[SLUG] Library summary v2.0

[john at johnallsopp.co.uk]

>
>> Volunteer required to design and print the poster:
> I'm not a graphic designer, but I'm thinking I might be the most
> graphic designer of the current people in the group, in which case it
> kinda falls to me although I'd rather someone else do it .. anyone
> else fancy it?
>
>
> ================================================
>
> If you're "not a graphic designer" but are "the most graphic designer
> of
> the current people in the group" what does that make the rest of us? A
> bunch of blind monkey's?

Well, I didn't claim to be "the most graphic designer", I just said I
"might be" "from the current people in the group" (from the evidence
.. people saying so in their posts, Steve, Dave). I've self trained as
a graphic designer, I have an interest in it, but I have no
qualifications in it and wouldn't claim to actually be one.

I do think my mixture of marketing and geek is at least uncommon, so I
think I have something to contribute.

The BCS code of conduct requires that sort of statement so people know
what they are getting.

Basically, I'm saying that in my opinion the job needs doing and if
there's anyone else out there with the time and talent to do it I'm
more than willing for them to do it, but I don't know who that might
be.

> Strong reply maybe, but is "the group" the whole of the SLUG
> membership
> and if so then you omitting some serious talent or is there a select
> sub-set within the group who are the only ones counted when it comes
> to consideration.

There are lots of people who are members of the mailing list but who
choose not to contribute. I could count the people who are working on
the library thing on one hand (in binary, maybe), so it's a fairly
small subset, and I know Dave and Steve don't class themselves as
graphic designers. I'm not expecting a graphic designer will pop out
of the larger group and declare themselves available to contribute,
but if they do, fantastic. We'll see.

> Either way this is very insensitive and disrespectful towards those
> who are capable but are lacking in motivation/opportunity/time.

Nah. Ian, if you know me at all, you'll know I spend most of my life
putting myself down. I have total respect for other people and their
abilities. I'm just trying to, without fannying about, make decisions
so we can proceed with the library thing.

Anyway, I think I deserve some thanks for doing that summarising work
.. it takes time and the task seems to require it. Maybe not (we all
do our bit) but I don't deserve to be shot at.

If you feel slighted because you think you have good graphic design
skills, the task is yours gladly.

.....


Actually, looking back at what you said, it seems that you're saying
there are people with skill but no time. I was wondering about that, 
actually.

Getting away from this specific exchange of views, I was wondering
about that. Taking the graphic design as an example, but it's relevant
to coding too, if I, for instance, design a grid and so on, and then
someone who does know what they're doing makes comment "I think it
would be better this way" .. is that how things happen in open source
development?

Is the best response "I agree/disagree" "oh, yes that's interesting,
I'll do it that way", anon.

Or is the best response "well, the code is open, so if you want that,
do it".

The problem with the former is that the person who initiates something
is at a disadvantage. They get to do the work, then someone (who
didn't put in the initial work) can, essentially, criticise. If they
have status enough to be right, the initiator gets to re-do their
work. With more than one high status person, this could be a hiding to
nothing.

I'm just wondering how that works in a real open source project.

Forgive me, Dawn, for this one, but at one of the meetings I wanted
contributions for the questions for the Linux Challenge and went off
into "how old is your computer", and "what do you want to use your
computer for" when Dawn said (I don't recall it accurately) something
about knowing my audience, that I need to do research into the
demographics, and that people don't want a computer to do anything,
they just want tasks completed. She rattled off a long to-do list and
I thought afterwards that surely the way open source works is that you
either a) have those ideas and implement them, or b) talk them through
with the person doing the job, but you don't impose a workload on
someone else. Granted, it's subtle, I'm struggling with explaining it,
does anyone have open source experience to be able to answer the
question?

J