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.
This project is well on its way to becoming a kleptocracy. While there are many moribund software projects, this one is destined to become an organization filled with status/power seeking individuals vying for trinkets and icons with the persons responsible for distributing the trinkets surrounded by yes-geeks while the amount of giving back to the broader community continues to decline.
Chances are excellent the project will take on much of the Miguel De Icaza weirdness. An example would be seeking approval from an organization that has nothing but contempt for the Mono project at C-level.
http://www.maxineudall.com/2010/02/should-economists-be-sued-for-malpractice.html