Well c) isn't really the case in Mr. WhinyUser's second request, to add SHA256 hashes. He originally claimed it was "really easy" to do, but balked at actually providing any code unless the maintainers promised to accept it. A couple of days later Dan implemented the change -- without any help or thanks from Mr. WhinyUser.
I don't know that the union argument really works in the Linux distribution realm. After peeing in the community pool Mr. WhinyUser went off to a fork of Arch that supports signatures (for their additions only, which doesn't appear to address his original concerns about Arch repositories, but apparently for some the appearance of "security" is enough). But even if he didn't have that fork to go to, there was nothing stopping him from adopting one of the many Debian offshoots, or Redhat, or ... The Arch maintainer union -- really an odd term for a handful of unpaid volunteers -- have no control over his actions or desires, but there are plenty of Linux distribution alternatives out there.
I don't know that the union argument really works in the Linux distribution realm. After peeing in the community pool Mr. WhinyUser went off to a fork of Arch that supports signatures (for their additions only, which doesn't appear to address his original concerns about Arch repositories, but apparently for some the appearance of "security" is enough). But even if he didn't have that fork to go to, there was nothing stopping him from adopting one of the many Debian offshoots, or Redhat, or ... The Arch maintainer union -- really an odd term for a handful of unpaid volunteers -- have no control over his actions or desires, but there are plenty of Linux distribution alternatives out there.