So where’s the blueprint that was used engage with the community about putting the close-button of windows at a non-fixed position in neither corner?

We don’t have a Blueprint about every decision made in Ubuntu. Also, button placement has nothing to do with my team: my team is the community team, not the design team.

Just today, I read on the ubuntu planet that there are more than 1600 bugs out there with patches attached.

Indeed, and why do you think we made the patch view? It is because we are keen to have better visibility on these contributions to take them through.

There are thousands of proposals being ignored at ubuntu-brainstorm. (When was the last time you or any other ubuntu developer visited that site?)

Every cycle I summarize the most popular proposals and ask all of the engineering managers to weigh in on them and propose them to their teams. This was the intended purpose: it provides a means of gathering opinion, it has never been a commitment to implementing anything on there.

Ubuntu is an Open Source project: have you contributed to any implementation on those ideas?

It’s all interesting infrastructure that may someday help a real community powered distrobution. But to call Ubuntu community powered .. i used to believe that, and that that was the actual intent. Nowadays it just feels like empty words.

We never say we are “community powered”, but we are disto that has a strong community in and around it. Just because Canonical invests in it doesn’t mean it is not heavily community influenced. Also, given that we have open and transparent governance, open blueprinting, open resources and fund many community members to our developer summit, it seems like you are seeing the part of the picture you want to see.

Most interestingly there is a very strong mismatch between how ubuntu users use ubuntu and what they consider the priorities to be, and what you guys feel like working on. (up to the point of not having crucial applications in the repository, or having important patches ignored)

What data do you have to substantiate this?

From the box of random revelations: Nobody uses evolution. Just a guess, but I think webmail takes at least 80%, with thunderbird taking almost all of the remaining 20% of users.

When you say webmail, are you suggesting we remove Evolution and only provide access to Gmail or another webmail component?

The package that enabled proper gmail integration is still living in the new queue and will likely not be part of the LTS. (if it will be part of Ubuntu ever).

I am not sure about this: have you spoken to the desktop team to see what is blocking it?

Thunderbird is still not installed by default, but rather evolution is.

Why don’t you write a spec to propose a shift to thunderbird and talk to the desktop team about it?

Look at that. A rant. And it isn’t even about the window buttons. Hey, talk about themes, how about starting with the important reality check that most people use both KDE and GNOME applications? That a priority for a theme, should be to make the applications look uniformly.

Why do you assume that I or others should solve this problem? Ubuntu is an Open Source distro: there is every opportunity to contribute and solve this problem. Have you looked into being part of the solution for this?

It’s not your fault though, Jono. It’s your job, and Ubuntu has the momentum to establish opensource in mainstream usage in an unprecedented way. We share the same dreams. But perhaps, even as a community manager, there should come a point, where you have to turn around and start to manage the obstructions of community participation, because they don’t lie with the community.

LOL, you don’t think that a significant part of my role is in trying to make participation in Ubuntu easier? Me, my team at Canonical and many of our community members are all working hard to do this across a range of topics and disciplines. I am not denying we have problems to solve, but here you have just provided a rambly rant about your issues with Ubuntu: why don’t we instead work together on solutions?

I would love you to drop me an email to jono AT ubuntu DOT com where we can talk more.

You can spin all you what. The transparent parts of Ubuntu are not that much used.

Just today, I read on the ubuntu planet that there are more than 1600 bugs out there with patches attached.

There are thousands of proposals being ignored at ubuntu-brainstorm. (When was the last time you or any other ubuntu developer visited that site?)

The transparency and user-participation is becoming more and more a farce.

It’s all interesting infrastructure that may someday help a real community powered distrobution. But to call Ubuntu community powered .. i used to believe that, and that that was the actual intent. Nowadays it just feels like empty words.

Most interestingly there is a very strong mismatch between how ubuntu users use ubuntu and what they consider the priorities to be, and what you guys feel like working on. (up to the point of not having crucial applications in the repository, or having important patches ignored)

From the box of random revelations: Nobody uses evolution. Just a guess, but I think webmail takes at least 80%, with thunderbird taking almost all of the remaining 20% of users.

The package that enabled proper gmail integration is still living in the new queue and will likely not be part of the LTS. (if it will be part of Ubuntu ever).

Thunderbird is still not installed by default, but rather evolution is.

Look at that. A rant. And it isn’t even about the window buttons. Hey, talk about themes, how about starting with the important reality check that most people use both KDE and GNOME applications? That a priority for a theme, should be to make the applications look uniformly.

facepalm

It’s not your fault though, Jono. It’s your job, and Ubuntu has the momentum to establish opensource in mainstream usage in an unprecedented way. We share the same dreams.

But perhaps, even as a community manager, there should come a point, where you have to turn around and start to manage the obstructions of community participation, because they don’t lie with the community.

It’s just such a waste of an opportunity.