[squeak-dev] Call For *Your* Opinion

Jecel Assumpcao Jr jecel at merlintec.com
Wed Apr 21 22:06:00 UTC 2010


Ian Trudel wrote on Mon, 19 Apr 2010 06:49:32 -0400
> Dear Squeakizen,
> 
> I would like to call for your opinion(s) in regard to contributions. I
> am a firm believer in surveying the community in order to improve our
> sense of direction, our culture, and bonding as a community.
> 
> 1. What are your biggest hurdles preventing you from contributing to Squeak?

My current focus in on where Squeak will be in the next few years, which
makes it hard to keep up with what is happening now (much less actually
help with that).

> 2. What would it take for you to contribute more?

I think what I am doing now is the best use of my time. If someone
proves me wrong, I would change my priorities.

> 3. What are your expectations in regard to contributions?

I suppose some people will like them, other will be against. Since I
will use them in any, either we will have a fork or Squeak as a whole
will go my way. I prefer the second result, but don't consider the
alternative a disaster.

> 4. What are the reasons behind the low level of contributions from
> other community members, according to you?

In the past it was partly my fault. My impression was that the
relicensing effort would be nearly impossible with a moving target and
told the community we should hold off further development until that was
solved. As I worked on the problem I realised that I was wrong - a
previously "clean" method couldn't become a problem by having someone
who had already agreed to the MIT license mess around with it.

> 5. What would you improve in order to increase the number of
> contributions and the number of contributors?

The Trunk model seems to have produced interesting results. But I think
better integration with other communities, such as Etoys and Croquet,
will bring more contributors.

> 6. How would you rate your sense of social identification to the
> Squeak community, on a scale from 1 to 10. (1 is the lowest, 10 the
> highest)

8

> 7. What is your rating based on?

I was around since the begining, while other people have gone away and
others are just arriving. So there is a bit of a lack of sense of
history, with repeated projects and repeated mistakes.

> 8. Anything else?
> 
> 
> Best regards,
> Ian.
> 
> Post scriptum:
> 
> For the record, Squeak Oversight Board should conduct such surveys in
> the future. I trust the board to understand the community or otherwise
> take actions in order to do so. However, I'd like your help to prove
> the board that this is the right way to go and to be heard. So,
> please, everybody, contribute with your opinion (even if you are a
> timid person).

I don't agree at all that the board should be doing this, and find it
great that you have taken the initiative. As I have said before, the
board's powers are all related to the "Squeak" brand. So it would be bad
if you did this and somehow pretended to officially represent Squeak,
but that wasn't at all the case here. Things should be community driven
as much as possible and not have the board as a bottleneck.

-- Jecel




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