As one of the major distributions at the moment, Gentoo's organisation can be a fiendishly complicated thing to understand, and it can be difficult to know how you can help out. To this end, we have created the position of 'user representative', and would like to take this opportunity to explain something about the role.
"Know your users" is popular advice, and often we attempt to achieve this by consultation with one or more users. People will tend to err towards the idea of the statistical 'average user' -- one speaks for all. Although this approach is a simple and oftentimes effective way to find a representative user, the results are only valuable if the user base, their day-to-day tasks and work settings are homogeneous. If there are significant variations, this approach will fail to support some users, and can result in a product that does not meet their needs. It relies heavily upon having selected the most important user attributes for sampling and consultation, and can easily tempt us to think that knowing the characteristics of the average user, we need not consult with them. In this way it discourages us from challenging our own assumptions, and may deny us a source of valuable information that could prevent mistakes. The User Relations project focuses on bridging the gap between the developer and user communities, actively seeking out ways to improve communications between the two and encourage user involvement. It aims to ensure that high standards are met, and to work closely with other user focused projects to produce the best distribution possible for the user base. To this end, it is looking for user representatives to help in this quest. The project has decided that 5 user representatives should be enough to provide a sufficiently diverse range of opinions and interests while avoiding the issues associated with having too many. Nominations are now open; see the forum thread[1] for more information and to nominate any users you would like to see considered for the position. [1]: http://forums.gentoo.org/viewtopic-t-470136.html ======================================= = What does a User Representative do? = ======================================= Becoming a user representative may take some time, energy and commitment, but it can also be very rewarding. The role of user representative involves: * Present the views, and represent the interests, of all elements of our diverse user base. * Be a 'critical friend' to the User Relations project, offering alternative opinions and perspectives, and challenging the assumptions of all involved wherever appropriate. * Engage positively with developers and Gentoo projects * Interact with a wide range of groups and individuals to find out what our users think, and what they would like to see happening. * Suggest ways in which other users could be engaged and involved in the project, in planning and delivering information and elsewhere. * Channel information back to the users regarding proceedings of and decisions made in meetings. If you were thinking of becoming a user representative, you will not be left alone. The user relations project will be there to support you, and you will be assigned a current developer as a point of contact with whom you can discuss any questions or concerns about your role or the group as a whole. ===================================== = Why become a user representative? = ===================================== * You will have the opportunity to influence how information, news, and support are delivered to users, and to ensure that they are organised in the best way possible for all our users. * You will gain experience as an advocate for the user community, and useful knowledge and skills that can be applied in many areas of life. * It is a great way to give something back to the community, and to get involved as a user. * You will have the chance to meet and get to know other users and developers. ========================================== = What makes a good user representative? = ========================================== The ideal user representative would: * Be willing to network with a wide range of other users. * Be seen as approachable by others, so that people will be open about their views. Be non-judgemental and show sensitivity towards what may be difficult issues. * Work constructively with developers and staff. Not be scared or intimidated by developers, but to view them as people doing the best they can within constraints. Should it be necessary to challenge them, do so in a supportive manner wherever possible. * Be able to negotiate, to make the case for a particular course of action, and willing to compromise where appropriate. * Be able to step outside of his/her own experience, and be able to argue a viewpoint with which you may not fully agree. * Present users' views with confidence, and not be afraid to raise issues about the role or the workings of the project. =========================== = Where can i learn more? = =========================== We hope that most questions will have been answered above, but for any more information please do get in touch with the user relations team by one of the following methods: * gentoo-userrel mailing list -- to subscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]; the address to post is then [EMAIL PROTECTED] * By email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] * In IRC: #gentoo-userrel on irc.freenode.net.
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