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Christel Dahlskjaer wrote: |
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> Hi all, |
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> |
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> It has been asked that I submit my Proposal of Change to Gentoo User |
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> Relations Project to this mailing list, it was also asked that I submit |
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> it RFC style! Now, writing RFC's is not something I've ever done, so I |
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> hope you all bear with me. |
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> |
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> Input is very much welcome. |
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> |
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> And the proposal can be seen below. |
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> |
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> Kind Regards, |
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> Christel Dahlskjaer |
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> |
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> |
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> |
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> |
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> |
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> RFC: Proposal of Change to Gentoo User Relations Project. |
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> |
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> The following is a proposal for change to the User Relations Project. |
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> The following proposal contains background on the needs for and |
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> benefits of change to the project, an outline of the changes I think |
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> should be made, my qualifications and a schedule. I look forward to |
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> hearing your ideas on the scope of this proposal. |
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> |
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> Need for Change |
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> |
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> As the user base of Gentoo continues to grow, so does the need for |
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> having a strong link between users and developers. Unfortunately the |
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> User Relations project has fallen behind, and has lain dormant for quite |
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> some time. The project needs organization and structure in order to best |
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> serve the user/developer community and attract |
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> potential project members from within the community. It is of course |
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> understandable that when overworked/stressed we become less |
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> communicative, and can respond in a more abrupt manner. As a developer |
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> it is easy to get into a situation where you are stressed and where it |
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> becomes easy to respond to a user in a less than desirable fashion. |
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> |
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> Benefits of Change |
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> |
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> 1) Better communication and easier access to understandable |
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> information produces happier users and developers. |
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> |
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> 2) Happy developers are more productive. |
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> |
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> 3) Happy users file fewer complaints |
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> |
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> 4) Better communication will ease the workload for developers |
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> |
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> 5) Better communication will make Gentoo more attractive to potential |
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> new users and encourage continued user contribution. |
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> |
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> My Qualifications |
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> |
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> I have been a Linux user for 13 years. I have worked as a Registered |
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> Mental Health Nurse for 4 years. I study towards a MSc in Forensic |
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> Psychology. I have been involved with the Irssi project for 4 years. I |
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> have been a volunteer staff member for Freenode (PDPC) for 1 year. I |
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> have had various other volunteer positions over the past ten years. |
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> |
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> Suggested Changes |
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> |
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> * Communication - Review the current channels of communication |
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> between users and users, and users and developers (focusing |
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> in the start phase primarily on the two issues outlined below) |
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> 1. Bugzilla - Create a Bug Writing How-to to provide users with a |
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> guideline for how to write bug reports, to ease the workload |
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> for the developers and also to ensure that the users include |
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> sufficient information with their bug report. |
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> 2. Bugzilla - Write and make available guidelines for how |
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> to respond to a bug report in a useful manner. Ensure that |
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> developers have the opportunity to look up how "it should be |
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> done" should they feel unsure. |
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> |
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> * Complaints - Review and rewrite the current complaints |
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> procedure to ensure that users will find User Relations |
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> approachable and thus will feel able to file |
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> complaints if necessary. Ensure that a problem is always |
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> looked at from both sides, and if the problem cannot be solved |
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> by User Relations have a procedure in place for escalating to |
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> an ombudsman. |
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> |
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> * Stress - Ensure that there is an understanding of how |
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> overwork/stress can affect the way we communicate with others. |
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> Ensure there is a procedure in place for backup should the |
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> need arise for a developer to not deal with users directly for |
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> one reason or another. Ensure developers have the option to |
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> "take time out" when needed. Ensure that users are dealt with |
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> in an effective and friendly manner so not to cause any |
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> unnecessary trauma for users. |
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> |
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> * Recruitment - Work alongside Developer Relations to improve |
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> the recruitment process, focusing on the process for reinstating |
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> a returning developer to start with. |
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> |
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> * User Relations - Review User Relations' role and find |
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> other ways of improving Gentoo User Relations. Ensure that |
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> User Relations are proactive rather than reactive and have a |
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> good strong presence within the user community. Continously |
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> encourage and listen to feedback from users and developers in |
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> order to better understand the needs of users and developers, |
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> and effectively cater to them. |
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> |
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> In order to achieve this I intend to seek out input from users |
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> and developers, possibly in the form of a survey as well as by |
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> interacting with users/developers through the existing channels of |
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> communication (forum, irc, mailing lists, e-mail, bugzilla, planet |
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> gentoo etc). I intend to produce reports detailing my findings and what |
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> changes I feel need to be made along with detailed plans of how |
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> for User Relations can carry out the changes. I will address these |
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> reports to Developer-Relations and make them available for input before |
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> undertaking any work. When working towards deadlines we will always |
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> ensure that the dead lines are realistic, as unrealistic deadlines are |
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> often a source of stress. |
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> |
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> For the above mentioned points I intend to ask for user and developer |
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> input before creating any documents. I also intend to ask for input |
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> during the process of creating these documents to ensure that noone |
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> feels left out and to ensure that the end product is one that is |
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> agreeable for most. I also intend to make available information on how |
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> to deal with stress and heavy work loads and easy non-time consuming |
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> techniques for relaxation. |
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> |
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I agree. Relations between users and Gentoo developers could be *alot* |
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better. There seems an air of unapproachability, even elitism, from the |
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development camp and it was only when I started helping in #gentoo-uk, |
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organising events and became an AT that this became better. |
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I'm pretty sure that developers have better things to do than teach new |
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users Gentoo and Linux in general but as Gentoo has become more popular |
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users with lesser knowledge have become prevalent and it seems Gentoo |
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has been slow or found not wanting to acknowledge that. |
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Too few developers use the forums, they are usually the first stop for |
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the beginners who have problems. Usually their problem can be fixed by a |
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revdep-rebuild or modules-update but most developers (apart from |
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Uberlord/Genone/Klieber) seem to stay away from it like the plague. That |
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brings be on to a second idea, there are lots of wonderful apps for |
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Gentoo users to use but they seem to be in different parts of the |
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(excellent) documentation. I propose a page of "essential commands"; |
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when to use them and how that could just be cut out of the existing |
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doocumentation. |
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|
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George |
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