Tech Team Meeting 2007-04-20

2007-04-20

1. Welcome
2. Roll Call (determine who's on the call)
3. Current Action Items
   1. A few updates to the way we work
      1. Working together as a group instead of individually working on separate features or projects. Bus factor(making sure if someone gets "hit by a bus" that another programmer knows how to pick up and keep developing, being an admin, etc.)
      2. Moving from ad-hoc, do-ocracy to mission focused, core goals focused team
   2. Create a list of things that *really* need to be done; core site requirements. Each person would choose a few things from the list to do.
      1. Server Administration
      2. Major bugs fixed weekly
      3. Verification process going smooth so that money is coming in
      4. Contact Us questions supported and answered
   3. Creation of a simple set of guidelines for releasing code updates.
      1. When people want to add/change or remove something that is not a small thing. Ex: mapsurf, ridesurf, redesign of homepage. They should write up a small design plan of it. No need for 10 pages, a few lines outlining what they want to change will work so that we can have a *small* discussion in google groups and come to a consensus.(not an endless discussion like in brainstorm group)
   4. Quick discussion about database optimization (Morgan Tucker, Walter Heck)
4. Previous Action Items
   1. NDA status (Casey, TTT)
   2. Tech Team management and structure
   3. Idea to feature process
5. Future items to think about for next meeting.
   1. What would be helpful guidelines for new releases? How do we create a Testing / QA team (Midsch) who give *positive* and *constructive* criticism?
   2. How do we implement Sliding scale verification?
   3. What things can we do to create more effective communication in the groups?(thumbs up, thumbs down like digg.com?)
   4. How do we complete, conclude and learn from projects created during NZ Collective?
6. Any other business? (quick time to add things, suggest future discussions)
7. Next Meeting time?
8. Close Meeting

Introductions

Chris (Vermont, US) welcomes everyone: Walter (Holland), Casey (NZ), Thomas (Belgium) and Anu (NZ). Introductions are made.

Goals

Chris: were trying to change the way we're working, more coordinated and together, wants to introduce the "bus factor". Small changes vs persona projects.

Thomas: Is this because of people quitting?

Chris: It just needs to be clearly said that we need multiple people owing pieces of code.

Casey: page ownership does that as well (multiple owners).

Walter: Every page should have more than one owner. Chris agrees.

Thomas: How do we do that?

Chris: Through the Wiki for instance.

Casey: We could keep tally, make an inventory of missing owners.

[some chatter about note taking]

Repurposing

Chris: ad-hocracy to more mission focused work. Increase intercultural understanding by opening homes. Big projects are on hold for now. Refine existing functionality first.

Casey: Make some inventory: what are we doing, working on, etc? Good example is an improved couchsearch algoritm.

Chris: We're trying to create a list of what needs to be done. Personally interested in the meeting bugs and verification. Make sure tech questions are supported. Assign people to those.

Casey: There was a serious problem with the DB.

Thomas: What has changed?

Casey: New code always has impact, so the foundation should be made stronger before we go any further. New servers, etc.

Thomas: Timeframe for new server?

Casey: Server is installed (including MySQL), now needs configuration, maybe this week.

Chris: Wants to become accountable for the core functions, because what is CS besides that?

Walter: A better release policy? Things get released immediately, we need a test team or QA team.

Casey: We wanted to tackle this during the collective. It doesn't work right now. We need better code management, something like a two stage system.

Anu: We needed a system at the collective, it wasn't prioritized and it was really hard to get done. We need a way to beta test and test suites.

Walter: I can ask around for a system like that. [Joe has done a lot of research and Casey would like to help as well.]

Chris: We need a system with small proposals that can be discussed before it is programmed.

Thomas: Can we get a list of the programmers currently involved?

Casey: I'm willing to compile an overview. A fairly low number of devs is actually a good time to introduce a new working system.

Chris: New people coming in and some people fasing out is a good opportunity to make a tech team so that it functions best/better.

Anu: Anu and John have been talking to four new people that are interested that can be fased in. I will be doing a day job and can therefor not program as much.

Intentions

Chris: A release guideline will be created by Walter and passed by Casey and Chris.

Casey: It would be great to think of how to communicate those guidelines.

Thomas: Will it be public?

Casey: Trusts Walter to do it.

Chris: They could be public, unless there is no security issue involved.

Walter: I'm working with Morgan on DB optimization. Working on the possible future of the "old" DB server.

Chris: A few examples?

Walter: Get the replicaton set up, logs for a few hours for analysis.

Casey: I can give as much experience as possible. We can add more servers too, since the rules have changed so it can be done strategically. I can get specs for different servers.

Walter: I want to wait for Morgan for input (his computer crashed recently).

Status of the NDA and organisational issues

Casey: TTT and I are trying to get a meeting with the (tax) lawyer, but he's too busy. MySQL license will be proposed. He's been involved in CC licenses, non-profits. Our other lawyer doesn't get it as much (more commercial thinking). Wattly is on the Westcoast, ? on the eastcoast. A call is going to be made later today.

Anu: I wanted to work on a couple of projects, but admins weren't responding to questions about those ideas.

Casey: That communication channel wasn't as good as it needed to be. Chris will be here for that problem specifically.

Chris: I will be spending 10 hours a week with the leader group, so everyone can focus on the fun part: programming!

Casey: Wants to remind where CS is coming from. Building a non-profit has been a long road. It is just not as fast as people hope. If you don't like the way the organisation is run, take a break and come back later. I want to thank everyone involved.

[Discussion ensues on the leadership circle, no notes but to summarize Thomas observes that to him it sounds like the leadership circle will suffer from the same lack of openness that people have been complaining about for quite a while now. ]

Casey: I'm willing to provide some information on the way the leadership circle ideas within a couple of days.

Chris: We're being extra careful so the information is concise and non-confusing.

Ed note: Thomas has sent a mail out to Chris and Casey regarding the leadership circle with 3 very specific questions. Although both Chris and Casey have replied, the questions haven't been answered yet (2007-04-25)

Anu: Finds it a very different approach cultural wise and would like to see some ? (ed: didn't catch that)

Chris: I'm working on the structure of the tech team and would like any help with that.

Anu: I would like to help in any way I can with that, even though she has some doubts.

Chris: Appreciates the help!

Wrap-up

Casey: Future items? Guidelines? Server watch team? So we can monitor in realtime? Sliding scale verification.

Walter: Noticed Brainstorm thread on sliding scale verification, which could be interesting.

Anu: Chris has been interested in this, so he'll probably be involved.

Thomas: I'm interested in communication optimisation (voting system?).

Casey: The simpler, the better!

We will collect experiences from developers the collective on the Wiki.

Walter: Is having a meeting with Aldo and Duke on uptime management.

Anu: Transitions are bumpy!

Meeting time for next call? Same time next week most likely.