Waugh erupts over AU Ubuntu proposal

A group interested in promoting the increasingly popular Ubuntu down under has published a public letter pushing the need for a local non-profit organisation.

It would only be once this structure was in place, the group argued this week on a public e-mail mailing list, that the goal of promoting Ubuntu to the wider Australian community could be met.

However Jeff Waugh quickly disagreed. The developer is a long-time member of the international open source community and currently works in a business and development capacity for Ubuntu backer Canonical.

"I admire your energy and ambition, but I can't quite see where this fits in," he wrote to the mailing list.

"Creating any kind of organisation is not to be taken lightly, and before I would even imagine doing such a thing in a group like this, I would want to be absolutely sure of two things: purpose and vision."

"We don't have either of those just yet: We're a rag-tag bunch of Ubuntu lovers on a mailing list," he continued, "and that's an awesome place to be. All rock'n'roll, no boring stuff."

Waugh pointed out existing efforts such as distributing Ubuntu through events like the recent LinuxWorld Expo in Sydney were "simple, but effective".

"If we consider doing bigger things, Linux Australia and local Linux user groups can provide resources, contacts, and even things like insurance if required," he said.

At least one other member of the community received the proposal more positively, however. "Sounds exciting! I agree with all the points listed here in this letter," they wrote.

The issue continues to be debated online, with views from both sides coming from the community.