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Posted to women@apache.org by Kathey Marsden <km...@sbcglobal.net> on 2006/07/14 20:39:23 UTC
A new metaphor for Apache?
I have always despised the personal physicality and implicit lack of
community in the "Scratch Your Own Itch" metaphor. While it does
illustrate that if you want it, you have to do it yourself, it is really
not very appealing to think that you might help someone scratch their
itch, improve overall scratching efficiency, or mentor a new scratcher.
*Yuck*!
Myrna van Lunteren, who works on the Apache Derby project mentioned to
me an alternative which I thought was *much* more appropriate. The
metaphor is:
FRY YOUR OWN FISH
- If you want something specific, you have to cook it yourself.
- We have to cope as a community with issues that affect us all, like
scalability as we get thousands of cooks or emergencies like the stove
breaking down.
- You will be a more welcome addition to the cooking community if
you don't smell up or mess up the kitchen.
- Even if you don't want to cook, you can move things along if you:
- Make general kitchen infrastructure changes that improve
efficiency for everyone.
- Provide recipes.
- Help others in the kitchen with their cooking projects.
- Mentor new cooks on how it works.
- Try dishes cooked by others and provide feedback.
In the end we all sit down for a wonderful meal. Through the modern
miracle that software copies are free, and the Apache license, the old
fish story about there being plenty for everyone comes true. Those
that didn't cook are welcome but of course have to eat what's served.
I think it captures the spirit of Apache very well. We all have our own
fish to fry but have to make time for community. Thank you Myrna !
Kathey
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by Kathey Marsden <km...@sbcglobal.net>.
Ian Holsman wrote:
> but who gets to clean up the mess once all the cooks are done?
It's like your mother told you. If everyone leaves the place a little
cleaner than they found it will all work out. Also we can add that to
the list of things you can do to move things along if cooking is not
your bag. Again the cleanup task visual is much more attractive than it
is with the *other* metaphor.
Kathey
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by Ian Holsman <li...@holsman.net>.
but who gets to clean up the mess once all the cooks are done?
On 15/07/2006, at 4:39 AM, Kathey Marsden wrote:
> I have always despised the personal physicality and implicit lack
> of community in the "Scratch Your Own Itch" metaphor. While it
> does illustrate that if you want it, you have to do it yourself, it
> is really not very appealing to think that you might help someone
> scratch their itch, improve overall scratching efficiency, or
> mentor a new scratcher. *Yuck*!
>
> Myrna van Lunteren, who works on the Apache Derby project mentioned
> to me an alternative which I thought was *much* more appropriate.
> The metaphor is:
>
> FRY YOUR OWN FISH
>
> - If you want something specific, you have to cook it yourself.
> - We have to cope as a community with issues that affect us all,
> like scalability as we get thousands of cooks or emergencies like
> the stove breaking down.
> - You will be a more welcome addition to the cooking community if
> you don't smell up or mess up the kitchen.
> - Even if you don't want to cook, you can move things along if you:
> - Make general kitchen infrastructure changes that improve
> efficiency for everyone.
> - Provide recipes.
> - Help others in the kitchen with their cooking projects.
> - Mentor new cooks on how it works.
> - Try dishes cooked by others and provide feedback.
> In the end we all sit down for a wonderful meal. Through the
> modern miracle that software copies are free, and the Apache
> license, the old fish story about there being plenty for everyone
> comes true. Those that didn't cook are welcome but of course have
> to eat what's served.
>
> I think it captures the spirit of Apache very well. We all have
> our own fish to fry but have to make time for community. Thank
> you Myrna !
>
> Kathey
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by Daniel John Debrunner <dj...@debrunners.com>.
Kathey Marsden wrote:
> Jean T. Anderson wrote:
>
>>
>> btw, I *do* like the "Fry Your Own Fish" approach ... catfish, wild king
>> salmon, tuna -- so many ways to extend that imagery....
>>
> Yes, and allows all sorts of peripheral activities. People can make
> side dishes, give cooking classes and all sorts of things that correlate
> as opposed to the itch which one just sort of wants to keep to oneself
> and take care of.
and always good to get rid of bugs from the kitchen.
Dan.
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by "Jean T. Anderson" <jt...@apache.org>.
Kathey Marsden wrote:
> Jean T. Anderson wrote:
>> Jean T. Anderson wrote:
>>> Kathey Marsden wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have always despised the personal physicality and implicit lack of
>>>> community in the "Scratch Your Own Itch" metaphor.
>>>
>>> IIRC "scratching your itch" came from "The Cathedral & The Bazaar" by
>>> Eric Raymond, though he may not have been the first to use that phrase.
>>>
>>> In other words, not a specifically Apache phrase.
