[Typo3-dev] The Right Crew

[Jochen Rieger]

Hi Kasper & all,

I think your breakdown into those 3 skills / characteristics is well 
chosen.

Visionaries are those who spend a lot of time with the core system (or 
also with customers!). They know best the structure and architecture 
(and of cause the needs of customers). The strong properties as well as 
the weaker ones. Those should be the ones to set up new concepts and 
specifications concerning future development. Same counts of cause for 
the developers of large extensions.
So, in my mind, those people are the ones that should "control" the 
development. Well, controlling of cause in a way of establishing new 
ideas and deciding which future development should have priority etc.

Pragmatism people are mostly the ones that are responsible for a certain 
part or module or extension and also a lot in contact with customers / 
community. They are deeply into their world (the part / extension their 
are mostly responsible for) as part of the TYPO3 universe. They know 
what change or update can be done very fast and what will last longer 
and take a lot of effort. They are somehow like project managers that 
take care of the quality of their project of cause - but at the same 
time have to be aware of release times and have an eye on the needs of 
those who want to use this certain part or extension. So, sometimes 
maybe they will have to decide to release something although the code 
could be still improved. Result of a pragmatic decision then.

The Stamina people in my mind are mostly developers with good PHP 
skills, that don't have the time to care for the future of some project 
but have some time to support those who are at the steering wheel. They 
should tell the steering wheel people what timeslots they have to 
implement new desired features as well as to fix bugs. Hence somehow the 
controlers would have to know about the free time their stamina team can 
offer them... some kind of global project management might be needed 
here then. For sure complicated... !?

Finally of cause there will be always people that unite more than just 
one type of the ones mentioned by Kasper. In general I think, the 
problem mentioned about people prefering doing their paid work could get 
a bit smaller when breaking down the tasks each member of the active 
community has to care for in smaller regions / parts.
Another important point might be to set up backup-people for the ones in 
the first position. At least every part leader and stamina member should 
have a backup for example to quickly fix a bug if the one in first 
position is not reachable or has no time to do it.
Of cause this means responsible actions and requires organizational 
work. As I just read in the timtab newsgroup for example guestbook 
maintainer Udo doesn't seem to be reachable at the moment. A backup guy 
could help out here...

I don't know... maybe all this is a lot of organizational work and 
requires some form of hierarchy and control mechanisms to get it 
working. But serious project development needs that sooner or later. At 
least a bit - to make sure that development doesn't get stuck just 
because one position is not staffed properly for some time.

Regards,
Jochen


Kasper Skårhøj wrote:

> I posted a serious concern and you reply with simplistic sentences that for 
> 50% of them run counter to all experience I have had during the last 5 years! 
> If this is an expression of the best strategy the list can offer we are 
> pretty much doomed.
> 
> Does anyone have a serious reply to my challenges? 
> 
> - kasper


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