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Posted to community@apache.org by Leo Simons <le...@apache.org> on 2004/01/14 13:17:49 UTC
an Incubator case study
Hi gang,
The avalon project is currently merging an externally developed
codebase, "MerlinDeveloper", with an internally developed codebase that
has the same goals. The codebase is about 60 files. We found some
licensing issues when we started incubation (referenced LGPL code, wrong
license headers, etc etc), but these have all been resolved quickly by
the projects developer once we identified them.
I'm one of the mentors of the project, and as a 'hobby' I've pretty much
made a detailed record of how much time it takes. So far I have spent:
* 0 hours convincing the incubator that this project should be
incubated;
* 1 hour convincing the avalon pmc that the project should be incubated;
* 3 hours doing a code inspection (which would have likely taken me
2 hours longer, btw, hadn't there been forms and process
descriptions to use in incubator cvs, cause I would have had to find
out what to look for all by myself);
* <1 hour filling out a status form, sending a status report, running
project acceptance votes for two PMCs;
* 1 hour figuring out parts of the process as we go ("no, we don't
really need a mailing list"), but this is also part of my role as
incubator pmc member, so I'm not sure if I should book it as "time
spent incubating";
* 4 hours explaining to various parties what we are doing, that it is
not bureaucratic, that it is not all a big formal mess, that this
thing really is required, etc etc.;
* I'll probably spend a few more minutes tallying vote results and
notifying two PMCs of the results.
From this it is easy to see that if it weren't for all the resentment
by various parties towards the incubation process, it seems likely that
the import of the project would have actually been more efficient, and
easier, than if the import process would have been managed by the avalon
project all by itself, because avalon benefits from the expertise and
knowledge of the incubator project.
I'll also note that 'defending' that something should be done and spent
time on is something that I really don't enjoy at all, so those 4 hours
spent count double IMHO.
Do with this data what you please. The conclusion I personally draw from
it is "we should stop complaining about process, and JFDI".
--
cheers,
- Leo Simons
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