OpenJDK Bylaws FAQ – Nice Example!

It is good to see my old project continuing the tradition of comprehensive, honest FAQs. While you might not agree with everything Oracle does with OpenJDK, they are using transparency to lower the emotional heat and explain the pragmatic realities of managing a project with enormous investments by Oracle and other big players in the software marketplace. Free software advocates aren’t likely to be happy with Oracle’s exercise of corporate control, but at least they aren’t being blindsided, tricked, or ignored. Even when you’ve got hard news to deliver to developers, you’re better off delivering it straight-up, and dealing with the consequences of the news itself, rather than adding to your difficulties with “spin”. For more ideas on building FAQs that build goodwill with developers, check out my FAQ FAQ whitepaper, and thanks, Simon, for the pointer to this!