[Foundation-l] Re: Concern with performance issues

[Ray Saintonge]

Anthere wrote:

> Ray Saintonge a écrit:
>
>> :-D Let's face it, we're in uncharted territory.  The number of 
>> volunteers is huge, and each one has considerably more power than a 
>> volunteer in most much smaller organizations.  Many have strongly 
>> opposing (usually sincere) views of what is right, and are totally 
>> convinced that any other position is idiotic. Even our management 
>> philosophies are radically different, running the entire range from 
>> laissez-faire permissiveness to literal totalitarian strictness.
>>
>> With apologies for this note of pessimism -- Good luck!
>>
>> Ec
>
> Hmmm, this raise a immediate comment.
>
> I am supportive of hiring someone to help, in particular to do all the 
> admin basic and boring work as well as helping on site in Florida. 
> This would relieve both Jimbo who, ihmo, can help more in other areas, 
> and relieve current developers from day to day work and let them focus 
> on improving the whole system. 

Yes, like promotion, speaking engagenents, visiting local groups, and 
all those other corporate executive duties.  The travel involved is 
incompatible with the need to have someone available close by to respond 
to emergencies.  I don't disagree with the needs assessment, which seems 
to focus on the hardware rather than the software end of things.

> I have been wondering if it was a better idea in the long run of 
> hiring current developers or total or need total strangers to the 
> community. I am undecided on this. But one thing appearing obvious and 
> potentially problematic to me would be that the employed would have to 
> follow a lot the community opinion, ie opinion of non employed. I am 
> curious to see that admitedly :-)

The community policy pressures are likely to be less on hardware 
maintenance than on software development.  The sign of a good job on the 
hardware end may come when nobody notices him and everything runs 
smoothly.  The other issue about hardware maintenance is whether it 
requires a full time person or someone who comes in maybe once a week 
for routine maintenance, and is otherwise on call.  For such a hardware 
based position being available may be more important than community 
involvement.

For software specific duties it may be more important to draw from 
community members who already understand the wiki process.  They need to 
be diplomatic and thick-skinned at the same time.  Short term contract 
based hiring may be more important here, if they are ever to be 
re-integrated in the general volunteer community after the contract is 
finished.

Ec