[TYPO3-hci] ...was inspiring people to slave, now lets talk turkey...

[Kasper Skårhøj]

Hi Matt, thanks for the response.


>
> TYPO3 contributions remain great by the few and small by the many  
> and is not
> a situation that is sustainable. The todo list is getting longer.

Who defines what is on this list, if not needy (=motivated) users?

>
> What can be done to motivate the many?

A user with a need who is not motivated to solve it is not seriously  
in need. So motivation exists.

My answer is to rephrase the question:

What can be done to enable the motivated users to participate/ 
contribute? Isn't that the real barrier we face?


>
> Extensions are great for lots of reasons - but most people I see  
> using TYPO3
> are far away from writing extensions. Building extensions relies on  
> several
> broad skill sets. These people can still contribute but at this  
> stage even
> if there motivation sufficient they don't know how.

If only we could leverage the current extension authors we should  
have enough resources. No need to turn every TYPO3 users into a PHP  
programmer.

>
> Is this a problem that the typical user is no longer a developer or  
> is it a
> problem that extension building is not more point and click.

Is the typical user no longer a developer because we created a  
superstar culture where people were invited to just hang out and not  
participate actively?

>
> Pavlov's Dog - if the many cannot contribute time and code let them  
> donate
> manageable amounts of necessary cash.

Yes! Well, in fact this is the reason why everyone can scratch their  
personal itches; if not directly, use your fantasy. Of course, paying  
someone is a kind of rudimentary way, there are more sophisticated  
options. Network culture, social connections, natural gifts, etc.

>
> It is naive to think TYPO3 can grow exponentially without money  
> which of
> course is always equal to time.

I don't think so.

Anyway, when I accept money as a driving force I mean on a peer-2- 
peer basis, but NOT via a "public service" organ like the T3A;  
Because it would undermine the primary itch-based approach. And  
because money buys time, but not the heart of people.

> Several people have commented that perhaps smaller more tangible  
> tasks on a
> lengthy to do list would help people in that semi developer state  
> to drop
> in and help with parts as possible. Like me for example. I can just  
> about
> write a basic extension and I am slowly developing on the  
> documentation
> side.

- Assume we have such tasks. Would you really do any of them which  
you had no fun with or use for? Sustained?
- Could it be, that what we really need is to enable people to  
participate where they _see_ a need rather than create an  
authoritative todo list? Who decides what is a todo item anyway if  
not the needy user?


>
> So I see the thrust of this conversation is how to enable/facilitate
> motivation by the many to the state of actual contribution and in an
> effective way ie in a strong positive direction.

This seem to be the true essense, yes! Money or not, to me that looks  
like a side issue now.

- kasper

"Necessity is the mother of invention"
-------------------------------
kasper2006 at typo3.com | +45 20 999 115 | skype: kasperskaarhoej |  
gizmo: kasper_typo3