Mission statement questions

[Karsten Wade]

We have a mission as a sub-project:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Docs_Project_mission_statement

  The mission of the Fedora Documentation Project is to provide
  documentation to users and developers to improve the overall usage
  of Fedora. We do that by explaining the usage of certain pieces of
  software or systems, provide written accounts of special events
  (releases, etc), and provide recommendations on setting of software
  or systems (security, performance, etc).

At a few reads, I don't really recognize any of the content.  It has a
few sentences that introduce newer ideas than I recall being in
there.  One is welcome in my mind (special events), one is an odd duck
(provide recommendations).

Also, some content is missing that I recall from before.  The gist
was, the project has a goal to produce 100% FLOSS content, tools, and
processes.  This goal fits in to the overall Fedora Project objective
of being entirely rebuildable from source.

Anyone know the history of the transition of the mission content?  Was
this discussed and I missed it?

Otherwise, I'd like to discuss this mission statement.

I posted some questions on these right here:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Talk:Docs_Project_mission_statement

With a recommendation for an update here:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Talk:Docs_Project_mission_statement#Recomm...

Your thoughts are appreciated.  It's _our_ mission, after all.

- Karsten
-- 
name:  Karsten 'quaid' Wade, Sr. Community Gardener
team:                Red Hat Community Architecture 
uri:                  http://quaid.fedorapeople.org
gpg:                                       AD0E0C41

[Karsten Wade]

Current status of this is in the Talk page:

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Talk:Docs_Project_mission_statement

* One point is that we do document technology recommendations;
* However, those recommendations should come from the developers, we
  just document them;

No objections to my recommendation for a new mission statement, other
than un-specifying tools (wiki), which I agree with, and consideration
about the technology recommendations.

My conclusion is to include language such as, "we document technology
recommendations."  Here's the reasoning - you may be an expert and
making a recommendation, but that is as an expert; the _team's_
mission is to document experts.  Compare to how Wikipedia requires a
reference; an expert cannot come and say, "I know this should be
such-and-so," they have to point at another article somewhere where
they as an expert declare such-and-so.  This method prevents the
documenters from having to judge the expertise level of experts.  We
ask other teams for their information, they decide amongst themselves
who knows best and what are the right answers, and pass it over.

https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Talk:Docs_Project_mission_statement#Revise...

  Revised final proposal

  The mission of the Fedora Documentation Project is to provide
  documentation to users and contributors to improve the overall usage
  and experience of Fedora. We do that by overseeing
  community-maintained content, explaining the usage of certain pieces
  of software or systems, and documenting technology recommendations
  and for special events (releases, etc). In pursuit of this work, the
  Docs Project creates and works with 100% free/libre and open source
  software, content, tools, and processes to create a reusable
  documentation system that is buildable from source by anyone and
  free forever.

Any final thoughts here on list?

- Karsten

On Thu, Dec 17, 2009 at 01:54:09PM -0800, Karsten Wade wrote:
>  We have a mission as a sub-project:
>  
>  https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Docs_Project_mission_statement
>  
>    The mission of the Fedora Documentation Project is to provide
>    documentation to users and developers to improve the overall usage
>    of Fedora. We do that by explaining the usage of certain pieces of
>    software or systems, provide written accounts of special events
>    (releases, etc), and provide recommendations on setting of software
>    or systems (security, performance, etc).
>  
>  At a few reads, I don't really recognize any of the content.  It has a
>  few sentences that introduce newer ideas than I recall being in
>  there.  One is welcome in my mind (special events), one is an odd duck
>  (provide recommendations).
>  
>  Also, some content is missing that I recall from before.  The gist
>  was, the project has a goal to produce 100% FLOSS content, tools, and
>  processes.  This goal fits in to the overall Fedora Project objective
>  of being entirely rebuildable from source.
>  
>  Anyone know the history of the transition of the mission content?  Was
>  this discussed and I missed it?
>  
>  Otherwise, I'd like to discuss this mission statement.
>  
>  I posted some questions on these right here:
>  
>  https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Talk:Docs_Project_mission_statement
>  
>  With a recommendation for an update here:
>  
>
> https://fedoraproject.org/wiki/Talk:Docs_Project_mission_statement#Recomm...
>  
>  Your thoughts are appreciated.  It's _our_ mission, after all.
>  
>  - Karsten
>  -- 
>  name:  Karsten 'quaid' Wade, Sr. Community Gardener
>  team:                Red Hat Community Architecture 
>  uri:                  http://quaid.fedorapeople.org
>  gpg:                                       AD0E0C41 


>  -- 
>  fedora-docs-list mailing list
>  fedora-docs-list(a)redhat.com
>  To unsubscribe: 
>  https://www.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/fedora-docs-list 
-- 
name:  Karsten 'quaid' Wade, Sr. Community Gardener
team:                Red Hat Community Architecture 
uri:                  http://quaid.fedorapeople.org
gpg:                                       AD0E0C41

[Paul W. Frields]

On Wed, Feb 03, 2010 at 05:52:44PM -0800, Karsten Wade wrote:
>    Revised final proposal
>  
>    The mission of the Fedora Documentation Project is to provide
>    documentation to users and contributors to improve the overall usage
>    and experience of Fedora. We do that by overseeing
>    community-maintained content, explaining the usage of certain pieces
>    of software or systems, and documenting technology recommendations
>    and for special events (releases, etc). In pursuit of this work, the
>    Docs Project creates and works with 100% free/libre and open source
>    software, content, tools, and processes to create a reusable
>    documentation system that is buildable from source by anyone and
>    free forever.
>  
>  Any final thoughts here on list? 
No problems with your rationale, I just have one question (likely
missing brain cells on this side of the wire).  I'm trying to parse
"documenting technology recommendations and for special events" and
coming up confused.  Can "for" be eliminated there, or should this be
"creating documentation for technology recommendations and special
events..."?

