[FFmpeg-devel] [VOTE] drop support for using libav* compiled with mingw/cygwin in msvc

[Ivan Kalvachev]

On Wed, Feb 27, 2008 at 1:29 AM, M?ns Rullg?rd <mans at mansr.com> wrote:
> Diego Biurrun <diego at biurrun.de> writes:
>
>  > On Mon, Feb 25, 2008 at 01:59:45PM +0100, Michael Niedermayer wrote:
>  >> [...]
>  >
>  > Can we please have a bit more discussion before resorting to votes the
>  > next time around?
>
>  For the record, my decision to change the code had nothing to do with
>  any "voting" that may have taken place.  I do not believe in democracy.

I feel so much secure when I know there is not even single root admin
who believes in democracy.


>  To run a country, democracy is probably the best system devised thus
>  far, although it is by no means perfect.  This is because populations
>  at large have at most average intelligence, probably lower [1].  In a
>  group like FFmpeg, the average intelligence is high enough that the
>  chances of reaching a consensus around a sensible decision are pretty
>  good.  In a group of intelligent people it is also much more difficult
>  for a tyrant to gain foothold.  In other words, by resorting to
>  democratic processes, an intelligent group is likely to make worse
>  decisions than had time been allowed for proper discussion and
>  consensus-forming.
>
>  Who wants to join me in founding the Kingdom of FFmpeg?
>
>  1. It has been postulated that the collective intelligence of a group
>  is equal to that of the least intelligent member divided by the size
>  of the group.

I'm afraid that this Utopian view is pure bullshit and is not based on
any real observations.

I'd like to take the above to the extreme. If a group collective
intelligence is equal to that of the least intelligent member divided
by the size of the group, then group formed only by the most
intelligent person have the biggest change to come up with right
solution.
In short, it justifies emerging of single ultimate tyrant. Now, if
this is not dictatorship, I don't know what it is.


On another note, it seems that there are people here who have no idea
what democracy is. Democracy doesn't start and doesn't end with
voting.
It is a way more. The thing you call "reaching consensus" is the
actual heart of the democracy.  d?mokratia (??????????)  - literally,
rule by the people.

In a society you can have all the institutions, organization,
elections and voting and still not have democracy. Because democracy
requires all the small check and balances from the people down bellow,
through the bureaucrats and up to the government. When the link is
broken,  government is not in check, it can run loose and it becomes
more vulnerable to totalitarian takeovers.

As conclusion of the above tirade comes to show that in smaller groups
it is harder for a tyrant to place a foothold and is even more harder
to keep his position.