Hello, I would like to tell you (just as an example) about a few things in which I was and am at best peripherally involved:
The primary purpose of the described acts was to provide developers and other commiters to make the work of contributors easier: 1. We moved our version control system from subversion to git. This is seen by all developers as a great improvement even by those who were initially skeptical. 2. The pootle server for the translations was fixed and a technical process developed to provide the translators continuously with strings to be translated and to integrate continuously translations into the code. 3. Building Apache OpenOffice is anything but trivial. Matthias currently has the Windows build under control and accompanied in close contact with the maintainer the OS/2 port. Jim takes currently care the Mac and Linux builds Pedro finally covers the BSD area. Mechtilde successfully tries to support AOO also under Debian GNU/Linux to build with younger compiler and library versions (just as a precaution: building according to Debian guidelines is currently not possible). This work is also seminal for other distributions. Mechtilde also needs this instance for her work in technical support for the translation process (see 2.). All this work was "spontaneously" was done by interested volunteers without a project manager, a steering committee, a Scrum master or a project planning. There waere also neither Sprints, nor deadlines. One person started a task and then others collaborated and continued the work. The coordination among the participants is usually informal. If Andrea, Matthias, Mechtilde and Peter are sitting at FOSDEM in the cafeteria at a table, they don't talk about the weather or the qualities Belgian beers, but of course about what they are currently doing and plan to do. Organizing meetings with physical presence would be difficult and expensive. In fact, the people involved are spread over three continents (North and South America once as separate continents considered). Coordination is done over channels of the internet (which is difficult enough because of the time zones). The European ones, in particular the German participants also meet frequently the various events. And when Mechtilde and I are in Hamburg of course Markus and Matthias and mostly others are informed. The only exception to the rule of informal cooperation in the above examples was the changeover to git (see 1.). Here a vote of the PMC was needed because involving Apache Infra and because it was a migration away from software of another Apache project. Apache OpenOffice has the advantage that the vast majority of developers use software themselves and mostly are in contact with other users. Of course we also think iintensively (and talk) about, how we can broaden the developer base in a sustainable way. The IMO most promising suggestion has recently come from Patricia, who suggested, with very good reason, to draw attention of C++ developers to our project. But until the seed of this idea can bring fruits, it inevitably takes time. Those who are active in the project receive no remuneration and work voluntary. Usually they spend money to commit. They are enthusiastics and this is IMO the best prerequisite to inspire others. I don't want to "cheer" our project. It's aware to everyone I know, that our project is in a precarious situation - and that not just since yesterday. But these circumstances do not only severely limit our opportunities, but also open up opportunities for each individual - to try out and prove themselves in interesting tasks. Our "bus factor" [0] is unfortunately, as everyone is aware, small. Therefore newcomers are "welcomed with open arms" by all. Because of the situation, everyone is also constantly thinking about how processes can be improved and the work can be made more efficient. The above examples may be taken as evidence of this. Greeting Michael [0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bus_factor P.S.: Most of the text was translated by DeepL, my english is much poorer
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