Slashdot Mirror
Ubuntu "Memberships" Questioned
mxh83 writes "Apparently if you have 'sustained' and 'significant' contributions to Ubuntu, you can become a 'Ubuntu Member' and get some freebies. 'While there is no precise period that we look for, it is rare for applications to be accepted from people contributing for less than 6 months. It is vital to be well prepared for the meeting. You need to convince the membership board that you have contributed to Ubuntu.' Have they thought this incentive through? What about recognition for smaller contributors? And who judged what is a 'significant' contribution to a community project?"
Update: 01/06 20:33 GMT by S : Changed the title to reflect the fact that Ubuntu memberships have actually been around for a few years now.
[joke]But was the party fun enough that you need to install windows 7 as penance?[/joke]
Windows 7 isn't too bad though, especially because it was free for me (it would not be worth the $200+ price tag). I spend a little less than half my computer time in each of win7 and ubuntu at the moment.
"Which is more than what you were supposed to received by volunteering your time."
A T-shirt is surely a laughable salary, unless you look at it from two other possible point of views :
- This is getting better. It was zero a few days ago. Going from zero to something is encouraging.
- This is not a t-shirt, this is a business card and a huge point on your CV. Wearing such a t-shirt at a convention or on a job interview (no, suits are not always mandatory) says "I was recognized for my skill in the Ubuntu project" and that, is worth quite a lot. But this is reputation money, not cash. Some people, however, long for this.
The Wise adapts himself to the world. The Fool adapts the world to himself. Therefore, all progress depends on the Fool.
Please specifically exclude the dearly beloved New Labour Party of my nation(UK) when you state things like 'European welfare states" and "carefully manage the economy", it will give the wrong impression of what it is they actually do.
Also, and totally unrelated to my pointless previous point, but more related to the topic of this discussion, wouldn't such a membership have an adverse effect if they don't make most contributors they interview members? Someone contributing 4 months of their meagre spare time, and then being told they haven't done enough to earn a free t-shirt? How many people would be happy with that?