[Incubator] Unresponsive/Inactive Projects

[Landon Blake]

Jody:

Using a motion makes sense to me.

Landon

On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 1:16 PM, Jody Garnett <jody.garnett at gmail.com>
wrote:

> I am not sure we would want to put mentors on the spot with the
> "discretion to put a project on inactive status". Making a motion keeps
> communication clear, and gives us something formal to report to the board.
>
> Right now we are a pretty informal committee, but we can introduce more
> procedures if it would help provide guidance. Mentors are in the best
> position (as our contact point with a new project) to make such a motion. I
> would at least like to try using a motion to "inactivate" a project a
> couple of times (to see if it works) before making it into a formal
> procedure.
> --
> Jody
>
>
>
> Jody Garnett
>
> On Mon, Sep 22, 2014 at 10:20 AM, Landon Blake <
> sunburned.surveyor at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> I'll reach out to the OTB folks again...but I'd like to make a formal
>> proposal that Mentors have the discretion to put a project on "inactive"
>> status after 3 months of little or no contact.
>>
>> Landon
>>
>> On Fri, Sep 19, 2014 at 3:23 PM, Jody Garnett <jody.garnett at gmail.com>
>> wrote:
>>
>>> On Thu, Sep 18, 2014 at 6:37 AM, Landon Blake <
>>> sunburned.surveyor at gmail.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Incubation Committee:
>>>>
>>>> What happens when we get an inactive or unresponsive project in
>>>> incubation?
>>>>
>>>
>>> Currently nothing!
>>>
>>> It seems to be a shame to have other projects waiting for an incubation
>>>> mentor for months or years while another project isn't moving forward in
>>>> the incubation process.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I have tried to offset this a bit by moving "incubating projects" to the
>>> bottom of the home page. We could move them off the home page completely.
>>> Or if you like we could keep a "new projects" bubble on the home page for
>>> projects in there first year.
>>>
>>> The motivation for this is projects getting their initial benefit of
>>> joining OSGeo in the form of publicity / marketing due to placement. This
>>> was enough for the initial parties interested in GeoServer incubation to
>>> "drop out" and leave others to do the work. I am not sure if other projects
>>> have a similar experience when joining OSGeo?
>>>
>>> Is there a way we can remedy this? For example: Put an incubation
>>>> project on "inactive" status after a certain number of weeks without
>>>> communication to the mentor (or actual progress on incubation tasks). Once
>>>> the project reconnects with the mentor, they can be taken off inactive
>>>> status. The mentor can then decide to work again with the project, or we
>>>> could put the project back on the waiting list.
>>>>
>>>
>>> In a PSC setting we have up front that members that are inactive for 6
>>> months will be dropped, and can reapply when they have time.
>>>
>>> I bring this up because I haven't heard from the OTB folks in quite a
>>>> while, even after sending a couple of e-mail messages. I'd rather mentor
>>>> another willing project while I wait for them to move forward.
>>>>
>>>
>>> Shucks, I just updated them in my slides to "active" status since the
>>> last edit was in August.
>>>
>>> Please share your thoughts. I'm just putting the idea on everyone's
>>>> radar.
>>>>
>>>
>>> I think I would be much more comfortable with you, as mentor, putting
>>> the project on "hold" status. You are our bridge to that community - and if
>>> incubation is not on their radar (or priority) then you are in position to
>>> notice.
>>>
>>> I note that we are a software foundation and are very sensitive to
>>> project release schedule. We completely understand a project getting stuck
>>> making a release for months (years?) at a stretch.
>>>
>>> But yeah a simple status update "we are busy making release X" would be
>>> a kindness.
>>>
>>> We can respect a development team as volunteers, but we must also
>>> respect your availability/energy as a volunteer :)
>>>
>>> Jody
>>>
>>
>>
>
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