Keen: The case against upstream packaging

Arch maintainer Kyle Keen speaks out against directdelivery of software by upstream projects. "Maintainers' greatestpower is the ability to outright say 'This is not good enough for ourusers' and consequently punish an ISV by either patching out the offensivepart or in extreme cases removing the software from the repositories. ISVsknow this and so don't act out. After 20 years of enforced good behaviorthis has lead to the idea of ISVs as 'the benevolent upstream developer.'This is why Linux doesn't have spyware, doesn't come with browser toolbars,doesn't bundle limited trials, doesn't nag you to purchase and doesn'tpummel you with advertising."