it through to a good conclusion. This is what good
> dialogue is: thinking together.

Replying again feels a bit like I need to have the last
word, so, sorry for that & not the case, but I think a
little post-mortem talk never hurts, especially if we are
talking about a successful outcome ... :)

What tends to go through my head a lot is: The absolute
best for KDE's success is when the people who like to do
work in KDE manage to work together, because we can't do
it alone. That's an overriding concern. Winning an argu-
ment doesn't accomplish that goal when it drives someone
else away. Quitting because other folks have a slightly
different idea does nothing to accomplish that goal either
(especially when their basic motivation is compatible). Both
make a big case for staying flexible as a discussion
evolves, and it gets a chance to possibly produce a result
that's superior to the initial starting positions of every-
one.

A tricky bit with that, though: You have to be flexible,
but also trust that the other side will be flexible as
well. Most people do re-examine and re-test their points
as they state them, and most of us are ethically rigorous
enough to change our minds based on new information.


> Valorie

Cheers,
Eike