Jörg, we have been asked by the board to sync dev-de and dev.
We need to sum up the other parts of the german discussion too. all the best Peter On 07.02.20 13:02, Jörg Schmidt wrote: > Hello, > >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Dr. Michael Stehmann [mailto:[email protected]] >> Sent: Thursday, February 06, 2020 1:25 PM >> To: [email protected] >> Subject: How our project recently works >> >> Hello, >> >> I would like to tell you (just as an example) about a few things >> in which I was and am at best peripherally involved: >> >> The primary purpose of the described acts was to provide >> developers and >> other commiters to make the work of contributors easier: >> >> 1. We moved our version control system from subversion to git. This is >> seen by all developers as a great improvement even by those who were >> initially skeptical. >> >> 2. The pootle server for the translations was fixed and a >> technical process developed to provide the translators >> continuously with >> strings to be translated and to integrate continuously >> translations into >> the code. >> >> 3. Building Apache OpenOffice is anything but trivial. Matthias >> currently has the Windows build under control and accompanied in close >> contact with the maintainer the OS/2 port. Jim takes >> currently care the >> Mac and Linux builds Pedro finally covers the BSD area. >> >> Mechtilde successfully tries to support AOO also under Debian >> GNU/Linux >> to build with younger compiler and library versions (just as a >> precaution: building according to Debian guidelines is currently not >> possible). This work is also seminal for other distributions. >> >> Mechtilde also needs this instance for her work in >> technical support for the translation process (see 2.). > thank you, for this information > >> All this work was "spontaneously" was done by interested volunteers >> without a project manager, a steering committee, a Scrum master or a >> project planning. There waere also neither Sprints, nor deadlines. One >> person started a task and then others collaborated and >> continued the work. >> >> The coordination among the participants is usually informal. If >> Andrea, Matthias, Mechtilde and Peter are sitting at FOSDEM in the >> cafeteria at a table, they don't talk about the weather or >> the qualities >> Belgian beers, but of course about what they are currently doing and >> plan to do. > fine. > > but please let us always remember to inform the community sufficiently about > such informal conversations. > > In the de-community we had already, at your request, agreed to do so. > > (I am not asking for a rule for this, only that we observe it voluntarily, > just as it works in the de-community.) > >> Organizing meetings with physical presence would be difficult and >> expensive. In fact, the people involved are spread over three >> continents (North and South America once as separate continents >> considered). Coordination is done over channels of the internet (which >> is difficult enough because of the time zones). The European ones, in >> particular the German participants also meet frequently the various >> events. And when Mechtilde and I are in Hamburg of course Markus and >> Matthias and mostly others are informed. >> >> The only exception to the rule of informal cooperation in the above >> examples was the changeover to git (see 1.). Here a vote of >> the PMC was >> needed because involving Apache Infra and because it was a migration >> away from software of another Apache project. >> >> Apache OpenOffice has the advantage that the vast majority of >> developers >> use software themselves and mostly are in contact with other users. >> >> Of course we also think iintensively (and talk) about, how we can >> broaden the developer base in a sustainable way. The IMO most >> promising >> suggestion has recently come from Patricia, who suggested, with very >> good reason, to draw attention of C++ developers to our project. But >> until the seed of this idea can bring fruits, it inevitably >> takes time. >> >> Those who are active in the project receive no remuneration and work >> voluntary. Usually they spend money to commit. They are enthusiastics >> and this is IMO the best prerequisite to inspire others. > That's a fact, but it's only a rule from the formal perspective of the > project. It is not a rule that we would only accept code (or other > contributions to the project) if they came from unpaid people. Already in the > past, paid programmers were also involved in the project. > > In addition, there were and are considerations how we could possibly > accelerate the further development of AOO by our own efforts through money > (in the form of donations, possibly also in other ways). > It is clear that we as a project do not pay developers, but it is not > excluded that paid developers may work in the interest of the project. > >> Our "bus factor" [0] is unfortunately, as everyone is aware, small. >> Therefore newcomers are "welcomed with open arms" by all. > I had already contradicted you on de-dev and unfortunately I have to do the > same here. > > Newcomers to our team are often not programmers, but mostly people who want > to help with other things (e.g. the website, documentation, support...), and > most of these people are connected by the fact that they have no project > experience in foss-projects. > > The mistake I observe is that we drive many of these people away because we > force them to adopt our values from the beginning. > Many of these people rather expect democracy and don't understand > meritocracy at first. > > For example, we have to be willing to give these people work _if they ask for > it_, and not force them to find work for themselves, otherwise our rigid > attitude will lead many of them to leave us. > > Everything just said I refer ONLY to foss-project _in_experienced people and > of course not to foss-experienced people. > > Overall, we should see meritocracy as our way, but not as our religion. > > > > greetings. > Jörg > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] > For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected] > --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
