I've encountered this question many times, in projects I contribute to and mentor.
My current (evolving) take on this is that the mailing list needs to be an authoritative and descriptive record of the project. A lurker should know what is going on by subscribing. A newcomer should be able to catch up by reading archives. For any decision, someone should have their voice heard - a chance to have a different opinion and change the course of the project - via only the email list. You can achieve all of that and still have off-list working meetings. The key is in just what Gris said: "the meetings will be just to provide a time to work on things". I would guess that almost every active Apache project has people working off-list in person having many meetings and calls. But the list is what drives the project. This is all talking about normal project PMCs. I'm not sure if this all applies to an operational arm of ASF. Kenn On Thu, Oct 3, 2019 at 9:31 AM Griselda Cuevas <[email protected]> wrote: > It can, and that will be the preferred way. I'm not going against the > Apache Way, I'm providing additional channels to move the project forward > making it as transparent and collaborative as possible. > > I will also hold these meetings as we have done with the Outreach work, > which has proven to be going well. > > Again, the meetings will be just to provide a time to work on things that > are needed and email can't facilitate. No need for everyone to attend. > > > > On Wed, 2 Oct 2019 at 23:30, Patricia Shanahan <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > On 10/2/2019 9:08 AM, Gris Cuevas wrote: > > > > > Hi Justin, > > > > > > Meetings are not mandatory and there is not a need for them yet. The > > > time selection is so the Bitergia team has a block of time where they > > > know they can have a hold of someone in our working group > > > predictably. > > > > > > Since we are under a contract with Bitergia, milestones need to be > > > achieved/met in a timely manner and meetings can provide a way to > > > unblock things and progress in a constant rhythm. > > > > > > I do want to give a time where you could make it in case it's needed, > > > could you propose 2 days of the week and times that will work for > > > you? I will add this to the Doodle. > > > > > > In the meantime, let's continue work through mail, Jira and > > > Confluence. I already briefed the Bitergia team in these channels. > > > > > > There is one way in which ASF has been so successful at D&I that it is > > hardly noticed. People can fully participate regardless of time zone, > > shift, whether one does ASF activities on the job or during leisure > > time, and time-based responsibilities. > > > > Given people scattered around the world, and with different life > > circumstances, finding a meeting time that is convenient for everyone is > > practically impossible. > > > > Instead, ASF tries to avoid doing things synchronously. Can't keeping > > track of milestones, progress, and barriers to progress be done by > > e-mail, rather than a synchronous meeting? > > >
