Great points in this thread Question: Does OO community have a history if working with academic or professional groups to recruit volunteers? Developers, designers and beyond.
What is the protocol to recruit? Thoughts? Kevin On Mar 29, 2012, at 12:23 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Rob, > > Well, the large talent pool is available here in India with millions of > students graduating in Engineering,MCA(Master of computer applications). > They all look for a project for their final semester. We can somehow try to > attract them but they also try to see what is the benefit for them. Most > of these guys they learn C/Java as part of their syllabus.But we need to > retrain them as they generally just try to pass and not to be master of > it. > So we need to train them and make them useful. > > I have not seen the code base yet but based on the search results what i > have understood is that it is implemented in > > Java, > OOBasic, > Cpp, > Python, > XSL, > ooRexx > > From Freshers point of view they prefer the new languages like > Java(ofcourse it is a old one but still new when compared to C/C++) or > advanced stuff like Android. But still we can train people in C++ but it is > easy to attract people for Java. > > If we know the exact requirement of people then we can try to gather the > people and train them and make them good to contribute to the project. > > We have a software training institute and staff are from top MNC's.Lot of > students approach us for Live Projects to gain some real experience. > > So we may try to accept the people and train them. We charge the students > for training as we have to pay the trainers. > Ultimately what students expect is an experience letter from Apache so that > they can utilise it for future employment. In addition to issuing the > certificate we should have their contribution mentioned in our website > otherwise other job seekers will fake the cetificates. > > I think if the company(Apache) is ready to issue a certificate mentioning > their contribution towards the project and list their contribution in AOO > website then it should definetly work. > > Thanks & Regards, > Ram, > Im Software Systems > > > On Wed, 28 Mar 2012 15:11:59 -0400, Rob Weir <[email protected]> wrote: >> On Wed, Mar 28, 2012 at 12:05 PM, <[email protected]> wrote: >> >>> Hi, >>> >>> I am sorry i am new to this dev mailing list. What is the real >>> requirement. >>> In what areas we need people for the next 1 year. What is the exact > skill >>> set needed. Let me see if i can computerof help you in anyway. >>> i >>> >> Hi Ram, >> >> As you can probably tell, from reading the ooo-dev list posts, we're just >> finishing up the OpenOffice 3.4 release. So it probably appears chaotic >> right now, but this is just a sign of the high activity level as we >> complete the remaining tasks for this release. >> >> We have not had a community discussion about "the next 1 year", so what >> follows expresses my personal view only. >> >> Areas where we especially need help: >> >> - C/C++ programmers to work on the core OpenOffice code on feature >> development and bug fixing. >> >> - There is some interest in developing some test automation based on a > Java >> testing framework that IBM said they would contribute. So someone with >> skills in QA and Java could help with this. >> >> - There is plenty of work to do with manual testing, especially with test >> case definition. It might make sense to start with defining the test > cases >> and execute them manually at first, but overtime migrate to test >> automation. >> >> - We have had some discussion about making a more intelligent install >> program, so it can bring down a small core program and then download >> additional modules, like spell checkers, language packs, etc., when > needed, >> over the internet. >> >> I would also return the question and ask, what kind of things do you want >> to do? The project works best, I think, when people are working on > things >> that they find interesting. >> >> Regards, >> >> -Rob >> >> >> >>> Thanks & Regards, >>> Ram, >>> Im Software Systems >>> >>> >>> >>> On Wed, 28 Mar 2012 08:47:30 +0100, Ian Lynch <[email protected]> >>> wrote: >>>> On 28 March 2012 02:38, Kevin Grignon <[email protected]> >>>> wrote: >>>> >>>>> Many great thoughts here. >>>>> >>>>> In addition to supporting the open source movement, perhaps we could >>>>> market participation as a way to learn and develop skills. >>>>> >>>> >>>> Maybe a certificate for AOO development professional? Work out the key >>>> skills needed to contribute to development and write a set of >>>> indicative >>>> assessment criteria. Get a mentor to verify the candidate's evidence >>>> that >>>> they can meet the criteria. If there was interest in it we have the >>>> facilities to support it including secure on-line testing facilities >>>> and >>> a >>>> Drupal system for managing coursework evidence which we would do as a >>> free >>>> contribution to the project. We'd just need help defining the criteria >>> from >>>> the most experienced developers. >>>> >>>> >>>>> As a newbie, it appears that much our message is around what we need > - >>>>> which is essential to understand, however we may want to focus on why >>>>> someone may want to join and help them realize their goals. >>>>> >>>>> For example, if someone is looking to demonstrate their skills and >>>>> develop >>>>> portfolio work products, then AOO offers a sandbox of opportunity. >>>>> >>>> >>>> And a potential certification of skills. >>>> >>>>> >>>>> Some thoughts. >>>>> >>>>> Regards, >>>>> Kevin >>>>> >>>>> >>>>> On Mar 27, 2012, at 10:47 PM, Rob Weir <[email protected]> wrote: >>>>> >>>>>> On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 9:39 PM, Louis Suárez-Potts >>>>>> <[email protected] >>>>>> wrote: >>>>>> >>>>>>> Hi, >>>>>>> On 2012-03-19, at 08:41 , Rob Weir wrote: >>>>>>> >>>>>>>> Any ideas and the best ways how we can improve in this area after >>> AOO >>>>>>>> 3.4 releases? >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Lots, and these would complement the rather good ideas already >>>>>>> proposed. >>>>>>> What we did at OOo actually worked--to attract developers and >>>>> contributors >>>>>>> of all sorts. What worked against us I do not think I need spell >>>>>>> out, >>>>> but >>>>>>> the cussedness of the code was not really the determining factor. