[News.eclipse.foundation] Re: [EDP] Mentors Council or Coaching Squad?

[Jeff McAffer <jeff_mcaffer@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

Ed Merks wrote:
> Jeff,
>
> I was there and I would interpret the reaction as one of:  "Aren't we 
> already doing that?" and "If we aren't already doing that well---who 
> says we aren't?---shouldn't we just fix that problem rather than create 
> some new group, which is likely to suffer the same problems as the 
> current group?"  

Two comments:
- Apparently there are lots of new projects that could use help on their 
way towards graduating and releasing.  They may be getting help here and 
there but at least some of them (anecdotally) are in need/desire of 
explicit support/help.
- In fact I was particularly keen on NOT creating a separate group but 
rather broadening/enhancing the scope of the AC to include propagation 
of the architectural vision of Eclipse through active mentoring and 
participation in reviews.

The interesting side effect of the "architects" (if you will) being 
involved in a more diverse set of projects should be an increase in 
cross-project understanding and cooperation.

> I strongly disagree with any summary that concludes 
> that the council did not see this as a very important issue.  We spent 

I certainly did not mean to imply it was not seen as important simply 
that the AC chose not to take on that role.  I'm going to pick on the 
logic here for a minute.
If it is very important and there isn't to be a different group but you 
don't want to do it, how is this going to get done and who is going to 
do it?

> hour,  Rich and I had to leave to give a talk, so this was effectively 
> the only topic we discussed at the council.  (It's clear that meetings 
> that overlap with other events will not be as well attended as they 
> should be.)

Actually this is a concern I have since I am also on the Board and those 
meetings often seem to overlap with at least some Council meetings.  My 
Clone is in the shop indefinitely so I'm doomed to miss various Council 
meetings (even if I was on some of them).

> the focus should be more on such specific problems.  Also, ask yourself 
> this question: how many of the people important to driving Eclipse's 
> architecture are typically present at the architecture council to help 
> make it effective and to make it fully an architecture council, i.e., 
> with a focus on the design part of your architect definition, rather 
> than mostly with a focus on the supervisory part?  I've only been to two 
> meetings (the first being more effective than the second, in my 
> opinion), and the next meeting is so close to EclipseCon that it's not 
> really a justifiable expense to travel for it.

The question of representation is a fine one.  I honestly have no idea 
what the composition of the AC is and how it got to be that way.

Sidenote:  I certainly am not picking on the AC.  I want mentors.  I 
happen to think that the "Architecture Council", simply considering the 
name and a rough sketch of their purpose, is the right body to supply 
said mentors.

Jeff