On Dec 5, 2006, at 8:43 AM, Daniel Kulp wrote:
I have no problem with an IRC chat as long as we're careful with
how we use
it. However, one sentence above is a concern:
"It will make our community stay focused and being more efficient
by making
decisions..."
...
We CANNOT make decisions on IRC.
Personally, if we limit the chats to status type things, a time to ask
questions from others (which we could then put on the wiki if they
seem to be
FAQ type things), etc..., then I'm OK with it. However, if we start
finalizing designs and settling on features and such, then that
would be bad
as that stuff NEEDS to be on the email list.
IRC is exclusionary. Unless you happen to be on at
that time (and, as mentioned, it's darn near impossible
to find a time where everyone can attend), you run the
risk of not only excluding and alienating people, but
doing so consistently. That is NOT a way to build
a community.
The other trouble is that it becomes *way* too easy for
IRC to *become* the way development happens, and you
start seeing emails like "Hey, we decided on the
IRC channel that we should do this" and:
1. The history/archive of *how* that decision was
made is lost (since it's IRC). Yeah, as Dan says
you can log the discussion... but sometimes (more
often than not), this isn't done.
2. Decisions are not being made on the mailing
list, rather *confirmations of decisions* are.
This is a very different thing.
3. It places the decision making process in
the hands of those who are "lucky" enough to
be on IRC at the time.
IRC can be used, carefully, with well-established communities,
especially those that know the dangers and go to the
lengths required to avoid them...
I would tread very, very very carefully here.
