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On Fri, 13 Jun 2008 11:34:20 -0300
"Cody A.W. Somerville" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:

> I've read every post thus far.

Whew, then I don't need to bore everyone by repeating myself. :-)
> 
> The reason I ask why you're getting so frustrated is because each and
> every one of you are *enabled* to do your part to market Ubuntu. Some
> might say they lack authority but let me put that concern to bed -
> just say "I want to do this. If you're interested in helping me, help
> me.". Some people will be critical and others will think your idea is
> the best thing since sliced bread. Work with the latter group and
> remove the doubt from the former group by showing that your idea was
> and is a good idea by being successful in executing it.

And I got criticized for doing just that - the negative comments about
off list discussions about developing a leadership proposal. 

And yes, I would like to help you. Contact me directly and let me know
what you need help with. This will go a long way toward helping me
learn the ropes here. More on this below.
> 
> For example, John, someone (I can't remember who) was upset that you
> put your personal articles on the wiki as a resource. You took them
> off because of that person's complaints. If you felt you were doing
> the right thing, you should have just left them there after clearly
> explaining your rationale or if you realized that there was a better
> place to put them then move them. If an edit war broke out, you could
> have asked someone like myself to intervene. If that didn't work then
> you could take it to the community council.

This is the main source of my frustration. I had no idea when that
happened whether I really had the right to put them there or not. No
one explained to me how things work, all they said was just do it and
every time I did, I got criticized. I had no idea who to ask whether I
really had to take them down. No one said, "John, it's your decision
and here's what you do to deal with any negative feedback.

As far as explaining my rationale for putting them there, I thought I
did. 

At the time, I had no idea you even existed :-) I had no clue who to
ask and given the way I felt at the time, I was not going to ask on
this list.

A suggestion: develop a guide for new people to the community that
explains in simple terms - Ubuntu community for dummies - how things
work, who to ask for advice, and don't say anyone on this list, because
that did not work for me.  More below.
> 
> There is no gurantees that you'll get help from others on your
> project. Don't let that discourage you. If you honestly believe in
> your idea, go for it! *Just* *do* *it*. If it is a super horrible
> idea, you'll get flamed. If it is a good idea, you'll get admiration
> and respect and you'll have an oppertunity to be a leader.

I never set out to be a leader. I took it on because no one else did. I
have no need for power personally, but this team needs to get some
direction and some structure and that direction and structure needs to
be laid out clearly and plainly so someone unfamiliar with how things
work can get real help, not just go do it. That works fine if you kbow
HOW to do it, but if you don't, and no one really explains it you then
that leads to frustration.

And, I have tried to just do it - see
https://wiki.ubuntu.com/JohnBotscharow/Android and I posted a request
for help - suggestions, comments, feedback - and all I got was one
somewhat negative comment because either the person reading the page
misunderstood what I was talking about or I need to clarify things a
little better. I AM going to go see if I can make it clearer that this
IS about marketing Ubuntu and not something else.

All of this boils down to accountability and responsibility. Some
constructive criticism, Cody. Your the only team administrator
currently active. So you alone are ultimately accountable for and
responsible for this team, in my opinion. We can not market effectively
if we work like a bunch of guys on a basketball court, each with their
own ball and each running around the floor with no coordination while
trying to beat the Chicago Bulls back when they were the world
champions all those years. There has to be a game plan and a playbook
that everyone uses and buys into. But that playbook and game plan is
not the responsibility of the individual players to design, there has
to be a coaching staff to do that. 

We are those guys running around with no game plan and no playbook and
no coaching staff. Microsoft is the Jordan-era Bulls. And we are
getting our butts kicked and will continue to do so until we develop a
coaching staff, a game plan, and a playbook. 

You're the head coach, but you cannot do it alone. Hire some assistant
coaches to help you, but make sure everybody knows who they are and
what they are responsible and accountable for. 

Contrary to the myth we perpetuate on our team wiki page, I think
that's where it is - if it's not there, it's on the team LP page -
Ubuntu the OS does NOT sell itself. Nothing does. What success we have
had in selling Ubuntu is the result of individual efforts on the
street. But that is not enough to beat Microsoft. We need the stuff I
laid out above if we want to compete with the Borg. We need to become
the Federation. 

I want Ubuntu to kick MS's butt! But we refuse to take QUICK and
DECISIVE action to fix the problem, because that is supposedly not the
FOSS way, but as the critic of my Android project pointed out, we are
not FOSS, we are Ubuntu and Ubuntu is better.

That is why I am frustrated enough to make splitting off an option. 
> 


- -- 
Peace!

John
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