[DRAFT] Apache Flex Podling Exit Interview (if there was such a thing) (was Re: [PROPOSAL] Mandatory podling exit interviews)

[Alex Harui <ah...@adobe.com>]

First, a disclaimer.  This is just my personal take on things and no one
else on the Apache Flex PMC was involved in writing this.

As the PMC chair of a relatively recently graduated podling, I would like
to suggest that if you choose to implement "exit interviews" they should
probably be optional, and I would argue that they should be requested at
least 3 months after graduation, after the transition from podling to
project is hopefully complete.  First, there are potential nightmares in
the transition, and second, after that dust settles, there is hopefully
time to reflect.  Regarding anonymity, I would suggest that any naming of
names should happen outside the interview and on private@.

Anyway, the exit interview for Apache Flex would be short.  It would say:
"We started with four mentors, one dropped out, the other three were
great, two remain on the project PMC.  When you have enough active
mentors, the Incubator works just fine.  Yes, documentation could be
better, but we figured it out and graduated and are off an running as a
TLP."

Now if the interview contained an open comments section, I would say the
following:

I've been scanning what must be hundreds of emails in at least 3 threads
trying to fix the Incubator.  Personally, I think the Incubator is working
as well as should be expected.  Can it be better?  Maybe.  Because I think
there really is only one "problem", and that is simply "time".

In fact, "time" is the root cause of all "problems" at Apache, especially
at the other main source, which is Infra, and it amazes me that it doesn't
really get mentioned explicitly in these discussions.  To me, it is par
for the course when you have a group of volunteers running things.   I
haven't done much volunteering, but are there other organizations as large
as Apache that is administered by volunteers?  Big charities seem to have
paid administrators.

Infra has some paid folks, and I haven't checked Apache history, but I
would imagine Infra was once all-volunteer until it was decided it was not
going to scale and donation money was diverted to fund fully-dedicated
people to it.  And still, they are underfunded as lots of minor requests
slip through the cracks.

It may simply be time to try to get more donation money diverted to pay
one or two folks to serve on the IPMC.  You can try every new idea you
want, but they will all fail if folks simply don't have the time and
energy to execute them.


-Alex


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