Ten years ago today Debian ratified its
Social
Contract. It is one of three foundational
documents that have shaped the project and enabled its
phenomenal growth. The SC is a formulation
of what Debian is all about: in five short paragraphs
it gives the project purpose, scope, and direction.
Because of this, it keeps the project coherent: people
join and leave, but the project continues in the same
direction. Without the shared vision codified by the
SC, the project would falter, waver, and splinter.

The other two documents, the Constitution
and the Policy
Manual are of more practical influence in the day-to-day
operation of the project. One lets us manage hundreds of
people working together, the other lets us integrate tens
of thousands of programs into a working system. The SC
is more fundamentally import, though.

Happy birthday, SC.