Open Letter to Thomas Backlund, Dave Hodgins and others

[katnatek]

(I’ll be publishing this Open Letter on some sites. I’d like for other Mageia users to express support and add their names/nicks/emails at the end of this text. After this preface, here’s the actual Open Letter)

Open Letter to Thomas Backlund, Dave Hodgins and other current and past members of Mageia

In behalf of Blogdrake, the Spanish-language community of Mageia users, and other Mageia communities and users, we take this opportunity to thank you all for the work you’ve done for Mageia. Also, We’d like to ask you to stay (or come back, if you’ve already left) as part of Mageia.


With your decision to leave Mageia, you’ve left all of us users as orphans. Sure, the current situation is not good or desired, but we believe that by leaving things will only change for the worst, just as Mageia was starting to get excellent reviews and becoming more visible on the Internet.


We can’t promise the situation will get fixed anytime soon, but at least for my side (katnatek) I’m ready and willing to put on extra work to improve the situation. For example, if someone were to provide me with appropriate rights and were to teach me how to do it, I (katnatek) would work to unstick the testing repository updates issue. I (katnatek) would be more proactive with bugs.mageia.org (reviewing bugs with long time of inactivity, for example); those are not just words but personal commitment.


To Anne Nicolas and other founders and past members of Mageia: we don’t believe you’d like to participate in a similar disaster to the one that forced Mageia creation. Please come back, be active once again, even if you feel you can’t do much. At least use some of your time to teach some of us how to take over.


It’s nigh time to end with the complaining and get back to doing.


Sincerely,

katnatek, forum admin in BlogDrake
Jybzz, MLO sysadmin (apply for sysadmin on MGA)
Yuri Chornoivan, i18n team leader on mageia (18n-discuss)
Miguel, member of i18n team on mageia (18n-discuss)
joselp, moderator on BlogDrake, member of atelier team on mageia
javierreta, moderator on BlogDrake
jrespino, member of BlogDrake
drakor, moderator on BlogDrake
SinnerBOFH (sinnerbofh at gmail dot com), BlogDrake member and founder

--- add your self if like to support this text or ask to be added ---
Note: Thanks to SinnerBofh for the corrections

[doktor5000]

Thanks for sharing, changed this into a global announcement so that it might get some more visibility.

----

Regarding the updates, mostly testing of the update candidates is required.
Have a look at https://madb.mageia.org/tools/updates which shows the pending update candidates - it parses through the bugs, and gives out that helpful list overview.
Also read the lower parts of https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Updates_policy and https://wiki.mageia.org/en/QA_process_f ... ng_updates
Basically everybody can help validate such updates.

I've already pushed out some security updates and bugfixes in the past, if you have any questions feel free to ask them, but maybe in a separate thread to keep the topics separated

[morgano]

Most importantly, more users need to step forward and give a hand.

You know it can be real fun, and also give a cosy feeling of working on something big together that matters.

Help out in this or other forum.

Update or write new wiki page of something that interest you.

Test that new update candidate of a driver so you know it works on your hardware, or some software you are interested in having latest and greatest version of.

Just to say some.

https://www.mageia.org/en/contribute/

I started as a user, and now do some testing and wiki. And apparently drop by this forum.

[doktor5000]

You are talking with a believer, i join to qa and add me as packager candidate, and maybe you did see my wiki contributions, but mageia need a way to be more atractive and easy for new potential volunteers

[katnatek]

Thanks for sharing, changed this into a global announcement so that it might get some more visibility.

----

Regarding the updates, mostly testing of the update candidates is required.
Have a look at https://madb.mageia.org/tools/updates which shows the pending update candidates - it parses through the bugs, and gives out that helpful list overview.

But still not updated for mageia 9

Also read the lower parts of https://wiki.mageia.org/en/Updates_policy and https://wiki.mageia.org/en/QA_process_f ... ng_updates
Basically everybody can help validate such updates.

Already on it.

I've already pushed out some security updates and bugfixes in the past, if you have any questions feel free to ask them, but maybe in a separate thread to keep the topics separated

Thank you perhaps you can give a hand with the stuck updates for mageia 9?

[doktor5000]

Have a look at https://madb.mageia.org/tools/updates which shows the pending update candidates - it parses through the bugs, and gives out that helpful list overview.

But still not updated for mageia 9

MADB already shows the update candidates for mga9, even though the rest of the site has not been updated yet.

[isadora]

I see it, i share this on qa, off-topic, i add me as potential packager apprentice , did you like/can mentor me?

[katnatek]

Dave Hodgins answer on discuss list:

El mié, 27 sept 2023 a la(s) 16:24, "David W. Hodgins" (discuss at ml.mageia.org) escribió

> Its my intention publish this on the site that i can, i like to other
> members support this text publishing in sites like blog and adding your
> names or nick to the end of the text, once say that, here is the real text:
>
> Open Letter to Thomas Backlund, Dave Hodgins and others current and past
> members of Mageia

While the frustration I felt trying to get critical updates released was the
trigger that made me decide to leave now, the main reason is that I just don't
have the energy or focus needed to do it properly anymore, due to chronic
health problems that are not going to get better.

While the issue that triggered the timing has been resolved, my health problems
will not be improving. I'm not planning on returning to being an active member
of Mageia.

It's also forced others to step forward which is something Mageia needed.

Regards, Dave Hodgins

[evermore]

Hi,
I'm wondering what is going on and trying to understand the impact of their retreat. Is there any public announcement or other background information about the original event (i. e. their decision to leave)? Unfortunately, I was unable to find anything on the forums and discuss mailing list.

[doktor5000]

I think their mails were sent to the sysadmin, council and board member group adresses, those don't show up in the mailing list archives but everybody in those groups receives those mails.
Both are quoted here: https://ml.mageia.org/l/arc/qa-discuss/ ... 00174.html

[evermore]

That's what I was looking for, thanks!

[petroben]

Dear katnatek and the Mageia community,

Thank you for sharing this open letter and expressing your concerns and commitment to the Mageia project. It's clear that Mageia holds a special place in your hearts, and your willingness to step up and contribute is commendable.

We hope that your message reaches those it is intended for, and that a positive dialogue and collaboration can ensue for the betterment of Mageia. Open-source communities thrive on the dedication and efforts of individuals like you, and your commitment to improving the situation is truly appreciated.

Best of luck in your efforts to strengthen and rejuvenate the Mageia project.

Sincerely,

[petroben]

[katnatek]

Dear katnatek and the Mageia community,
Best of luck in your efforts to strengthen and rejuvenate the Mageia project.

Sincerely,

[petroben]

Thank you for your words

[zekemx]

Hello

Dave Hodgins and others who have left are really missed

i am working on getting the skills needed to help. I've already contributed on some packages and working with new ones.

Regards
ZekeMX

[morgano]

Much welcome, thank you