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0e1f616
(Get the code!)
@David
I've seen enough free software projects come and go in my day such that 1) I have a good sense of when leadership problems are endemic, as in Unity, and 2) I have an appreciation for the messy diversity of people involved in any given project. The combination of these two contradictory factors means that nothing is truly endemic, and a year later everything might change, either for the better or for the worse.
This gives lots of reasons for hope, and also a general anxiety about free software. I lot of us were hoping that Canonical would lessen some of these anxieties, but in fact Canonical is managing Ubuntu true to the spirit of free software. Compare, for example, with Android, which is free software but managed as proprietary: once in a few months, Google dumps out some source code and that's that. So when Mark talks proudly of his commitment to community, he's entirely right to, from his perspective. My criticism is very specific, about his inability to go the extra mile towards engagement with the *user community*, not just the "insider" developers. The failure is collective for Unity project, and not just his, but he insists always on taking final responsibility, so there it is.
I remain optimistic: Ubuntu is going through a rough patch now, due to its high ambitions and refreshingly bold approach, which presents challenges rarely seen in free software projects. The Unity project, in particular, is not handling these challenges very well, but it might get better. People will come and go, the tone may change, and in a year we might get a decision from the "inside" that Unity should be far more customizable. (I've predicted before that they'll *have* to make that decision.)
So, David, don't think that all Ubuntu doesn't care about you. Many other projects under the Ubuntu umbrella are doing a great job, due to the particular people leading them. I'm going to continue promiting Ubuntu, but I'll also be very clear about Unity's limitations, and promote alternative desktops.