Eric Raymond, known as ESR, has given up Fedora. No this is not a flame post, it neither defends Fedora nor glorifies Ubuntu which he has adopted. This perspective is purely as a software engineer.
As a software developer, feedback from any user is golden. If it is so, especially from someone like ESR, who has been a pioneer in open source and Linux - the two aspects of highest importance to a project like Fedora. There are some who think that ESR is being pompous by publicizing change in his personal choice. I think it is so because he believes that his input can be useful to the Fedora project and Fedora users. Secondly, he has been a user long enough to consider him a representative of a group of users rather than an individual. How many times does Fedora gets reasons from its users for leaving it? Such feedback can be useful in either presenting merit of your decisions honestly or incorporate the feedback - both leading to a win-win situation.
Now they have a detailed report of why ESR thinks he wants to move beyond Fedora. Fedora can explain, mind you explain, not flame or avenge, the philosophy or principles or rationale behind the decisions that led to the situation. If it cannot convince ESR, they can judge that their users are not very happy with their line of thinking. And if it is ESR, there might be many more who are switching. Fedora can prevent this, by a constructive approach to this.
I agree with ESR about focusing on building solutions using Linux. For Linux to reach the common man, it has to solve his problems. Having said this I do not mean to say that Fedora is inferior. I was a dedicated user of Fedora some time back, and I still like it. But here we have a situation where a prominent user has put forth his case why your software product is no longer useful. This can be positively used to clear misconceptions or actively act on the suggestions to make sure that users get motivated to use it. Or this can be very easily turned into a useless flame-war and completely ignored. I think Fedora needs to listen, listen carefully and respond.