>>>
>> btw, I *do* like the "Fry Your Own Fish" approach ... catfish, wild king
>> salmon, tuna -- so many ways to extend that imagery....
>>
> Yes, and allows all sorts of peripheral activities. People can make
> side dishes, give cooking classes and all sorts of things that correlate
> as opposed to the itch which one just sort of wants to keep to oneself
> and take care of.
Have you seen "Producing Open Source Software: How to Run a Successful
Free Software Project" (http://producingoss.com/) by Karl Fogel? His
intro to chapter 2 talks about what Eric Raymond wrote about scratching
itches:
http://producingoss.com/html-chunk/getting-started.html
Karl goes on to talk about institutional itches. The metaphor he uses is
developing and distributing new medicine. I won't paraphrase what he
wrote here -- it's a good read (as is his book as a whole).
-jean
p.s. hmmmm, I'm thinking grilled salmon tonight ....
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by Kathey Marsden <km...@sbcglobal.net>.
Jean T. Anderson wrote:
>Jean T. Anderson wrote:
>
>
>>Kathey Marsden wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I have always despised the personal physicality and implicit lack of
>>>community in the "Scratch Your Own Itch" metaphor.
>>>
>>>
>>IIRC "scratching your itch" came from "The Cathedral & The Bazaar" by
>>Eric Raymond, though he may not have been the first to use that phrase.
>>
>>In other words, not a specifically Apache phrase.
>>
>>
>
>btw, I *do* like the "Fry Your Own Fish" approach ... catfish, wild king
>salmon, tuna -- so many ways to extend that imagery....
>
>
>
Yes, and allows all sorts of peripheral activities. People can make
side dishes, give cooking classes and all sorts of things that correlate
as opposed to the itch which one just sort of wants to keep to oneself
and take care of.
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by Kathey Marsden <km...@sbcglobal.net>.
Jean T. Anderson wrote:
>
>>IIRC "scratching your itch" came from "The Cathedral & The Bazaar" by
>>Eric Raymond, though he may not have been the first to use that phrase.
>>
>>
>>
I skimmed back through my copy of the "The Cathedral and the Bazaar"
and clearly see Lesson 1 in the "Cathedral and The Bazaar" chapter (page
23 in my soft cover book):
1. "Every good work of software starts by scratching a developer's
personal itch."
illustrating the point that "Necessity is the mother of invention"
but I am actually having trouble finding the "Scratch Your Own Itch"
reference. Could someone give me a hint where to find it?
Kathey
Note to self: Reread "The Cathedral and the Bazaar"
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by Kathey Marsden <km...@sbcglobal.net>.
Jean T. Anderson wrote:
>Jean T. Anderson wrote:
>
>
>>Kathey Marsden wrote:
>>
>>
>>
>>>I have always despised the personal physicality and implicit lack of
>>>community in the "Scratch Your Own Itch" metaphor.
>>>
>>>
>>IIRC "scratching your itch" came from "The Cathedral & The Bazaar" by
>>Eric Raymond, though he may not have been the first to use that phrase.
>>
>>In other words, not a specifically Apache phrase.
>>
>>
>
>
>
Actually thinking about this a bit today I realize that I have been too
hard on the other metaphor (although I still find it very unappealing
visually) It does represent suitably the Darwinian beginnings of
software, that a good work of software must start with some primal need
to be satisfied. "Fry your own Fish" lacks that sense of urgency
and gut reaction, adds a more careful and contemplative tone like Jean
musing what to have for dinner.
So this I guess would more of a next step to the other and more
civilized extension as a project matures. Also it is good for me
because I can say it out loud and type it comfortably.
Kathey
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by "Jean T. Anderson" <jt...@apache.org>.
Jean T. Anderson wrote:
> Kathey Marsden wrote:
>
>>I have always despised the personal physicality and implicit lack of
>>community in the "Scratch Your Own Itch" metaphor.
>
> IIRC "scratching your itch" came from "The Cathedral & The Bazaar" by
> Eric Raymond, though he may not have been the first to use that phrase.
>
> In other words, not a specifically Apache phrase.
btw, I *do* like the "Fry Your Own Fish" approach ... catfish, wild king
salmon, tuna -- so many ways to extend that imagery....
-jean
Re: A new metaphor for Apache?
Posted by "Jean T. Anderson" <jt...@apache.org>.
Kathey Marsden wrote:
> I have always despised the personal physicality and implicit lack of
> community in the "Scratch Your Own Itch" metaphor.
IIRC "scratching your itch" came from "The Cathedral & The Bazaar" by
Eric Raymond, though he may not have been the first to use that phrase.
In other words, not a specifically Apache phrase.
-jean