You are quite right, I might not be the typical volunteer, and it is very important to find a hook where you can start, I had the luck that juergen and andrea gave me a starting point.
Your list is quite ok, just lets call it something neutral, like "help to get started". jan On 20 October 2012 00:24, Rob Weir <robw...@apache.org> wrote: > On Fri, Oct 19, 2012 at 6:16 PM, jan iversen <jancasacon...@gmail.com> > wrote: > > I think it is important to remember, that a volunteer is not signing up > for > > anything. > > > > A volunteer, in my view, is a person who wants to help with his/hers > > skillset...so if we start saying you have to pass level x before > continuing > > we have already lost (At least I can relate that to myself) > > > > That might be true for you. But I can tell you from experience that > we've had volunteer after volunteer who have posted a note to this > list, said they wanted to help, stuck around for a few days, and then > were never heard of again. They never found a hook that they could > attach themselves to. They never figured out how to get started. The > couldn't find where to get started. The lack of accomplishment and > progress leads to frustration, and then they are gone. > > Maybe we can find some way of expressing this without offering too > much offense ? > > -Rob > > > I have been in this business since 1975, and I have never made it through > > any of all these "master classes" and other exams. I am just one of the > > guys who get things done, like in the early days before tcp/ip. > > > > What I am trying to say is, let´s help people work with us....that´s what > > it´s all about, if we can help people to easier help us, then we have a > > win-win situation. > > > > And in respect of introducing myself, which I forgot please read this > > resume: > > http://wiki.openoffice.org/wiki/User:JanIversen > > > > jan. > > > > Jan. > > > > > > > > On 19 October 2012 23:08, Rob Weir <rabas...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > >> On Oct 19, 2012, at 4:45 PM, Kay Schenk <kay.sch...@gmail.com> wrote: > >> > >> > > >> > > >> > On 10/19/2012 01:07 PM, Rob Weir wrote: > >> >> On Fri, Oct 19, 2012 at 12:17 PM, Rob Weir <robw...@apache.org> > wrote: > >> >>> I am thinking about what new project volunteers need to get started. > >> >>> Obviously there are area-specific things. For example, developers > >> >>> need to know how to download and build. Translation volunteers need > >> >>> to understand Pootle, etc. But there are also some basic things > that > >> >>> all volunteers should probably do. > >> >>> > >> >>> Although we have all of this information (or at least most of it) on > >> >>> the website or wikis or mailing list archives, it is scattered all > >> >>> over the place. I think it would be good if we could collect this > >> >>> information (or at least links to this information) into one place > and > >> >>> put a linear order behind it, a step of specific steps we want new > >> >>> volunteers to take. > >> >>> > >> >>> Now, I can hear the objections already -- you can't tell volunteers > >> >>> what to do. That is why they are volunteers. You can't regiment > >> >>> them, etc. This is true. But at the scale we need to operate at -- > >> >>> I'm aiming to attract dozens of new volunteers on the project by the > >> >>> end of the year -- we need some structure. So what can we do to > make > >> >>> their first 2 weeks in the project easier for them, and easier for > us? > >> >>> > >> >>> One idea: Think of the new volunteer startup tasks in terms of > >> >>> "stages" or "levels", a defined set of reading and other activities > >> >>> that leads them to acquire basic skills in our community. > >> >>> > >> >>> For example: > >> >> > >> >> To make it more concrete, this is what "Level 1" might look like: > >> >> > >> >> http://incubator.apache.org/openofficeorg/orientation/level-1.html > >> >> > >> >> -Rob > >> > > >> > This is very good! I esp like the last part about providing a way for > >> volunteers to "sign up" if you will. This will be a nice touch. > >> > > >> > I'm also wondering if there's some way to tie this in to our current > >> "Help Wanted" page: > >> > > >> > https://cwiki.apache.org/confluence/display/OOOUSERS/Help+Wanted > >> > >> Yes, It is worth looking at the new volunteer view of things, from end > to > >> end. > >> > >> My current thinking is this: as we scale the number of volunteers > >> we'll soon want a better way to track items like these. Maybe putting > >> them into BZ would work? Introduce a new field to record "difficulty" > >> in BZ and filters to list unassigned easy issues? > >> > >> > > >> > Maybe someone has some ideas? > >> > > >> >> > >> >>> Level 1 tasks: > >> >>> > >> >>> 1) Read the following web pages on the ASF, roles at Apache and the > >> Apache Way > >> >>> > >> >>> 2) Sign up for the following accounts that every volunteer should > >> >>> have: ooo-announce, ooo-dev, ooo-users, MWiki, CWiki, BZ, Forums > >> >>> > >> >>> 3) Read this helpful document on hints for managing your inbox with > >> >>> rules and folders > >> >>> > >> >>> 4) Read this code of conduct page on list etiquette > >> >>> > >> >>> 5) Send a note to ooo-dev list and introduce yourself > >> >>> > >> >>> 6) Edit this wiki page containing project volunteers. Add your name > >> >>> and indicate that you have completed Level 1. > >> >>> > >> >>> > >> >>> Level 2 tasks: > >> >>> > >> >>> 1) Using the Apache CMS in anonymous mode > >> >>> > >> >>> 2) Readings on decision making at Apache > >> >>> > >> >>> 3) Readings on project life cycle and roles within the AOO project > >> >>> > >> >>> 4) Introduction to the various functional groups within the project: > >> >>> development, qa, marketing, UX, documentation, support, > localization, > >> >>> etc. > >> >>> > >> >>> 5) Pick one or more functional groups that you want to help with. > >> >>> Edit the volunteer wiki and list them. Also indicate that you have > >> >>> now completed Level 2. > >> >>> > >> >>> Get the idea? After Level 2 this then could branch off into > >> >>> area-specific lists of start up tasks: how to download and build. > >> >>> How to submit patches. How to update a translation. How to define > a > >> >>> new test case. > >> >>> > >> >>> Is any one interested in helping with this? > >> >>> > >> >>> -Rob > >> > > >> > -- > >> > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ > >> > MzK > >> > > >> > "Anyone who considers protocol unimportant has never > >> > dealt with a cat." > >> > -- Robert Heinlein > >> >