-- 
Paul W. Frields                                http://paul.frields.org/
  gpg fingerprint: 3DA6 A0AC 6D58 FEC4 0233  5906 ACDB C937 BD11 3717
  http://redhat.com/   -  -  -  -   http://pfrields.fedorapeople.org/
          Where open source multiplies: http://opensource.com

[Ruediger Landmann]

On 02/04/2010 11:52 AM, Karsten Wade wrote:
>     Revised final proposal
>
>     The mission of the Fedora Documentation Project is to provide
>     documentation to users and contributors to improve the overall usage
>     and experience of Fedora. We do that by overseeing
>     community-maintained content, explaining the usage of certain pieces
>     of software or systems, and documenting technology recommendations
>     and for special events (releases, etc). In pursuit of this work, the
>     Docs Project creates and works with 100% free/libre and open source
>     software, content, tools, and processes to create a reusable
>     documentation system that is buildable from source by anyone and
>     free forever.
>
>  Any final thoughts here on list?
>      
One of my colleagues here in ECS, Brian Forté suggested that this could 
be streamlined a little. With his permission, this is his pared-down 
version:

Fedora is the leading community-oriented, GPL-centric Linux-based 
distribution consisting of a complete operating system and related 
utility, recreational and productivity software. The Fedora 
Documentation Project co-ordinates and, in large part, writes the Fedora 
documentation.


This "cuts to the chase"; do we lose anything important?


Cheers


Rudi

[Chris Curran]

On 02/05/2010 12:03 PM, Ruediger Landmann wrote:
>  On 02/04/2010 11:52 AM, Karsten Wade wrote:
>     
> >     Revised final proposal
> >
> >     The mission of the Fedora Documentation Project is to provide
> >     documentation to users and contributors to improve the overall usage
> >     and experience of Fedora. We do that by overseeing
> >     community-maintained content, explaining the usage of certain pieces
> >     of software or systems, and documenting technology recommendations
> >     and for special events (releases, etc). In pursuit of this work, the
> >     Docs Project creates and works with 100% free/libre and open source
> >     software, content, tools, and processes to create a reusable
> >     documentation system that is buildable from source by anyone and
> >     free forever.
> >
> > Any final thoughts here on list?
> >
> >      
>  One of my colleagues here in ECS, Brian Forté suggested that this could
>  be streamlined a little. With his permission, this is his pared-down
>  version:
>
>  Fedora is the leading community-oriented, GPL-centric Linux-based
>  distribution consisting of a complete operating system and related
>  utility, recreational and productivity software. The Fedora
>  Documentation Project co-ordinates and, in large part, writes the Fedora
>  documentation.
>
>
>  This "cuts to the chase"; do we lose anything important?
>
>
>  Cheers
>
>
>  Rudi
>
>
>      
+1 for succinctness.

[Paul W. Frields]

On Fri, Feb 05, 2010 at 01:51:20PM +1000, Chris Curran wrote:
>  On 02/05/2010 12:03 PM, Ruediger Landmann wrote:
>  > On 02/04/2010 11:52 AM, Karsten Wade wrote:
>  >    
>  >>     Revised final proposal
>  >>
>  >>     The mission of the Fedora Documentation Project is to provide
>  >>     documentation to users and contributors to improve the overall usage
>  >>     and experience of Fedora. We do that by overseeing
>  >>     community-maintained content, explaining the usage of certain pieces
>  >>     of software or systems, and documenting technology recommendations
>  >>     and for special events (releases, etc). In pursuit of this work, the
>  >>     Docs Project creates and works with 100% free/libre and open source
>  >>     software, content, tools, and processes to create a reusable
>  >>     documentation system that is buildable from source by anyone and
>  >>     free forever.
>  >>
>  >> Any final thoughts here on list?
>  >>
>  >>      
>  > One of my colleagues here in ECS, Brian Forté suggested that this could
>  > be streamlined a little. With his permission, this is his pared-down
>  > version:
>  >
>  > Fedora is the leading community-oriented, GPL-centric Linux-based
>  > distribution consisting of a complete operating system and related
>  > utility, recreational and productivity software. The Fedora
>  > Documentation Project co-ordinates and, in large part, writes the Fedora
>  > documentation.
>  >
>  >
>  > This "cuts to the chase"; do we lose anything important?
>  >    
>  +1 for succinctness. 
I like succinctness too, but we don't need another location with an
explanation of the Fedora distribution.  Also this statement doesn't
capture work done in wiki gardening, editing website narrative,
enhancing the text used in code projects, and creating freed tools.

If succinctness is key, maybe the mission and the methodology should
just be separated:

'''
MISSION: The Fedora Documentation Project creates, maintains, and
coordinates the documentation for the Fedora distribution and the
overall Fedora Project.

METHODS: To reach this goal, the Docs Project:
* oversees community-maintained content
* etc.
* etc.
'''

Note that the last couple words of the mission statement capture work
like wiki gardening, helping code authors choose better text, fixing
website instructions, and so forth.

-- 
Paul W. Frields                                http://paul.frields.org/
  gpg fingerprint: 3DA6 A0AC 6D58 FEC4 0233  5906 ACDB C937 BD11 3717
  http://redhat.com/   -  -  -  -   http://pfrields.fedorapeople.org/
          Where open source multiplies: http://opensource.com