[OSGeo-Discuss] [Board] Funding code Sprints

Sun Mar 6 09:25:30 PST 2016

Helena,

There are a lot of "essential part of open source projects." I think it's worth discussing what those parts are. As you noted, there are ways to improve things. I also believe it would be good to apply some metrics that help to evaluate progress. At least we should be describing (and analyzing) what works, why it works, and how it might be improved. I would like to see the history of success stories, describing what was achieved and how. This would allow others to benefit and possibly improve the process (even relish and advance the specific code). 

We hear talk and words declaring success, but can we point to specifics? And even more the recipe for that success. I'm glad to 'hear' we are succeeding, but in the events you use to describe the success, I see only a lot of feel-good and self-congratulation, which is wonderful, sincerely. But there seems no description of what was produced code-wise. I think we are telling ourselves we are doing good, but I'm not sure we are doing that good. I do not doubt the sincerity or the level of effort. I'm just of the mind that it might be improved upon and possibly even better applied. More than:

Agenda - What we plan to do.
Note: The program is generally open for your ideas. Please edit this wiki page!
Topics: 
1. GRASS-QGIS interfaces: what's needed for a better GRASS GIS 7 integration
2. Interfaces to other OSGeo projects as being present in the code sprint room
3. g.extension: add gitlab+github support (maybe just a few lines in Python?)
4.   ...

I will try to make this my last exchange. I have, in my poor attempt, tried to carefully express what I consider worth saying. I sense this community considers what it is doing is just fine and dandy as it is, without need for any critique or introspection. So, in the words of Romeo to his lusty colleagues on their way to the dance, 'I'll be the candleholder and look on.' 

-Patrick

-----Original Message-----
From: Helena Mitasova [mailto:hmitaso at ncsu.edu] 
Sent: Sunday, March 6, 2016 8:49 AM
To: Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)
Cc: discuss at lists.osgeo.org
Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] [Board] Funding code Sprints

Patrick,

as others have explained, the code or community sprints are indeed an essential part of open source projects - with developers from all over the globe, this is the opportunity to get together and get some of the important (and sometimes even critical) work done.

For GRASS GIS project, we have changed the name of these events from code sprints to community sprints because we soon realized that many issues beyond coding need attention (documention, translations, website, tutorials, etc.) and that these are great for building community, new developers and students can meet the veterans of the projects and often new ideas are generated and strategic decisions made.

Here are two examples of GRASS community sprints - the planning and reports of what was done:

https://grasswiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GRASS_Community_Sprint_Prague_2012
https://grasswiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Talk:GRASS_Community_Sprint_Prague_2012

https://grasswiki.osgeo.org/wiki/GRASS_Community_Sprint_Como_2015 
https://grasswiki.osgeo.org/wiki/Talk:GRASS_Community_Sprint_Como_2015

I hope this helps you to understand what this is all about and you are most welcome to join ane OSGeo supported  code or community sprint sometime to experience it and contribute yourself - they are completely open and anybody can join,

Helena

> On Mar 6, 2016, at 11:15 AM, Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX) <patrick.hogan at nasa.gov> wrote:
> 
> Oaky, I may be misunderstanding as measured by certain specific examples. I am very glad there are good opportunities for encouragingforward to hearing about more of these and how well they are ‘carefully’ designed for substantial results.
> 
>  
> 
> I will hope the point of this dialogue is not to be right or wrong, 
> but to improve our methods for achieving our common goal of richer 
> ^commons.^ -p
> 
>  
> 
> From: Ian Turton [mailto:ijturton at gmail.com]
> Sent: Sunday, March 6, 2016 7:58 AM
> To: Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)
> Cc: Andrea Aime; discuss at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] [Board] Funding code Sprints
> 
>  
> 
> Patrick,
> 
>  
> 
> Again you are misunderstanding how sprints (at least in the GeoJava tribe) work - we plan for weeks (or months) before hand to make the most of theinteraction when you are 8 hours out of phase with the participants.
> 
>  
> 
> I'd love to spend my days crafting new cathedrals but there isn't the demand from customers for that so mostly we work at incremental improvements toback to being gouged by proprietary suppliers who can ignore the rot and just sell on the new shiny paint job.
> 
>  
> 
> Ian
> 
>  
> 
> On 6 March 2016 at 15:40, Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX) <patrick.hogan at nasa.gov> wrote:
> 
> Andrea,
> 
> The world needs a more peaceful approach to the future. That’s not what we have in a world that isstimulating drinks and high moments of constructive exchange and recognized simpatico.
> 
> -Patrick
> 
>  
> 
> From: andrea.aime at gmail.com [mailto:andrea.aime at gmail.com] On Behalf 
> Of Andrea Aime
> Sent: Sunday, March 6, 2016 6:32 AM
> To: Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX)
> Cc: Ian Turton; discuss at lists.osgeo.org
> Subject: Re: [OSGeo-Discuss] [Board] Funding code Sprints
> 
>  
> 
> On Sun, Mar 6, 2016 at 3:18 PM, Hogan, Patrick (ARC-PX) <patrick.hogan at nasa.gov> wrote:
> 
> It appears to me that even these more-substantial-than-hackathons sprints do not reflect the typical work environment for code development. I willsuggest that requires more of the 'deep thought' Leonardo approach versus the more intuitive 'just start chiseling' of a Michelangelo. 
> 
>  
> 
> Patrick, it seems to be you imagining a work environment that's quite different from the one a software developer in a company doing consulting (typical open source setup) has.
> 
>  
> 
> My normal work environment requires me to work for 2-5 different customers a day spanning from training, spec-ing and designing new ones that I'm in charge of.
> 
> During a typical open source code sprint I'm focused on a single activity all day instead.
> 
>  
> 
> To be clear, I'm not complaining, if my daily work was single activity 
> I'd walk away out of boredom, what keeps the typical code sprint
> 
> engaging is also that we normally take on activity that seem hard to 
> fit in the allowed time, and thus require some
> 
> extras in terms of concentration and inventiveness to actually get 
> completed :-p
> 
>  
> 
> I'd say the recipe for a typical successful open source code sprint is:
> 
> * Several developers in the same room, that are normally working from 
> remote in different time zones
> 
> * An ambitious objective (not so large/difficult that it's impossible 
> to complete, but enough that you cannot relax and finish it anyways)
> 
> * Typically, full day experience (e.g., we have lunch and dinner 
> together too)
> 
> * Coffee... lots of it :-p
> 
>  
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Andrea
> 
>  
> 
> --
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> --
> 
> Ian Turton
> 
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Helena Mitasova
Professor at the Department of Marine,
Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences
and Center for Geospatial Analytics
North Carolina State University
Raleigh, NC 27695-8208
hmitaso at ncsu.edu
http://geospatial.ncsu.edu/osgeorel/publications.html

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