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<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>I think I should
clarify what I mean by a fork. There is the very public, conflict-driven
version of a fork, and then there is an often private, cooperative version of a
fork.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>Imagine this
scenario:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>The company “Who’s
Wet Now Inc.” is using OpenJUMP internally to produce flood maps of urban
areas in the <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">United States</st1:place></st1:country-region>.
They have several features that they would like to add to OpenJUMP, but need to
integrate the features more quickly than is normally possible in the OpenJUMP
community. As a result, they maintain a private fork of the main OpenJUMP code
base in their own SVN repository. This allows them to integrate there new
features quickly, without waiting for discussion and approval by the larger
OpenJUMP community. The private build of OpenJUMP is distributed to all their
employees. The most commonly used features are then moved by Who’s Wet
Now into the main OpenJUMP code base after community discussion and approval.
Any patches for bugs found during the Who’s Wet Now development process
are also migrated back to the main OpenJUMP code base.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>In a scenario
like this I think a fork may be acceptable, and even a beneficial thing. I
think any of the following reasons would be valid reasons for maintaining this
type of “cooperative fork”:<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>[1] New features
that an organization wants to integrate into the program are very specialized
and would not be utilized by most of the community.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>[2] Changes an
organization wants to make to a program are controversial or experimental.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>[3] An
organization needs to move development ahead at a pace that is faster than the
larger community of developers is comfortable with.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>As long as the
organization maintaining the private fork does [1] a good job of tracking their
modifications compared to the parent code base, and [2] actively participates
in moving the benefits of their fork development back to the parent code base
when appropriate, I don’t see any problem with the fork.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>This is based on
my own limited experience with OpenJUMP, which is just one program among many.
If the organization creating the fork is not a “good citizen” of
the community then I recognize that a fork can be a very bad thing.<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>Landon<o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
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<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org [mailto:discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Miguel Montesinos<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, May 28, 2008 3:09
PM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> OSGeo Discussions<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> RE: [OSGeo-Discuss] Open
Source development metrics</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
<div id=idOWAReplyText61429>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 color=black face=Arial><span style='font-size:
10.0pt;font-family:Arial;color:black'>Landon,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>on the other hand, following that logic, if forking is
advisable, it will keep on growing, with new forks, new forks-of-the-fork, and
so on. The energy needed to keep all that project "forkhood" somehow
synchronized is not only honest, but discouraging and efectiveless.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>I don't see neither how a user can simply make a proper
decission among a fork-hood. Not everybody is expert enough to understand
differences, or has enough time to download several forks and compare them
(continously in time).</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Are really all the differences among forks impossible to
reconcile, using that 'honest effort'? ;-)</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Arial'>Miguel</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'><o:p> </o:p></span></font></p>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabIndex=-1>
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<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span
style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>De:</span></font></b><font
size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org en nombre de Landon Blake<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Enviado el:</span></b> mié 28/05/2008 16:27<br>
<st1:place w:st="on"><b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Para</span></b></st1:place><b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>:</span></b> OSGeo Discussions<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Asunto:</span></b> RE: [OSGeo-Discuss] Open
Source development metrics</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>Bruce,</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>I agree with
Puneet. In this scenario it would make more sense for the organization to
maintain their own fork of the code to which improvements can be made. This
really doesn’t cause problems for the parent of the fork as long as there
is an established process and some honest effort made to integrate the best of
the improvements back into the parent code base.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>This is actually
how OpenJUMP works. There are only a handful of developers that actually work
on the parent code base. Most of our contributors maintain their own fork, but
siphon back improvements to the parent.</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 color=blue face="Arial Narrow"><span
style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Arial Narrow";color:blue'>Landon</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<div>
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face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'>
<hr size=2 width="100%" align=center tabIndex=-1>
</span></font></div>
<p class=MsoNormal><b><font size=2 face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Tahoma;font-weight:bold'>From:</span></font></b><font size=2
face=Tahoma><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Tahoma'>
discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org [mailto:discuss-bounces@lists.osgeo.org] <b><span
style='font-weight:bold'>On Behalf Of </span></b>Bruce.Bannerman@dpi.vic.gov.au<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Sent:</span></b> Wednesday, May 28, 2008
12:00 AM<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>To:</span></b> discuss@lists.osgeo.org<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Cc:</span></b> Aust-NZ OSGeo<br>
<b><span style='font-weight:bold'>Subject:</span></b> [OSGeo-Discuss] Open
Source development metrics</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
</div>
<p class=MsoNormal><font size=3 face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:
12.0pt'> <o:p></o:p></span></font></p>
<p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:12.0pt'><font size=3
face="Times New Roman"><span style='font-size:12.0pt'><br>
</span></font><font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:
Arial'>IMO:</span></font> <br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>An
issue has come up recently on the OSGeo-AustNZ list that I'd appreciate some
feedback from our wider OSGeo Community.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>The
context of this issue is that we are exploring ways to support development of
the GeoNetwork ANZLIC Profile.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>In
particular, we're looking at options that allow permanent staff to contribute
to ongoing OS development work outside of normal Project based development with
its well defined deliverables and timeframes.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><br>
In <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Australia</st1:place></st1:country-region>
within the public sector and also in many larger private organisations there is
a Human Resources process in place that is based on Performance Management.
This process allows either staff or managers to initiate discussions that allow
for goal based work to be undertaken.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>In
principal both parties agree to a set of goals. If the goals are met, it
contributes to the employee's remuneration review.<br>
<br>
<br>
What I'm trying to find are some examples of generic metrics that are meaninful
to Open Source development methodologies. They must be <br>
specific, meaningful and measurable.</span></font><font face=Arial><span
style='font-family:Arial'> </span></font><br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>For
example, we could look at measures such as:</span></font> <br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><br>
"Get feature X accepted into the trunk of GeoNetwork by June 2009"</span></font>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>However
this is probably unrealistic as to do this the developer will have to
have existing credibility within the community and there may be good reasons
why the community does not want to have 'product X' included.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Does
anyone have any examples that they use or thoughts on the above?</span></font> <br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><br>
</span></font><br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>I do
understand that metrics can be abused, may be meaningless and may not be the
best way to handle this, however we have to start somewhere.</span></font> <br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'><br>
We have a window of opportunity to get some more developers working on OS
projects as the Performance Planning cycle re-starts shortly and I'd like to
help our developers get some constructive ideas to take into their sessions.
</span></font><br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<font size=2 face=Arial><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:Arial'>Bruce
Bannerman<br>
<br>
</span></font><o:p></o:p></p>
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