Reports of death are greatly exaggerated

Exactly how serious the controversy over Dunc-Tank has become is hard to determine. On the one hand, Debian has always conducted its business publicly, and with a heightened rhetoric that outsiders are apt to regard more seriously than those who are actually involved. On the other hand, Debian has a history of inflamed controversies, such as those surrounding the departure of Bruce Perens, so seeing Dunc-Tank as yet another such incident is hardly a major stretch.

Yet even if Dunc-Tank has caused divisions, the long-term effects are likely to be slight — no matter who carries their point or leaves the project. With more than 2,000 members in the community, Debian has long outgrown any dependency on any individual contributor, or even any group of contributors. Whatever the outcome of the Dunc-Tank controversy, the Debian Project will likely stumble on as it has in the past, with its members contemptuous of deadlines and arguing fiercely at every step. There are many members who wouldn't have it any other way.