Tying threads together.

[inode0]

2012/2/15 Máirín Duffy <duffy at fedoraproject.org>:
> On Wed, 2012-02-15 at 10:00 -0700, Robyn Bergeron wrote:
>> Anyone know if we're allowed to have a Project Usability FAD? :) (That
>> was a joke. Just to be clear.)
>>
>> Thoughts welcomed. (Note: THIS EMAIL IS NOT A DIRECTIVE, just long-winded.)
>
> AMEN.

Two short things, one essay and one talk, that I found really
interesting to digest while thinking about the Fedora Project and its
governance are here.

"I, Pencil: My Family Tree as told to Leonard E. Read"
http://www.econlib.org/library/Essays/rdPncl1.html

Matt Ridley: When ideas have sex
http://www.ted.com/talks/matt_ridley_when_ideas_have_sex.html

While I think there are quite a few things one can take away from
these that are directly relevant to Fedora, I'll let people digest
them on their own before sharing much of what I took away.

One large thing though is the idea in both that stuff happens, and
really great stuff, without central planning of some sort. A base of
freedom suitable to the context is enough. Points for a Board that
doesn't try to direct all the traffic. But there is a related point I
take away that I think will resonate here with Máirín and others. That
is that we can help make great stuff happen, not by figuring it all
out and telling people what to do but by creating the culture or a
framework that fosters and promotes the sorts of freedom and ease of
doing that enables others to achieve what *they* want to achieve.

Máirín has suggested work by the Board in this area a number of times
and I agree that the Board should be engaged in this way. What sort of
things allow people to achieve their goals within the Fedora Project?
How can we improve those things?

I think you are both in touch here with an important thing for
governance to be paying attention to.

Enjoy,
John