Humans are hard, lets go shopping.

On of the big problems I am having with the "FESCo wants to ban direct stable pushes in Bodhi (urgent call for feedback)" thread on Fedora Development list is that it is not a reasoned discussion. Instead it basically hits upon every point highlighted in the Wikipedia article on propaganda. Over and over the conversation is pushed towards making your brain's partisan filters fire off.

Partisan filters are parts of the brain that shuts down rational thinking so that your subconscious can possibly save you from getting your head smashed in. It was a great thing back 10 million years ago when tribes of austra lapethicus met each other a small watering hole and there was only enough food for some set. One side had to stay and one side had to go.. and since it might happen really fast, you needed to join a side or die. Over the years as humans evolved more into a social species more of these circuits got built so that by appealing to certain emotional triggers, you can get people to join up.

While I feel one side has done an over-large share of this, I can see both sides doing it to shore up their sides of the water hole. And it pisses me off. This whole discussion could have been rational, reasonable and dealt with in normal coding methods:

1. A proposal is generally made.
   
2. A request for comments is called for. This requires the proposal to be written out and viewed by the organization at large (if they so want.)
3. Patches are proposed and accepted/rejected. Counter RFC's could be generated.
4. The members of FESCO are communicated with by their constituants and make a vote that they feel best.

Instead we have a

1. A proposal is generally made.
2. A call for a proposal is asked for (not in the best wau but it does occur.)
3. An appeal to the general audience of developers is made by one party.
   
4. 100+ emails later we have split into two groups around the water hole ready to drive the other side away. One side will eventually be able to claim a victory .. or not.
   

I expect something written starting with "When in the course of developer events, it becomes necessary for one ..." but I hope we will somehow be able to reconcile.