[natch]

So if there’s a patch that fixes a devastating bug then distros should ship with the bug, got it.

Or reach out to the developer who does not respond to email (who is likely also not a signer of this open letter and who may or may not agree with it).

Multiply this (futile) reach-out step times however many developers are involved in touching any code of any project being shipped during any if the multiple days, weeks, or months between releases.

Which is probably hundreds of unanswered emails. Mmmkay.

[kirbyfan64sos]

The page literally addresses this:

> We thank all the distribution package maintainers for backporting patches that improve security, fix bugs, etc. who coordinate with upstream. Often times this means creating or pulling patches to fix issues with inactive/abandoned/unresponsive upstream projects. These distribution package maintainers are doing a tremendous job and their work is not the subject of this letter.

> This letter wants to address the cases where actively-developed features, huge changes, etc. of active upstream projects are being included without the knowledge of the project maintainers or end users.

[natch]

I wouldn’t say it addresses it so much as it acknowledges it as an issue without offering a workable solution.

[pessimizer]

What's a more workable solution for urgent patches than not including them in the request to "not ship work in progress."

[natch]

If the developers themselves don’t “ship” changes to any copy of their repository outside of their own privately accessible space, the (perceived from their perspective) problem is solved.