Past the First Post!!

[Rory MacDonald <ro...@technologycreative.com>]

Hi All,

Scary first posting to the list!!

I would like to work with the ASF on improving access to the  
foundation and encouraging participation, that simple really.
You guys do some fantastic work, and think it has massive potential  
for helping a lot of people, who would in turn help drive the ASF - if  
they only new about and understood it.

I have discussed with Ross Gardler and Nick Burch, the idea of  
creating "teaching packs" for various different levels of academia  
and, longer-term, I have a personal interest in helping:

1). People with special educational needs to benefit from meritocracy  
without stigma.
2). Talented individuals (which is everyone in my book) isolated and  
in disenfranchised communities.

I guess, the first stops are the following:

- Does anyone object?
- Does anyone have any ideas or want to help?
- Is there anything in existence which I can build on or should at  
least look at before going ahead?

And probably,

- Is there anything people feel needs sorting first, before we attract  
newcomers to join?


Cheers

Rory



Rory MacDonald
Technology Creative
T: +44 (0)1822 678 112
M: +44 (0)7899 965 232
E: rory@technologycreative.com

Skype: 'technologycreative'

Re: Past the First Post!!

[Rory MacDonald <ro...@technologycreative.com>]

On 16 May 2011, at 12:08, Ross Gardler wrote:

>> I have discussed with Ross Gardler and Nick Burch, the idea of  
>> creating
>> "teaching packs" for various different levels of academia and,
>
> My own interest is for these "packs" to be less about "teaching" and  
> more about signposting for potential community members regardless of  
> their background. That being said, I already have some materials  
> created specifically for students that could be reworked (I'm pretty  
> sure the author of these is here on this list although she has not  
> posted yet).

@Ross: The idea of teaching packs (probably Nick's more than yours) is  
to reach out to attract new members.
Something which can be handed out to tutors or teachers to deliver a  
ready made lesson on Open Source and ASF.

Your point addresses my other question: is there anything we need to  
address first.


@All: It sounds like the dev@community.apache.org "welcome document"  
is a good place.

I would suggest this should be a friendly mail which people get (or at  
least ask for) from ezmim - objections?

OK, so as a newcomer to the list, I have no idea what it actually  
addresses, which is the first rather intimidating barrier to posting.
Second up, having been subscribed to 10 days or so, it doesn't really  
make me any the wiser.

- Where is there a description of what this exact list is, Googling  
it, still doesn't give you a concrete description, just hints. So do I  
need to create one, in which case: what is this list, exactly?

Next question: I am already running a project on this list - surely  
that is annoying people who aren't interested?

Following on from this (sorry for anyone not interested), rather than  
just asking for people to give me the standard newbie links, here is  
what I, as a newbie, found in 10mins digging around:

http://community.apache.org/newbiefaq.html
http://www.apache.org/foundation/getinvolved.html
http://www.apache.org/foundation/mailinglists.html
http://www.dtcc.edu/cs/rfc1855.html#3
http://www.apache.org/foundation/public-archives.html
http://www.apache.org/dev/contrib-email-tips.html
http://www.catb.org/~esr/faqs/smart-questions.html


1) Are there any glaring omissions?

2) Are there any points specific to this list (in addition to the  
above generic material) which need to be incorporated?

3) Does anyone have ideas/feelings on what new points should be  
developed for a welcome doc?


NOTE: As a newbie, I am now expecting to be flamed for something that  
I have done wrong in this email.

Best

Rory

Re: Past the First Post!!

[Ross Gardler <rg...@apache.org>]

On 16/05/2011 11:04, Rory MacDonald wrote:
>
> Hi All,
>
> Scary first posting to the list!!
>
> I would like to work with the ASF on improving access to the foundation
> and encouraging participation, that simple really.
> You guys do some fantastic work, and think it has massive potential for
> helping a lot of people, who would in turn help drive the ASF - if they
> only new about and understood it.
>
> I have discussed with Ross Gardler and Nick Burch, the idea of creating
> "teaching packs" for various different levels of academia and,

My own interest is for these "packs" to be less about "teaching" and 
more about signposting for potential community members regardless of 
their background. That being said, I already have some materials created 
specifically for students that could be reworked (I'm pretty sure the 
author of these is here on this list although she has not posted yet).

> longer-term, I have a personal interest in helping:
>
> 1). People with special educational needs to benefit from meritocracy
> without stigma.

Interesting. I'm working with a project here in the UK called REALISE. 
This is trying to communicate open development models to the Assistive 
Technology community. Much of what they have done is modelled on the ASF.

It's a very early stage project, but is starting to get legs. See 
http://www.realisepotential.org/

> 2). Talented individuals (which is everyone in my book) isolated and in
> disenfranchised communities.
>
> I guess, the first stops are the following:
>
> - Does anyone object?

I certainly don't object. Of course the ASF is primarily about 
developing software. We are not about addressing the broader needs of 
the specific communities you mention. However, where such work can help 
ASF projects I don't see any issues.

> - Does anyone have any ideas or want to help?

The biggest problem newcomers to the ASF have is being lost. It's a very 
big place and most of what we do and how we do is not clearly 
documented. There are docs all over the foundation that explain most of 
the key issues, but they are difficult to find and often difficult to 
read (even if English is your first language).

Making it easier for people to engage with the ASF and its projects is 
the primary goal of the Community Development project. I have always 
wanted to see some clear signposting documents that will help orientate 
newcomers. Our newbie FAQ goes some way towards doing this, but it's a 
long way from perfect.

See http://community.apache.org/newbiefaq.html

> - Is there anything in existence which I can build on or should at least
> look at before going ahead?

Yes, it's all over the apache.org site and its projects. I think the 
best thing to do is focus on a specific issue that newcomers face and 
then address this.

Once issue that has come up a couple of times with GSoC getting underway 
is that the students feel that there is no "place" for them. There is, 
the dev@community.apache.org list is the right place. Maybe we need a 
"welcome" document for these people that will point them at key 
resources and invite them to the list.

Ross