Date: Thu, 07 Sep 2000 12:49:35 -0700 From: Jordan Hubbard <jkh@winston.osd.bsdi.com> To: Nik Clayton <nik@FreeBSD.org> Cc: mjacob@feral.com, Warner Losh <imp@village.org>, "David E. O'Brien" <obrien@FreeBSD.org>, cvs-committers@FreeBSD.org, cvs-all@FreeBSD.org Subject: Re: cvs commit: src/sys/boot/common boot.c module.c src/sys/boot/forth loader.conf src/sys/conf Makefile.alpha Makefile.i386 Makefile.pc98 kmod.mk src/share/mk bsd.own.mk Message-ID: <67824.968356175@winston.osd.bsdi.com> In-Reply-To: Message from Nik Clayton <nik@FreeBSD.org> of "Thu, 07 Sep 2000 20:37:10 BST." <20000907203710.B20005@canyon.nothing-going-on.org>
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> On Thu, Sep 07, 2000 at 12:00:59PM -0700, Jordan Hubbard wrote: > > I would be the first to agree that communications and documentation > > could be a lot better in the FreeBSD project. What's never been made > > clear to me or anyone else, however, is just how to magically make it > > all better. > > Lead by example? I do, and I certainly shoot my mouth off in email and in front of audiences on FreeBSD's behalf probably more than anyone if the size of my +outbox and travel schedule is any indication. Even so, I can only just make a small dent in what is actually needed. How's that conspectus coming lately, Nik? :-) > Search for more professional engineers. I've done my fair share of You seem to be forgetting that we're volunteer driven again. Yes, I can and do call for volunteers at the end of just about every talk I give, but that doesn't magically bestow the requisite amounts of free time on such engineers sitting in the audience either. Professional engineers are also largely overworked engineers and we have to play the hand we're dealt. That's basically the underlying message in just about all I've said today. > Look at the Doc. Project as an example. The switch to DocBook and the > different organisational work underlying that change was huge, which is The docs project is a good example of all that's best and all that's worst in this project, actually. The switch to DocBook was an example of the former. The actual content of the Handbook and FAQ is a good example of the latter, and for a distressingly accurate review of just how bad things are, read the recent review of the published Handbook in www.bsdtoday.com. We shouldn't be even remotely tempted to rest on our laurels where the Doc Project is concerned or, as Matt Jacob would probably put it, use it as an example of effective editorial leadership. I mean no offense or finger-pointing in noting this, I'm simply trying to drive home how pervasive a problem this is and the fact that nobody is immune to our serious lack of manpower. > By requiring 'major' commits to have accompanying documentation before > they're allowed in to the tree. Which, to be sadly accurate, would probably result in no major commits going into the tree at all. I'm all for improving this situation and always have been, don't get me wrong, but an excess of idealism won't get us where we want to go either. - Jordan To Unsubscribe: send mail to majordomo@FreeBSD.org with "unsubscribe cvs-all" in the body of the message
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