see below<br><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Mon, Apr 19, 2010 at 12:49, Ian Trudel <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:ian.trudel@gmail.com" target="_blank">ian.trudel@gmail.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
Dear Squeakizen,<br>
<br>
I would like to call for your opinion(s) in regard to contributions. I<br>
am a firm believer in surveying the community in order to improve our<br>
sense of direction, our culture, and bonding as a community.<br>
<br>
1. What are your biggest hurdles preventing you from contributing to Squeak?<br></blockquote><div>I have very little time to devote to Squeak, so an easy and smooth</div><div>procedure to contribute to the Inbox will do.</div>
<div>What proposed in [1] is still too complicated IMHO: it would be great to have the</div><div>possibility from current image to cherrypick the changes you want to submit...</div><div><br></div><div>[1] <a href="http://lists.squeakfoundation.org/pipermail/squeak-dev/2010-April/148535.html" target="_blank">http://lists.squeakfoundation.org/pipermail/squeak-dev/2010-April/148535.html</a></div>
<div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
2. What would it take for you to contribute more?<br></blockquote><div>I think the current process with Trunk/Inbox is a great improvement</div><div>compared to Mantis where potential fixes just stayed there in the limbo too long</div>
<div>if not for ever. So Mantis is a DB of potential solutions to be harvested but</div><div>it does create a vicious circle [2] for the contributor IMHO.</div><div>On the other hand the current approach is great (even if perfectable, see 1. above) because</div>
<div>the occasional contributor get feedback (inclusion in Trunk or comments/suggestions for improvements) in</div><div>a very short time and that creates a virtuous circle [2] where more and more contributions are</div>
<div>
posted. (this is even more true for the core submitter of course)</div><div><br></div><div>[2] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuous_circle_and_vicious_circle" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virtuous_circle_and_vicious_circle</a></div>
<div><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
3. What are your expectations in regard to contributions?<br></blockquote><div>Given the current Inbox/Trunk approach I expect quick turnaround: assess for inclusion,</div><div>include or reject. </div><div><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
4. What are the reasons behind the low level of contributions from<br>
other community members, according to you?<br></blockquote><div>Power law in action [3,4, 5]: you can only have higher contribution by</div><div>making your community wider and/or by making it easy for the occasional contributor</div>
<div>to contribute.</div><div><br></div><div>[3] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_law" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Power_law</a></div><div>[4] <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Shirky" target="_blank">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clay_Shirky</a></div>
<div>[5] see power law distribution in <a href="http://mymindonbooks.com/?page_id=562" target="_blank">http://mymindonbooks.com/?page_id=562</a></div><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
5. What would you improve in order to increase the number of<br>
contributions and the number of contributors?<br></blockquote><div>From 4. above:</div><div>a. make community wider (i.e. more members): this mean make Squeak appealing</div><div> so that applications can be easily developed and deployed.</div>
<div> For example _<b>deploying</b>_ Squeak based applications in standalone mode</div><div> is far far too difficult (or not well enough documented, i.e. unknown but for a few gurus).</div><div> <b>Documentation</b> is also critical: the current focus on HelpSystem is certainly beneficial</div>
<div> but it has to be said it is not the first attempt to improve documentation, many failed before.</div><div> Also great is the initiative on books: Squeak/Pharo by Example and the OCRed ones made</div><div> available on Stephane's site.</div>
<div>b. make it easy to contribute by anyone: I think here we have a leading edge, probably due to</div><div> the small size of the community, in that the current procedures provide for the build up</div><div> of a virtuous circle. </div>
<div><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
6. How would you rate your sense of social identification to the<br>
Squeak community, on a scale from 1 to 10. (1 is the lowest, 10 the<br>
highest)<br></blockquote><div>8</div><div> </div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
7. What is your rating based on?<br></blockquote><div>adfero ergo sum. -> I contribute so I am (part of).</div><div><br></div><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
8. Anything else?<br></blockquote><div>Things are moving again in Squeak world since long. This is a very good</div><div>sign given the potentials associated with it, i.e. Croquet/Cobalt (unfortunately still</div><div>in a very small niche after momentum from Andreas, David S. and David R.</div>
<div>has been directed to other shores), EToys, Scratch and tons of other unique</div><div>applications!</div><div>The late exercise in Squeak4.1 has been fantastic (I have to say thanks to the drive</div><div>from Andreas) because it has pushed for image _and_ VMs to move in sync.</div>
<div><br></div><div>Bye and hope it helps</div></div>-- <br>Enrico Spinielli<br>"Do Androids dream of electric sheep?"— Philip K. Dick<br>"Hear and forget; see and remember;do and understand."—Mitchel Resnick<br>