I've been updating some of our website to present a more useful entry
point for newcomers (and also to ensure we aren't expected to service
200 students arriving from the OpenSE project). Specifically I've
updated the page describing the mentor application process at [1]
Previously it said we would help find mentors. Thinking about the people
who have come to us they seem to expect us to find mentors, that's not
really much good since we can't know everything about every project.
I've therefore changed it to be a two stage process. The first being to
engage with the project through normal channels. Once a suitable project
and issue has been found they can then apply for the mentor programme.
In doing this I realised that they would already have done most of the
work, i.e. found a mentor. So I found myself asking what our role was.
I think our role is not to find mentors but to encourage mentors to step
forward by making it as easy as possible for them.
I've therefore made the second stage, applying for the mentor programme,
optional and switched the focus to helping understand the commonalities
across the ASF as a whole. I imagine us having documents describing our
toolset, process descriptions etc.
The text of the page has not synced yet, should sync within an hour of
this mail.
Ross
[1] http://community.apache.org/mentorprogrammeapplication.html
