Hey everyone, analyzing the current discussions around the KDE Vision, I have identified one problem which could underlie much of the tension: It's still unclear what we mean by "vision", "mission" and "manifesto". We cannot really consult a dictionary or encyclopedia to answer this, because there is no clear definition. Heck, even the Wikipedia articles on vision and mission contradict each other and are even contradicting in themselves! That means that every one of us probably has a slightly different definition of them. The problem now is that we are wasting time and energy debating unproductively, not because we want different things, but because we have never agreed on a common definition of the three.
That's why I'd suggest that, before discussing the vision any further, we should agree on a definition. It doesn't have to be one with which everybody wholeheartedly agrees, because it's mostly used for communication. To start this, here are my proposed definitions: ------------------ 1. Manifesto: Definition: For me, this is what documents the defining _values_ and _identity_ of an organization (or rather a movement, because regular organizations rarely have manifestos). Answered question: What is KDE? What makes a KDE member? Purpose: To make explicit what a movement has in common, as a guide for someone who wants to decide if they want to be part of that movement and to remind people of why they are part of it, should they ever gravitate away from these values and identity. 2. Vision Definition: For me, a vision describes the future which an organization or movement wants to work towards. It doesn't say _when_ that future has to be achieved, nor _how_ . It ideally should not change, unless the community collectively sees their goal as wrong. (Note that this is the definition of a vision for an organization or movement. Product visions are very different from that, they can go into much more detail). Answered questions: Why do we do what we're doing? What do we aim for? Purpose: To guide contributors when they decide what to focus their energy on. With every decision they make, they should ask "Does this bring us closer to the future we want to work towards?" 3. Mission Definition: For me, a mission describes _how_ an organization or movement intends to achieve their vision. It is on a much more strategic level than the vision, and likely to change over time through changing circumstances or trial and error. Answered question: How do we reach our goals? Purpose: To align efforts, achieve synergies and avoid duplicate effort. It guides contributors who are not sure what strategy to follow. ------------------ Of course the lines are always a bit blurry, but I still find it beneficial for the effectiveness of our discussion to take a step back and try to agree on a common understanding of the three terms above. We should set aside differences in our actual preferred visions for this, because the purpose here is just to make communication easier by using a common definition. So, please speak up if you - Disagree with some part of the definitions so strongly that you cannot even work with them - Would like to propose further clarification of the definitions to aid communication further Once we agree on definitions, I will remind anyone who is thinking from a different understanding of any of the terms of our common definitions. Thank you, Thomas _______________________________________________ kde-community mailing list [email protected] https://mail.kde.org/mailman/listinfo/kde-community
