ESC meeting minutes: 2024-10-31

[Andreas Mantke]

Hi Ilmari, hi all,

Am 10.11.24 um 17:16 schrieb Ilmari Lauhakangas:
> On 10.11.2024 18.07, Andreas Mantke wrote:
>> Am 31.10.24 um 19:07 schrieb Thorsten Behrens:
>>> (...)
>>> * Feature locking (Andreas)
>>>    +<https://gerrit.libreoffice.org/c/core/+/174865> "Remove
>>> blocking functions feature from core"
>>>    + re-visit from last week - any new views?
>>>    + Heiko: having a 'freemium' label in the code - is not ideal.
>>> but more a question
>>>      of labelling stuff, rather than technically wrong. And not
>>> affecting the desktop
>>>      version anyway
>>>    + Ilmari: but Andreas is not complaining about the label, but
>>> about the feature
>>>    + Hossein: perhaps this can be a compile-time option instead?
>>>    + Michael W.: unclear if that resolves it for Andreas
>>>    + Ilmari: does not see the point either
>>>    + Cloph: sees no prob here, either - several other places with
>>> 'locks' already in
>>>    + AI thorsten conclude this from the side of the ESC, leave
>>> comment in the patch
>>
>>
>> after some further thoughts on the process I find it very disturbing
>> that the ESC made its decision (and discussion) without even looking
>> at the 'freemiumDenyList' (or its renamed version / file). Because we
>> are talking about Free Software / FOSS it should be necessary to look
>> first on the facts/reasons for the blocking/locking function. But
>> that is only really possible if you know the list of denied features.
>
> No, we are talking about *the deployment of FOSS* specifically.
> Deployers are free to apply whatever freemium restrictions they want.
> You may personally find it tasteless that LibreOffice now makes this
> easier, but that is no reason to spend any more time on this and
> certainly no reason to bring up CoI.

we (TDF) has to use its resources for the support of FOSS and not the
support or ease of freemium software / restrictions. That is and would
be a misuse of financial, personal etc. resources of the charity
organization, which has to be avoided (if you like that or not).
Thus it is necessary to review the decision. And the ESC has also to
take care of CoI issues.

Regards,
Andreas

--
## Free Software Advocate
## Plone add-on developer
## My blog: http://www.amantke.de/blog