I'm solidly in favor of the Benevolent Dictator For Life (BDFL) model of open source stewardship. This is how projects from Linux to Python, from Laravel to Ruby, and yes, Rails, have kept their cohesion, decisiveness, and forward motion. It's a model with decades worth of achievements to its name. But it's not a mandate from heaven. I...
Projects having a self-appointed “BDFL” has become kind of a red flag for me in general. I know the term is used somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but still I find it really offputting. Ruins the vibes.
Has happened just recently that I found an interesting project, was excited about it and even thought about becoming a contributor eventually… until I saw that its founder calls themselves “BDFL”, and then I just noped out.
Now let me show you how that exact model can go sideways and disrupt massive swaths of the development community, without a whiff of irony.
Projects having a self-appointed “BDFL” has become kind of a red flag for me in general. I know the term is used somewhat tongue-in-cheek, but still I find it really offputting. Ruins the vibes.
Has happened just recently that I found an interesting project, was excited about it and even thought about becoming a contributor eventually… until I saw that its founder calls themselves “BDFL”, and then I just noped out.
Bastard Dictator For Life
Conversely, Benevolent Operator From Hell