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> What really would help, besides giving would-bes a clean entry, is >>>>>>> to >>>>> have >>>>>>> mentors, more or less do-able tasks that are identified as such. >>>>>>> (We >>>>> tried >>>>>>> getting to this many times, and I strongly urged my erstwhile >>>>> colleagues in >>>>>>> this area for, uhm, years. Finally happened, and we got our to-dos >>> but >>>>>>> still not clearly identified according to level of difficulty. I >>>>>>> can >>>>>>> conceive of several here whose work would assist in the >>>>>>> identification >>>>> of >>>>>>> tasks newbies could approach--and even post-newbies-and perhaps >>>>>>> even >>>>>>> in >>>>>>> mentoring.) >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Also, what helps tremendously is what we are doing already: >>> presenting >>>>>>> a >>>>>>> community that is open, friendly, and generally has a good > attitude >>>>> about >>>>>>> what it is doing and where it is going. There are millions using >>>>>>> OOo >>>>>>> as >>>>>>> their primary ODF implementation, and those mostly include those >>>>>>> who >>>>> have >>>>>>> come to it via the national or sub-national government agency. I >>> think >>>>> it's >>>>>>> about time that they are looking to AOO for the next step. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> >>>>>> I think the idea of a new contributor mentor is essential. This > is >>>>>> true >>>>>> for coders, but also website, translation, documentation, test, UI, >>>>>> etc. >>>>>> What we have today is very much a "swim or sink" and "drink from > the >>>>>> fire >>>>>> hose" approach. If someone is highly motivated, highly skilled and >>>>>> persistent, and is able to withstand the apparent chaos of the >>>>>> ooo-dev >>>>>> list, and penetrates the noise and asks questions, and repeats > their >>>>>> questions until answered, then they might have a 50/50 chance of >>>>>> contributing. >>>>>> >>>>>> But let's be honest with ourselves -- there are a range of projects >>>>> someone >>>>>> can contribute to. For would-be volunteers it is a buyer's market. >>> If >>>>> we >>>>>> make it too hard to get involved and contribute, technically, >>>>> procedurally, >>>>>> socially, then we lose. >>>>>> >>>>>> But getting new volunteers on board requires effort. If someone is >>>>>> spending 100% of their time on their own features, then they have > no >>>>>> time >>>>>> to help new volunteers become productive. >>>>>> >>>>>> One approach might be to define "essential skills" or "essential >>>>> knowledge" >>>>>> that a new volunteer needs to master in order to become productive, >>> and >>>>>> then a list of project members who are willing to help mentor new >>>>>> volunteers to acquire those skills. >>>>>> >>>>>> For example, for the website, the essential skills might be: >>>>>> >>>>>> 1) Assume HTML/CSS, we're not here to teach that >>>>>> 2) Help them get started with Markdown Text >>>>>> 3) Help them use the CMS to generate patches >>>>>> 4) Help them build website locally via the scripts >>>>>> 5) Understanding the larger site design, including recurring page >>>>> elements, >>>>>> footers, etc. >>>>>> 6) In parallel with above, understanding Apache, roles, decision >>>>>> making, >>>>>> lazy consensus, CTR versus RTC, what Infra does versus what the >>> project >>>>> is >>>>>> responsible for, etc. >>>>>> 7) Help them establish a record of contributions to become a >>>>>> committer >>>>>> >>>>>> Anyone who has done the above can do 95% of what is needed to > become >>>>>> a >>>>>> master of our website. >>>>>> >>>>>> It would be wonderful if we had something like that, a check list >>>>>> even >>>>>> a >>>>>> curriculum, for other common functions, as well as volunteers able >>>>>> to >>>>> take >>>>>> on new project volunteers willing to help. >>>>>> >>>>>> This is all an investment in the future success of the project. We >>>>>> grow >>>>> by >>>>>> attracting new volunteers. But the investment is time spent on >>>>> mentoring. >>>>>> This would all be over-kill for the average Apache PMC of 8-12 >>>>>> people. >>>>> But >>>>>> with 10 million lines of code, a PMC nearing 100 members, and the >>>>>> largest >>>>>> project at Apache, we need an approach to training new volunteers >>>>>> that >>>>>> works to scale. I think something like the above helps get us >>>>>> closer. >>>>>> >>>>>> -Rob >>>>>> >>>>>> >>>>>> And I can think of at least two, and probably more, national bodies >>>>>> so >>>>>>> interested. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> Do these give us developers straight away? I don't know. The >>>>>>> problem >>>>> with >>>>>>> OOo was, as [not] said ultimately political, not codical >>>>>>> (comical?). >>>>>>> Engaging these longtime users, as well as new ones, with the >>>>> possibilities >>>>>>> represented by this community, which is open and >>>>>>> unencumbered--ought >>>>>>> to >>>>> be >>>>>>> easier. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> My own approach is to focus on ODF and on the benefits offered not >>>>>>> only >>>>> by >>>>>>> the AOO implementation but by its community. >>>>>>> >>>>>>> -louis >>>>> >>>
