We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.United States Declaration of Independence, 4 July 1776
I used to enjoy writing. I used to enjoy spending time researching information to help me form a view and express it in writing. I used to enjoy the respectful way in which people, from all walks of life, could engage in discussion and debate. Even if the discussion and debate did not resolve a question, I felt better for knowing the “other side”.
I used to enjoy spending my day looking for answers—technical, ethical, political, societal or philosophical answers—to questions. I used to enjoy these things.
Recent events have destroyed that enjoyment and extinguished any remaining spark I may have had for engaging in such discussions. As depressing as this sounds, it is depressing.
I used to help with answering questions at the Joomla! Forum™. I used to provide feedback about the Joomla! Project on the Joomla! Forum, in GitHub discussions and at the various conferences I have attended; I used to write articles for the Joomla! Community Magazine; for a time, I was active within a locally-based Joomla Users Group and I have given presentations about Joomla! at other JUGs. I used to do these things; I used to enjoy doing these things.
I created this website as an opportunity for people to express a range of opinions about the Joomla! Project, generally, and the Joomla Forum, in particular. I made every reasonable effort to ensure that people involved in these activities would be safeguarded and protected against retribution from outsiders who can’t understand these basic principles an freedoms. Although it is not always possible to insure against the way(s) in which the expression of one’s thoughts will be interpreted, I have always tried my best to stick to the facts, address the issues—address the behaviour of other people—but to refrain from attacking someone else’s character. Sometimes you get it about right and sometimes you don’t.
This is an open forum. There are no restrictions on what people may write (except in those areas that are clearly defined in this site’s terms of use). There is nothing preventing people from expressing their opinion. In fact, I welcome a range of opinions. If anyone reading this article or any other article that appears on this website—whether or not they agree with the article or even one sentence within that article—anyone is entitled to express their opinion. I give my solemn pledge to respect someone’s viewpoint even if that viewpoint is critical towards me.
However, when people disagree with what I or others may have written here, when people dispute the right of people to express their opinion and to weaponise the Joomla! Code of Conduct [J!CoC] and the by-laws of Open Source Matters, Inc [OSM] in order to drown-out differing opinions—rightly or wrongly—then this becomes more serious. The seriousness is compounded when such complaints are made anonymously and not openly. J!CoC is a reflection of OSM’s mission, vision and key values; these key values address freedom, equality, trust, community, collaboration and transparency. I consider it hypocritical for OSM to espouse these values when it suits their purposes but to eschew those same values when a situation does not suit their purposes. I am therefore in a quandary regarding how to proceed from here. I do not doubt that I will have more to say when I am in a position to reveal the evidence that I currently possess and still to obtain.
In effect, I believe that OSM has lost control of the Joomla! Project. From reading the minutes of recent meetings of OSM, there’s a pervasive sense of malaise. As we now see, a number of people have come together to do something about the despondency for the Joomla! Project by initiating a Forum for the Future [FftF] activity. I actually felt a little bit excited when I read about this group but recent closed-door activity directed at me, personally, have dashed any hopes, in my mind, that something will happen. I sincerely wish the FftF group every success and, if there’s some way in which we can help here, I welcome it.
I used to enjoy my involvement with Joomla! and, to some extent, with the Joomla! community. I used to enjoy practising my webcraft, my word-smithing, my creativity. Joomla! was more than a hobby—something to pass the hours in my retirement; Joomla! became a motivation to engage with other people, to exercise my mental capabilities, and a reason for me to feel that my contribution has (or had) some value. Joomla! used to make me happy.
I used to enjoy writing. I used to enjoy transferring my thoughts into words and watching my words roll effortlessly off the keyboard and onto the screen. I used to enjoy some comfort that somewhere someone may obtain some value from a few words I may have written. We can’t please everyone all of the time—some people will never be satisfied no matter how hard one may try to please them—but I won’t admit need to apologise for not being able to please some people.
I do not want to tie anyone’s hands or pre-empt the outcome of a yet-to-be-resolved dispute. If I have signed my own death-warrant by publishing this article then I guess, in the fabled and misquoted last words of an Australian bushranger before his execution … “such is life.”
