Who is the boss here?

[Carlo Wood <carlo at alinoe dot com>]

Perhaps this is a touchy subject, but I thought to bring it
up anyway.  Just be sure that I have absolutely nobody in mind
while writing this.   I am just trying to bring up an issue
that I think needs some attention in order to make life a
little easier for everyone.

In order to actually make design decisions, sometimes we need
an authority.  One of the things that annoys me most often as a
beginning gcc developer is that I have still no idea who is the
boss here :/ (for certain topics).

I think we NEED an authority, someone who can make a decision period.
That would speed up development and avoid endless discussions that
are actually only about individual opinions.  I have observed that
sometimes the developers higher in the hierarchy of gcc rather chose
to ignore arguments of others than to say: "No. End of discussion".
The latter would be a lot more clear and pleasant then being ignored.
But ofcourse most developers hesitate to say firmly "no", because also
they are uncertain about who is the authority/boss and they don't want
to risk being attacked with "who do you think you are"; at the moment
everyone speaks for himself, and that makes it impossible (or at least
highly unpolite) to tell someone "no" without further discussion.

I think that it would be better for *everyone* if it was clear
who has the authority to make end decisions, and that everyone
knows who that is.  This can be a different person depending on
the area of gcc, or the subject of course.

I hasten to add by no means I am against long discussions :).  But
if a thread takes too long and everyone has said their thing - THEN
I want to see a decision... and not a dead thread going out like
a candle, as if there never had been a discussion in the first place.

Ideas?

-- 
Carlo Wood <carlo@alinoe.com>

PS Perhaps I am wrong, and it is very clearly defined who has
   the last word on a given subject.  In case I'd like to plead:
   Please use your authority.  And also, ... please tell me WHO
   has the last word on which subject ;), I'd like to know.