Groups | Search | Server Info | Keyboard shortcuts | Login | Register [http] [https] [nntp] [nntps]

Groups > linux.debian.project > #10568

Re: RFC: endorse debian-mentors as entrance to our infrastructure projects

Cross-posted to 2 groups.

Show all headers | View raw

[Multipart message — attachments visible in raw view] - view raw

Adrian Bunk <bunk@debian.org> writes:

> On Sun, Jun 09, 2019 at 12:55:14PM +0200, Jonas Meurer wrote:
>> Hi,
>
> Hi Jonas,
>
>>...
>> So here's the idea we came up with: We could explicitely broaden the
>> scope of debian-mentors to include any questions regarding Debian
>> infrastructure software.
>> That basicly would mean to explicitely mention "questions on
>> infrastruc-ture projects" in our docs about debian-mentors.
>> Additionally, when the infrastructure teams don't have time to mentor
>> new contributors, they could point them to debian-mentors.
>> 
>> My hope is that having debian-mentors as an endorsed entry point for
>> diving into Debian infrastructure would lower the entry barrier
>> significantly for new contributors who'd like to dive into our
>> infrastructure software projects.
>> 
>> What do you think about this proposal?
>
> who will provide the answers to non-trivial questions?
>
> For most packaging questions a list with plenty of DM/DD is sufficient 
> to get an answer.
>
> For the typical infrastructure project the number of people in Debian 
> who can answer non-trivial questions is in the low single-digits.

However the number of people who know who those people are is
considerably higher, which might well be part of the problem that makes
getting involved hard for newbies.

Also, if the same question comes up again, if it was asked via -mentors
the first time it might well be possible to refer the latest newbie to
the previous reply without needing to bother the limited resource.

>> Cheers
>>  jonas
>> 
>> [1] Let me give two examples for such "infrastructure projects":
>>     */ Many in Debian agree that Debbugs could need some love, but still
>>     it's developed and maintained largely by one brave soul.
>>...
>
> What will happen if a newbie starts asking questions about debbugs on 
> debian-mentors?
>
> Will the questions be ignored, or will you try to force this one brave 
> soul to become a mentor for whatever people from the internet start
> asking questions?

Are you coming up with hypothetical worst case scenarios because you
actually think something about this is a bad idea?  or because you do
not think the problem described exists?  or just because you think life
is a hopeless shuffle towards our inevitable oblivion and that any
glimmer of hope needs to be exposed as the delusion that it is?

Personally, I think this is a good idea.  At worst someone might get
told to talk the people that they'd eventually have worked out they
needed to talk to anyway.  Given pabs's enthusiastic response it seems
to have a good chance of achieving a much greater success than that.

Cheers, Phil.
-- 
|)|  Philip Hands  [+44 (0)20 8530 9560]  HANDS.COM Ltd.
|-|  http://www.hands.com/    http://ftp.uk.debian.org/
|(|  Hugo-Klemm-Strasse 34,   21075 Hamburg,    GERMANY

Back to linux.debian.project | Previous | Next — Previous in thread | Next in thread | Find similar | Unroll thread

Thread

Re: RFC: endorse debian-mentors as entrance to our infrastructure  projects Adrian Bunk <bunk@debian.org> - 2019-06-09 13:50 +0200
  Re: RFC: endorse debian-mentors as entrance to our infrastructure  projects Geert Stappers <stappers@debian.org> - 2019-06-09 14:40 +0200
  Re: RFC: endorse debian-mentors as entrance to our infrastructure projects Philip Hands <phil@hands.com> - 2019-06-09 15:00 +0200
    Re: RFC: endorse debian-mentors as entrance to our infrastructure  projects Adrian Bunk <bunk@debian.org> - 2019-06-09 16:40 +0200
      Re: RFC: endorse debian-mentors as entrance to our infrastructure projects Philip Hands <phil@hands.com> - 2019-06-09 17:10 +0200
      Re: RFC: endorse debian-mentors as entrance to our infrastructure projects "Chris Lamb" <lamby@debian.org> - 2019-06-10 15:50 +0200
        Alternatives to the Socratic Method Sam Hartman <hartmans@debian.org> - 2019-06-10 16:40 +0200
          Re: Alternatives to the Socratic Method "Chris Lamb" <lamby@debian.org> - 2019-06-10 22:00 +0200
            Re: Alternatives to the Socratic Method Russ Allbery <rra@debian.org> - 2019-06-10 22:50 +0200

csiph-web